Folks, today is dark and dreary (although not particularly cold) in my neck of the woods, perfect for a day of wrapping up in comfy clothes, snorgling my cat, and working desultorily on my dissertation. So what better excuse to indulge in some more glasses-based fantasy shopping?
Remember how a couple of weeks ago, I blogged about my total love for the Ray-Ban Clubmasters [in black]? Well, they better stand back, because there's some competition heading their way. The other day, I discovered a lovely Boston-based blog and I happened to read about Samantha's adventures with Warby Parker glasses. As you all can very well imagine, I got intrigued and headed on over to the site myself: well, people, I'm hooked. As I said last time, I might not even need new glasses for another year or so, but once I do, this brand is going to be a serious contender.
From what I can understand from the site, Warby Parker wants to make shopping for glasses what it should be: fun and affordable. I can't tell you the many years I wasted (and I hated all of those glasses) in going to the store, choosing a frame that I thought was halfway decent, looking at myself quickly in the mirror to confirm (I was very self-conscious about looking at my reflection in front of other people), and ruing the decision I'd made. I've worn glasses since 1988, let's put it that way... It was only in February of 2008, when I bought my last (before the current ones) pair, by Paul Smith, that I bought glasses the right way. I went to the store, talked to the sales associate there about frames that I'd liked, and went to town, scrutinizing myself in the mirror each and every time, asking for the associate's honest opinion, and getting my then fiancé's advice again when I went back to the store. I adored those glasses and I love my current Ray-Bans too, especially since I know I made the right choice for my face, spending almost an hour looking at frames with my optician and asking for his advice (and, of course, scrutinizing myself in the mirror).
One thing I haven't mentioned?
Price.
My Paul Smith glasses were wickedly expensive upwards of $500, if I remember correctly. My Ray-Bans were way cheaper (and my job reimbursed the cost!). But at Warby Parker? Glasses cost $95. NINETY-FIVE DOLLARS, people! And that's with stuff like anti-glare coating and whatnot.
Furthermore? You can have up five (free!) test pairs sent to your home for five days so that you can really make the right choice in the glasses that are right for you. Isn't that amazing? You can also "try them on" virtually by uploading a picture of yourself for free and testing the styles you like.
I don't know - they're making a compelling case and it's definitely something I'm going to have to look into in the future. [Repeat to yourself: "You don't actually need glasses now. You have boots."] But enough of this! Let's look at some frames!
The first pair I was drawn to was the Fillmore in Tennessee Whiskey. They have exactly the aesthetic I like, with the horn-rimmed look, but with a full frame. Aren't they fun?
Me-ow. I love those guys. The other ones that I'm currently drooling over? The Huxley frame, also in Tennessee Whiskey. These are a little boxier, a little squarer, and a lot obsession-worthy:
Mmmmm... Words. Just. I can't... Wow.
According to the wildly inaccurate virtual try-on function (because the picture it chose to accept of me was, um, unfortunate), the second pair would be more attractive on my face. I wouldn't be surprised, as I think the boxier look is good on me. Also, on the model it looks freakin' amazing (as opposed to the Fillmores). However. I can't let go of the Fillmores because a) they look more like what I was originally looking for, and b) the model in the lookbook looks fan-friggin'-tastic in them and I want to be her:
Purrrrrr. (Also, if you do a quick image search, anyone wearing these particular Fillmores looks awesome, so... there ya go)
So what's a glasses-wearing girl to do? I guess I'll just wait until I need to refill my prescription and take it from there. My optician will probably have the Ray-Bans, so I can check those out quickly, and depending on how I like them, move on to the drool-worthy other versions. The cool thing is that they do have a real store in New York, so I could go try them on there if I visit home at some point soon.
... I think my parents better get my old bedroom ready. In the meantime, I'm going to look into breaking my current specs. [KIDDING]
Note: all images are from the Warby Parker website. I was not compensated in any way for writing this post.
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