Fashion Show London Fashion Week
0 3 mins 7 yrs

How to choose glasses frames as unique as you.

With eyewear well and truly on the fashion agenda, the only question left is ‘which frames to get?’ Sounds easy but, in practice, it is not as simple as you would think to find beautiful glasses that reflect your personality and enhance your style.

If you can find a good optician, then that is a great place to start and there are also many options online. Remember that glasses also have an important medical purpose so you really ought to get your eyes tested, even if you end up buying your frames and lenses elsewhere.

“Like shoes, suits or any other key wardrobe item, you get what you pay for but the tricky bit here is that the brand name is a very poor indication of the quality,” commented to Ikon London Magazine Managing Director of Kirk & Kirk, Jason Kirk.

Kirk & Kirk Choosing glasses

He continued: “Most of the household fashion brands whose names adorn frames have sold their license to brand houses that minimise costs to maximise their margins.” Avoid brand names!

Having worked in the industry for a few decades, Jason Kirk shares his expertise: “Bombarded with advertising, most of us go to the nearest optical chain store and see thousands of frames, with names that we recognise. But take a closer look and you will notice similar shapes with varying names, the same old tat churned out in mass production. In this instance, “cheap” really does not mean that you are getting a good deal.”

So how on earth do you find glasses that are both stylish and well made?

The great news is that there are many independent frame designers producing interesting and exciting eyewear. They cost a bit more than the run of the mill but they look and feel the part. After all, this is the one item of clothing that you can be certain people will notice and remember.

As a glasses’ consumer, recognising quality is a challenge but once you have held a frame by Anne et Valentin, Theo or Kirk & Kirk for example, you will instantly understand what you are paying for.

Wherever you are in the world, there is always a great independent optical store and there are some excellent consumer websites where you can find out about the best designers and where to find their products. Have a look at Eyestylist.com or luxuryeyewearforum.com. 

Lavish a little love on your eyes. A great pair of glasses is the best fashion purchase you will ever make.