CHOOSING EYEWEAR

The fundamentals

We believe that everyone deserves to look and feel good in eyewear. Your glasses matter because they are in the middle of your face, on your nose for everyone to see. You probably wear them every day.

This short guide cannot cover the finer points of frame selection. Its aim is to explain that having glasses you want to wear is not luck.

Choose an expert

A lot of people do not know where to start when choosing glasses. They don’t know what suits them, and they cannot find a frame that fits. As with many important decisions in life, it is best to get help from a professional. At Johnson & Furze we have people who are skilled and experienced in taking the time to help people look good in glasses. This is part of our job. We understand the process and can help you avoid embarrassing and costly mistakes.

Choose somewhere with genuine choice

High-street stores are packed full of "designer glasses". They often look the same, and this is because they are made in the same factories by the same people. The largest frame manufacturer owns the licence for 80% of the major brands. An emphasis on volume sales means that all frames come in only one size and use predictable, safe shapes and colours. Designer glasses are mass-produced for the mass-market and do not cater for people with non-standard features or who want original designs. Lots of the same is not real choice. People come in a range of shapes, sizes and personalities. You deserve a real choice, and for this you need to choose a specialist optician that embraces proper eyewear design companies.

TECHNICAL CONSIDERATIONS

Myopic prescriptions

These are minus-powered prescriptions for short-sightedness. These lenses are thin in the middle and get thicker towards the edge. With increasing power these lenses become thicker. They also become flatter to maintain good optical clarity. For high-myopia we offer the following advice.

Choose as small an eyesize as allowed by the width of the face.
Avoid curved designs because they compromise vision and make the lens unstable in the frame.
Consider a plastic frame to help hide the thick edge.

Hypermetropic prescriptions

These are plus-powered prescriptions for long-sightedness. These lenses are thickest centrally. With increasing power these lenses become more bulbous. For high-hypermetropia we offer the following advice.

Choose as small an eyesize as allowed by the width of the face.
More rounded shapes are best to reduce visible thick edge at the top/bottom.
Avoid shallow "letterbox" frames.
Avoid shapes with upswept temporal corners.
Avoid semi-rimless and rimless frames because they increase the thickness of the lens above standard.

Lens type

Multifocal lenses (progressives, bifocals and workplace lenses) all need moderate depth to fit in the different powers.

Fitting of frame

Ensure that a finger can just fit between the side of the frame and temple.
With plastic frames the bridge must match the shape of the nose.
Choose a lightweight frame when the nose is small to reduce slipping.
Choose a lightweight frame if the skin is delicate and marks easily.

Intended usage

Lightness is particularly important when frames are worn often.
Choose a robust full-rim when glasses are frequently taken on/off.
Choose larger glasses for prolonged driving and computers with large monitors so the frame is not obtrusive.
Consider shallow frames when glasses are only worn for reading to allow peering over the top.

AESTHETIC CONSIDERATIONS

Eyewear has a massive impact on how we look

We judge each other on how we look. It may not be fair, but the reality is that our appearances are important. Nobody notices your watch or jewellery if your glasses do not suit you.

Some people use glasses to make a statement or reflect their personality, but less commonly appreciated is how they can be used to emphasis some features of the face and draw attention away from others. Spectacles alter how our face looks whether we want them to or not. This guide explains how we can use that to our advantage.

General: Face shape

Long faces are better proportioned with deeper frames.
Short faces do best with shallower frames and the side mounted high on the front.
Long noses can be reduced in length with a plastic frame with a regular bridge
Short noses can be lengthened by a "key-hole" bridge.
Long chins and low foreheads do best with the side is mounted low on the front.
Small chins and high foreheads do better with the side mounted high on the front.
Generally it is desirable for the top-line of the frame to follow the eyebrows.
Narrow eyes can be made to look wider with shapes that deepen temporally.

Male specific: Face shape

Square, rugged male faces do better with squarish shapes, perhaps with straight top-lines, and should avoid very round shapes.
Round, plump, cheerful male faces do better with a shape that is wider than it is deep, or create the illusion of this with a semi-rimless frame, and perhaps deeper temporally than nasally if the eyes are set close together. Avoid deep shapes that accentuate facial roundness that might even be pushed up when smiling!
Long, tapered male faces do better with shapes that are narrower at the bottom than at the top, so as to de-emphasise the pointed chin.
Long, squarish male faces do better with relatively deep shapes that are more square that for tapered faces. Straight lines often work well on these faces.
Oval male faces can carry-off bold frames, including those with very straight top-lines or round shapes.

Male specific: Hair

Black - Dark frames colours.
Brown - Any colour tends to work well.
Blonde - Any colour tends to work well.
Ginger - Black.
Early grey - Avoid grey and silver as these accentuate grey.
Grey - Black, gun, silver, gold. Semi-rimless and rimless often work well.
White - Gun, silver, gold. Semi-rimless and rimless often work well.
Receding - Accentuated by shallow frames that draw attention to the large forehead, and so choose deeper shapes, especially with a strong colours. A semi-rimless or rimless frame can also work.

Female specific: Face shape

Tapered, heart-shaped females faces do better with shapes that are narrower at the bottom than at the top to de-emphasise the small chin, and shallow to increase apparent length of face.
Round female faces do better with a shape that is wider than it is deep, or create the illusion of this with a supra, ideally be deeper temporally than nasally, and should avoid either very straight or very round lines.
Long, tapered female faces do better with relatively deep shapes that are narrower at the bottom than at the top, so as to de-emphasise the pointed chin. Heavy plastic frames with thick sides often suit well.
Long, squarish female faces do better with relatively deep shapes that are more square than for tapered faces. Straight lines often work well on these faces.
Oval female faces do better when straight lines and sharp corners are avoided, with shapes that follow the eyebrow curves and shape of the face - neither too shallow or too deep.

Female specific: Complexion

When the skin is pale, avoid cold colours like ice blue and pale green, in preference of warmer colours like red, mauve and pink.
People with darker hair/skin can wear brighter colours than those with a fairer complexion.

Female specific: Hair

Black - Black frames work well, avoid light colours.
Brunette - Dark brown and bright colours work well, with paler colours being more suitable as the hair colour becomes lighter.
Blonde- Pastel colours, or darker colours softened with lighter colours on the inside, or, counter to intuition, black.
Auburn - Bright colours, especially green, avoiding reds that clash.
Early grey - Avoid grey and silver as these accentuate grey.
Grey - Black, females pastels, silver and paler mottled colours. Semi-rimless and rimless often work well.
White - Pastels, paler mottled colours and dull gold. Semi-rimless and rimless often work well.