EYEGLASSES

Even with the widespread availability of contact lenses and vision correction surgery, eyeglasses are still as popular as they ever were, if not more so.

It’s not secret that high profile designer name branded eyeglasses are always in demand. Eyeglasses frame materials have seen an evolution with the development of new plastics and various types of metals.

If you are unfortunate enough to suffer from skin allergies, then it is recommended that you seek hypoallergenic metals such as titanium or stainless steel for your frame materials.

There are certain frames that are made with highly flexible metal alloys that reduce the possibility of breakage. Spring hinges are also utilized for added durability and are a great option for children’s eyewear.

Eyeglasses Frames Styles

Eyeglasses have also become quite popular for being fashion statements, in addition to and in conjunction with their functionality. To this end, there is optical wear in different colors and styles that help people match their wardrobes.

Multi-colored inlays, composite materials, designer emblems, and enhancements such as the insets of precious stones, including rhinestones and diamantes, may also be found in popular frame styles.

Rimless styles have become more popular in recent years as a discreet method with which to wear eyeglasses without any obvious frames. Rimless styles mainly involve the attachment of the temples directly onto the lenses rather than onto the frames.

Advances in Eyeglasses Lenses

There is a great deal of variety in regards to choosing the lenses for your optical wear. Among the most popular types of lenses and lens options prescribed today are:

• Aspheric lenses – these lenses have a slimmer and more attractive profile than do other lenses. They also have the advantage of eliminating that magnified, bug-eyed look that some prescriptions cause.

• High index lenses – high index lenses are made of new materials that make the lenses noticeably thinner and lighter than regular plastic lenses.

• Polycarbonate – polycarbonate lenses are thinner, lighter, and feature up to 10 times greater impact-resistance than do regular plastic lenses. All of these features make polycarbonate lenses a great choice for safety glasses, children’s eyewear, and for anyone who wants lightweight and durable lenses.

• Photochromic lenses – these lenses are sun-sensitive that quickly darken in bright conditions and then just as rapidly return to a clear state in ordinary indoor lighting.

• Anti-reflective coatings – AR coatings are among the most popular add-ons for lenses due to their ability to minimize the amount of light that reflects off the surface of your lenses, which reduces glare and thus eases eye fatigue and eyestrain.

• Other lens coatings – there are other supplemental coatings for the lenses, such as scratch-resistant, ultraviolet treatment, and mirror coatings.

Eyeglasses Lenses for Presbyopia

Presbyopia is an eye disorder characterized by a normal, age-related loss of near vision focusing ability that makes reading and other close-up tasks more difficult after one reaches the age of 40. This disorder renders your usual type of eyeglass lenses, which are known as single vision lenses, useless.

You will require multifocal lenses to help correct your presbyopia. The lenses available for presbyopia correction include:

• Bifocals – bifocals have a set of 2 different lenses, each with its own power for seeing at different distances – one for distance vision and another for near vision – and separated by a visible line.

• Trifocals – trifocals have a set of 3 different lenses, each with its own power for seeing at varying distances – near, intermediate, and far – and are separated by two visible lines.

• Progressive lenses – progressive lenses are superior to bifocals and trifocals because they allow the wearer to focus at a plethora of different distances, not just two or three. Their lack of visible lines allows the wearer a smooth, comfortable transition from one set distance to another.

If you have satisfactory distance vision without corrective eyeglasses, then all you will need are simple reading glasses with single vision lenses to deal with the near vision problems that presbyopia causes.

Advice for Buying Eyeglasses

Your appearance, personal taste, and lifestyle are all very integral considerations when pondering your choice of eyeglasses. We can help you choose the perfect frames and lenses that will both complement your aesthetic appeal and meet your lifestyle needs.

Eyeglasses Frame Materials

The process of finding your ideal pair of eyeglasses could come down to something as simple as choosing the material that the frames should be made out of, with each being distinguished by its own pros and cons.

Frames could also be chosen based on a whole battery of others factors including color, hypoallergenic materials, sturdiness, lightness, price, and exclusivity.

Metal Frames

Metal is the most popular of all eyeglasses frame materials. This category of frame materials has a myriad amount to choose from, with each material having its own distinctive properties.

• Monel – Monel is an alloy of nickel and copper. It is one of the most popular and inexpensive frame materials out there. Be warned that, depending on the quality of the plating used, Monel frames may or may not discolor and cause skin reactions over time and wear.

• Beryllium – Beryllium is a lower-cost alternative to titanium and features a similar degree of resistance to corrosion and tarnishing. This makes it an outstanding choice for anyone who possesses high skin acidity or who spends a good amount of time near salt water. Other features include its lightweight, strength, flexibility, and availability in a multitude of different colors.

• Stainless Steel – Stainless steel is an alloy that combines iron, carbon, and chromium. Their frames are lightweight, sturdy, supple, and resistant to corrosion. One unique aesthetic detail is that stainless steel frames can be produced in matte or polished finishes.

• Memory Metal – Memory metal is an alloy that equally combines both titanium and nickel. This alloy is marked by its excellent flexibility, being able to be twisted or bent to an extreme degree and can still return to their original shape. Thus, memory metal frames are a superb choice for children or anyone who is hard on their glasses.

