Looking for clear glasses can be even more challenging than finding the perfect pair of shades. After all, you’re likely to be wearing your clear specs for most of the day, whereas sunglasses only come out when it’s bright outside. If you’re new to wearing glasses, you might be feeling lost and unsure as to what kind will be best for your needs. While everyone has slightly different preferences, there are some factors you have to take into consideration with every glasses purchase you make. Here are a few to get you started:
Your face shape
Clear glasses come in all kinds of shapes and sizes, but not all of them will work well on your face. If the glasses you’ve tried on so far have looked odd – don’t worry, it has nothing to do with you and everything to do with the type of frames you’ve chosen.
The first step involves working out what shape your face really is. Get out a measuring tape and figure out the proportions instead of using guesswork. Once you have these numbers, you might be surprised to discover your face isn’t as round or as square as you first thought. There are lots of guides online that will help you find the right frames for your face. For example, oval faces benefit from wide frames, while diamond-shaped faces will pair well with semi-rimless styles.
Frame material
Discovering your face shape might be the hardest part of the battle, but that doesn’t mean you can disregard the material that your new glasses are made from. In order to choose the best material, you’ll need to understand the pros and cons of all the different ones out there. For example, metal frames are really durable and will withstand a lot of handling and even the occasional drop. To avoid metal frames being too heavy, choose a light metal such as titanium. However, if you’re on a budget, you might prefer plastic frames. These won’t last as long, but they come in a huge range of colors and can feel a bit more comfortable and flexible against your skin.
Fit
Most glasses can be adjusted to fit your face, but it’s very important to try on a pair of glasses as soon as you receive them. If something isn’t right with the fit, you’ll be able to tell right away and can ask for any adjustments to be made. Signs that your glasses don’t fit correctly include: constantly having to push your specs up your nose, feeling as though the arms are squeezing your head, and noticing indentations on your skin after wearing your glasses for a while.
Some glasses may simply be the wrong size for your face, while others can be tweaked to suit the distance between your eyes. It’s a good idea to choose frames with a nose pad, as this will help to keep them in place. Nose pads can almost always be adjusted, so don’t worry if it’s too tight, to begin with – your optician or supplier can help with this.
Photo by Anna Tarazevich