Reading Glasses Depot

Rick Moonen

How to Look Sauve 101

There’s little I like more than a put-together look.  Looking sauve and debonaire in a chef’s jacket is nothing short than a miracle…but that’s Rick Moonen.  Well-spoken, witty, and ever fashionable, Rick Moonen takes sauve and debonaire to a whole new level.  I love his crisp, clean-cut look that speaks volumes about the comfort he feels in his own skin.

With nothing more than a black chef jacket and a starched pair of jeans, Moonen’s best accessory is his eyewear.  Whether judging or competing on Top Chef, Rick Moonen sports classic, but strong frames that draw attention to his eyes, of course, and his equally strong features.

As a man, presenting yourself confidently is key in making a good impression.  So, if you’re cool enough to get a massage at Whole Foods after doing your competition shop, maybe you’re cool enough to wear these reading glasses:

Lincoln

Hubert

Studied

Go ahead- make an impression.  It’s hard to ignore “debonaire.”

You don’t have to be a Top Chef Master to Make the Cut

You may or may not be a fan of Top Chef, or its spin-off, Top Chef: Masters, but it’s hard not to notice the style of some of the contestants.  Let’s take Susan Feniger.

Susan Feniger

Susan cooked her way to the finals of Top Chef: Masters, which is a culinary achievement and honor.  And even though she was recently eliminated, we can’t help but notice her fun flair.   I personally am a lover of real people, with real figures.  Susan is not your typical size 0, 6-foot model- she is a real woman who lives a real life.  {Remember- never trust a skinny cook.}  Just by looking at her style, you can immediately deduce that Susan knows who she is and she is completely comfortable with herself.  I am always in awe of people, especially women, who are comfortable in their own skin.  From her tortoise specs to her orange Converse, Susan tells a story of where she comes from and where she’s going, and I’d like to hear it.

And since I focus on (pun intended) the glasses side of things, let’s take at look at those round, tortoise shell frames. Here’s what I found on the reading glass front:

Luna

A half-rimmed pair of reading glasses

Sugar Babe

A fun variation on color, while still going round

Diane

An ever-popular Amy Saks design

Soto

A fun variation of shape, while still going tortoise

Whether you go tortoise or round, or a totally different direction altogether, the important thing is to be you and to embrace that.  All cliches aside, it’s time to enjoy what you offer the world!

For me…for you…Dawg

Randy Jackson of American Idol sports a pretty sweet look.  To get noticed as a guy, and one with a less than ideal physique at that, on a show with countless gorgeous contestants is quite a feat indeed.  I personally do not believe that you should have to have a perfect body or face to make an impression- therefore, I love Randy Jackson because he embodies style and normalness.  What Randy brings to the table is confidence in himself and who he is.  To try a bold look or even to be well-established in your own normal look, you too have to be confident in yourself.  Look how well he pulls off that tie…you have to be a bold man to pull that tie off.  So, for me, for you, Randy, you’re in it to win it.

In it to Win it

Above all else, Randy Jackson is known for his eye wear.  The problem is it can be quite spendy, and all you need is a rockin’ pair of readers.  So, here are some great, more affordable options for reading glasses that are as bold {but not as expensive} as Randy’s.

I LOVE Renew.

Sleek black frames with clear accents.

Bowery is pretty awesome, too.

I love the brown plaid accents.

Lastly I offer you Roebling St.

With these, you an throw in a little color.

Good luck, Dawg.

{photo credit}

Rocking Out Reading Glasses

I am seriously in awe of people who rock out reading glasses.  Last week I was waiting at the airport for my sister-in-law when I ran into a friend disembarking from a long flight back from her home country of South Africa.  She had caught a red eye from her home back to Scotland and was eager to get home and refamiliarize herself with her bed.  While her eyes and flat hair spoke the story of how tired she was, I was quite impressed with how cute she still looked!  Jane wore lightweight, comfy linen pants and a blue tee-shirt with a stylish sweatshirt.  She tied it all together with a pair of equally stylish back and blue frames.

Pretty snazzy, eh?

As usual, I am impressed with how the details lend a hand to the whole look.  Instead of looking haggard and stressed, my friend looked put together and chic.  Who doesn’t want to be noticed as stylish and trendy?

Make an Impression

Fashion is about making an impression.  Whether you’re going casual, formal, or in between, no one walks out the door and thinks to herself, “I hope I look horrible today, like I just rolled out of bed and don’t care at all.”  Most women want to be noticed for the right reasons, such as looking nicely put together.

I am a firm believer that fashion is head to toe.  You don’t have to spend a lot, but you do have to pay attention to detail.  You can’t go all out on the outfit and ignore the accessories.  In fact, accessories, as we have previously discussed, make or break a look.

For example, check out these blue tights.  Normally, I would say no to blue tights.  But this particular combination of stripe and color really appeals to the eye.  The tight is indeed bright, but it is simultaneously subtle, in that most of it covered by dress or boots (as you can imagine when she stands up).  It’s a great accent for a chic look.

Designer reading glasses can do the same thing.  They can take a good look and make it great.  They can step it up a notch.  Check out some of my new favorite pairs:

Havemeyer

Colorful but not overpowering. Chic and shaped for trendiness.

Striking

Striking is an understatement. You can't help but look cool in these.

Ellery St

Love the lightweight design and use of subtle color.