• Beta Titanium – Beta titanium is an alloy that is comprised primarily of titanium, with additional small amounts of aluminum and vanadium. The aluminum and vanadium help give beta titanium greater flexibility than pure titanium, which helps ensure easier fitting adjustments.

• Titanium – Titanium is a premium metal that is marked by its great strength, endurance, corrosion-resistance, and lightweight properties (40% lighter than other metal frame materials). It’s also hypoallergenic. All in all, this is one of, if not the best frame material that you can have for your eyeglasses frames. Frames made out of titanium are available in a wide range of colors.

Plastic Frames

• Zyl – Zyl (AKA Zylonite or cellulose acetate) is a lightweight and relatively low-cost variety of plastic and is the most popular of all plastic frame materials. Zyl frames have the greatest versatility with its coloring options, which include multi-colored models and frames with different layers of color.

• Propionate – Propionate is a nylon-based plastic that is tough, elastic, lightweight, and hypoallergenic. Propionate frames have seen a great deal of usage in sports frames because of their endurance.

• Nylon – Nylon still sees occasional usage as a frame material. It is strong, lightweight, and supple, but it can become brittle with age and usage. To overcome that handicap, materials such as polyamides, co-polyamides and gliamides, which are nylon-blended and have greater durability, have for the most part replaced it.

Combination Frames

Combination frames “combine” both metal and plastic materials and features all of their individual respective strengths into a singular type of frame. They were popular in the 1950s and 1960s, but have recently made a comeback with a wider assortment of colors than the classic models.

Mix It Up!

Each frame material has its own pros and cons and stylistic features. If you desire eyewear that fits each and every occasion in your life, then you should consider purchasing multiple pairs of eyeglasses, each having a different frame material to suit that particular occasion.

For instance, you may desire conservatively styled frames that are made of sturdy and lightweight titanium for work. But on weekends, you may want something more colorful or stylish, such as zyl frames in laminated colors, or combination frames with a modern take on that classic retro-look.

Specialty Eyewear

There is no one perfect pair of eyeglasses that fits extremely well with all situations.

Whether you desire optimal vision and comfortability for a specific activity, such as work, computer use, driving, or your hobbies, or you need eyewear that provides an extra margin of safety for your work or recreational activities, specialty eyeglasses are your best bet to meet these needs.

Computer Glasses

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing If you spend much time in front of a computer, then you are probably already familiar with the eyestrain, muscle strain, and fatigue problems that are commonly associated with prolonged computer use. Computer glasses have specially customized lenses to maximize your vision at both the intermediate and near distances that you use during computer work. Computer-specific eyewear will provide you with the best corrections at these distances and help mitigate the annoyance of eyestrain that you experience throughout the course of your work. elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.

Reading and Hobbies

If you wear eyewear with bifocal lenses, then you may find that you have to tip your head back slightly to use the reading portion of the lenses. That may suffice for most situations, but if you want to sit and read a novel, then this head-back posture can cause discomfort and fatigue in your neck. Often, a pair of single vision reading glasses is all it takes to make prolonged reading and other detailed near vision tasks, such as sewing or needlepoint work, problem-free.

Yard or Power Tool Work

Lawn mowers, power trimmers, grinding tools, and other power tools all pose a high risk of causing serious eye injuries due to high-speed projectiles. Even an action that is as simple as hammering a nail can cause debris to fly into your eyes. Safety glasses are required to partake in these activities, in which case, you will need an extra tough plastic, such as polycarbonate

Sports Eyewear

With the advent of more extensive participation in different types of outdoor sports, there is a high demand for specially tinted eyeglass lenses, which can greatly improve the sharpness and clearness of your vision as you partake in these sports. Sport-specific eyewear not only enhances your performance by improving visual acuity and clarity, but they also protect your eyes from injury due to high-speed projectiles, such as tennis balls.

Driving Glasses

Driving glasses may come in one of two different types: with one being sunglasses that are designed specifically for driving and the other is clear prescription driving glasses. Driving-specific eyewear features polarized lenses that reduce glare and have special tints to enhance contrast to provide safer and more comfortable vision on the road on sunny days. Night driving-specific eyeglasses should include both your distance prescription and anti-reflective (AR) coating to reduce the glare that you may encounter from streetlights and oncoming headlights and allows more light to reach your eyes for clearer vision on dark roadways.

We Can Help

Nearly everyone can benefit from the usage of specialty eyewear. Let our eye care specialists know about all the different things that you like to do, and we will tell you about the best special-purpose eyewear to complement your needs.

Men’s Eyeglass Frames

Most of us men are primarily interested in comfortability, great fit, and endurance when it comes to choosing our optical wear. Style is also an importance factor to consider. However, men typically won’t sacrifice the far more important qualities of comfort and fit just to look cool.

Comfort and Fit

Follow these tips to ascertain that your eyeglasses frames will be comfortable and fit you well.

1. You should choose frames that are wide enough to fit your face. You can confirm that this is the case by checking to see that the protrusion of the edges of the frames goes slightly beyond your face in such a way that the temples will not create pressure on your head as they extend back to your ears.

2. Are the temples long enough? You can determine this by checking to see that the curve at the end of the temples extends over your ears without pressing down upon them. You should know for your convenience that there are some styles of sunwear that have straight temples that don’t curve around the ear.

3. Check the nosepieces for both fit and comfortability. The frames should fit securely without pinching the bridge of your nose.

4. While wearing the sunglasses, move your head in all of the different directions and bend over (as if you’re moving to pick up something up from the floor). If the sunglasses should stay comfortably in place throughout those exercises, then they’re a proper fit.

Durability

If you prioritize durability over most other features in your eyeglasses, then you should consider choosing frames that are made from stainless steel, memory metal, or titanium. Titanium and stainless steel have greater sturdiness and endurance than do other metal frame materials. Memory metal frames return to their original shape, even if they are severely bent or twisted, all thanks to the titanium in their composition.

Five Trends in Men’s Eyewear Fashion

The styling of the frames in men’s eyewear has recently become more masculine in the last several years, featuring classic shapes and sizes that have been reimagined with a modern twist.

1. Aviator glasses and double brow-bar styles have long been touted for their masculine shapes and have now been reborn in fresh colors and materials, with slightly pared-down size.

2. Larger and bolder eyeglass frames have also seen a revival in eyewear for men. Do be aware that bigger styles work best on men with larger body types. There are still smaller shaped frames that work well with smaller faces.

3. Rimless and semi-rimless styles (i.e. where the lenses are held in place to the temples with a screw or a wire) are perfect for those of us men who appreciate a modern or minimalistic look. One cool thing about rimless frames is that when they are paired with anti-reflective lenses, they will practically disappear.

4. Titanium frames are unsurprisingly very popular with men due to their fashionableness and functionality. Titanium frames are known to be super lightweight, non-corrosive, extremely sturdy, and stylish as well.

5. Plastic frames are able to give men a more chic or retro look. Their main features are their lightweight, comfortability, and diverse coloring and patterning options. For example, plastic frames may feature bold and black ’50s-style frames and other modern designs with multilayered colors that are laminated together to create a unique effect.

Time to Upgrade?

Are your glasses uncomfortable? Want a new look? Visit us today at Couture Optical to see the latest and most comfortable, fashionable styles for men of all ages.

Women’s Eyeglass Frames

Do you need new eyeglasses? Women too have an unlimited amount of choices in regards to their optical wear. That may sound good, but that diversity could sometimes be the problem: How do you expect to find the frame styles that look best on you?

Narrowing Down Your Choices

It is recommended that you ask yourself a few questions before shopping for eyewear in order to narrow down your choices and figure out what you like best in order to better help your optician:

• Do I desire frames that are delicate or bold, retro or modern, conservative or unconventional?

• In which situations will I wear these eyeglasses? Will I wear them at work? Will I wear them when I go out socially?

• What colors do I like? Which colors look best on me?

• What are the main colors of the clothing in my wardrobe?

• What kind of face shape do I have?

• What do I like and dislike about my current eyeglasses?

Judging Fit and Comfort

According to extensive research in the eyewear industry, most women have a greater investment in the way that their eyeglasses look. But let’s face it: if the frame doesn’t fit well or isn’t comfortable, then you won’t want to wear it anyway.

Here are some guidelines about how to judge the fit of frames:

• To ensure that the temples aren’t too snug on the sides of your head, you should choose frames that are wide enough to fit your face. The edge of the frames should protrude slightly beyond your face in such a way that the temples don’t put pressure on your head as they extend back to your ears.

• Are the temples long enough? The curves at the end of the temples should extend over your ears without pressing down upon them.

• Check the nosepiece for comfort and fit. Many eyeglasses have soft, silicone nose pads that aid their adjustability. For eyeglasses without these nose pads, they should fit securely without pinching the bridge of your nose.

• When you pick up your new eyeglasses, move your head in all of the different directions and bend over (as if to pick up something up from the floor). Observe how well your glasses stay in place as you go through all of these different movements. As long as the nose pads and temples have been properly adjusted, then your glasses should stay comfortably in place.

How Many Eyeglasses Do You Need?

Most women don’t hesitate to buy multiple pairs of shoes, so why hesitate to buy more than one pair of eyeglasses?

Your eyewear is as much a fashion statement as anything else you wear. And while few of us have an unlimited budget with which to allocate our purchases, any money that is spent on multiple pairs of eyeglasses is well spent, especially if you have a diverse wardrobe for work, home, and social wear.

If you’re really on a tight budget, then you should by all means choose the one pair of optical wear that you’d be happy wearing with any and all outfits and in any and all different situations. But that doesn’t mean you are limited to choosing plain, thin metal frames if you really like eyewear that’s bold and colorful. Remember, these glasses are going to be on your face every single day, and you have to like how it looks on you. So don’t be afraid to experiment and try on multiple different types of frames until you find your favorite.

Let Us Help

Our optical store has a large selection of all the latest styles in women’s eyewear. We here at Better Vision Optical can help you find the ideal eyewear that perfectly complements your facial features, has the best-fit shape and coloring, and matches your personality and wardrobe.