The power of accessorizing

I mentioned trendiness in the last post and how important it is to keep up with fashion, no matter your age.  You might recall that we talked about an easy and affordable way to avoid the frumpy fairy is through various accessories, such as jewelry, handbags, shoes, and reading glasses.

Little Button

The next step is to accessorize your reading glasses!  Once you’ve chosen the perfect pair for you, it’s fun to have cute accessories to accentuate them, such as Little Button.  I thought this glasses case was so incredibly cute, I gave 3 away on my personal blog!  One of the winners opted to use hers as a wallet since she doesn’t wear reading glasses.  It’s a cute case that inspires a girl to compete for an item she doesn’t need!

Citrus

Another practical accessory is a reading glasses-friendly necklace, such as Citrus.  There’s nothing I love more than functional jewelry.  You know you need your readers off and on all day- why not hang them on something easily accessible?  And while you’re at it, make it pretty!  Can’t you just picture that outfit I described last time- crisp linen trousers, a white tunic, a brown belt hung at the waist, with Frost hung on Citrus?

Style Always Matters

Just because you're getting older doesn't mean you have to get frumpy, too.

There’s never an age you reach where style doesn’t matter.  That’s the problem- if you even start thinking that, you’ve opened the door to frumpiness.  You give the Frumpy Fairy an inch, and she’ll take a mile.  Soon you’ll be wearing moo-moos and slippers publicly.  That is definitely not okay.

Being Trendy

You’ve gotta take the bull by the horns, so to speak, and look it in the eye.  Just because I’m not 30…or 40…or 50…anymore doesn’t mean I’m not cute and trendy!  That’s right.  It’s time to be the grandmother your grandkids can’t wait to introduce to their friends because you’re just that stylish!

Being trendy doesn’t mean you wear ridiculously tight jeans or skimpy tops, by the way.  There are many options for keeping up with trends.  One of the easiest ways is with accessories.  In fact, one of the most fun (and cheapest!) ways to keep up with fashion is by changing out your accessories, such as jewelry, reading glasses, handbag, and shoes.  That sounds fun, doesn’t it?

Things to Look for

• Big, over-sized handbags (I had you at big, didn’t I?)
• Bright colors
• Long necklaces (These are particularly flattering no matter your shape)
• Flat shoes (praise the Lord)
• Thick belts worn at the waist, over an untucked shirt (*the bigger the belt, the more thinning it is)
• Designer reading glasses that pop with color

For instance, as it is spring, picture this: a crisp pair of linen trousers, a white tunic, a thick brown braided belt, loose at the waist.  You could pair that outfit with ANY jewelry and readers!   Look at these precious glasses:

These orange-ish readers are colorful, but still have a neutral feel. Great for any occasion!

Avant reading glasses are indeed avant-garde.

It used to be that once you hit 40, the inevitable came: reading glasses.  However with the technological advances, more and more folks are having to don reading glasses, well before the age of 40.  In fact, there are more than 50 million knowledge workers, or workers who sit in front of a computer and deal with information.  The result is increased eye strain. So, here are a few tips for reducing eye strain.

Tips to reduce eye strain

• Make sure you take breaks from staring at your computer screen.  You can even intentionally focus on something farther away than your screen.
• Take eye blink breaks.  This may sound silly, but stop what you’re doing and blink your eyes to regain moisture and better focus.
• Switch tasks.  If possible, alternate between computer work and other tasks.
• Try reading glasses.  There are some crazy-cool designer  reading glasses out there, like Avant and Studied, that will keep you reading well and in style.

By being intentional with breaks for your eyes- and not just for coffee- and trying some reading glasses, you can protect your eyes from eye strain and the headaches it brings.

Siobhan Magnus

It’s hard to ignore an individual style, especially when it is so sincere.  Siobhan Magnus exudes confidence and a style all her own.  Girls are clamoring for her look, and while it’s fun to find inspiration in someone else’s style (such as Siobhan Magnus), it’s important to remember to stay true to yourself.  So, don’t try to match each and every Siobhan outfit.  Instead, use her as your muse and find your own individual style.  Siobhan has been showing the world that normal fashion rules don’t have to restrict you or who you are.

Let’s start with the basics- her over-sized frames.

These Toby frames are also nicely over-sized and stylish, but not too big for you (or too copy-cat).  You can read in style, and still maintain a cool look.

Or how about Diane or Sugar Babe, both of which are saucy frames that help women like you be themselves.  That’s the bottom line- find your look, and don’t be afraid to wear it with style- from your head to your toes.

Andrew Garcia & Katie Stevens

Team Andrew Garcia

Even though Andrew Garcia was voted off American Idol last week, his look lives on.  Guys liked how he represented himself, and girls loved his geeky, adorable style.  Either way, his fans demanded in on the action.  They drew posters with his initials and the outline of his frames and few have quit humming his acoustic version of Straight Up.  As a result, a whole new market sprang up practically overnight, as fans scrambled to find his geek-inspired frames and jam to his acoustic sound.

We can’t help you with the guitar side of things, but we can help you find matching frames at an affordable price.

Getting the Garcia Look

The Clark Kent is a great option for men.  It is nerdy, but fashionably and intentionally so.  You can get away with this geeky look because you mean to.  The cool thing about these reading glasses is that they’re stylish, but not over the top.  You can afford to wear them as you wish- which might be all the time since it’s obviously an awesome look.

Calling all Ladies

Ladies, a posh option for you is Renew.  They are geeky cool like Andrew’s, but with a mod look.

Nice and boxy, but still feminine and sexy.