Narrowing Down Your Choices in Eyeglass Frames

Before you visit the optical store, think about what you want to communicate to the optician:

• Do you want a frame that's delicate or bold, retro or modern, conservative or "out there"?
• Are there any current fashion trends you really like? (See the section called "Current Frame Trends" below.)
• Are you going to wear this frame all the time, mainly at work or just when you go out on the town?
• Do you want a designer label?
• What colors are you are drawn to, what are your hair and skin colors, and what are the main colors in your wardrobe?
• What is your face shape? (For tips, please read our article on face shape and color analysis.)
• What do you like or not like about your current eyeglasses?

How To Find Good Fit, Comfort and Durability in Eyewear

According to studies by The Vision Council, most women are more interested in the wayeyeglasses look, while most men are more interested in comfort and fit. But let's face it. Even if a frame looks great, you aren't going to wear it if the fit is uncomfortable. And if your new eyeglasses are sitting in a drawer somewhere, you certainly aren't getting your money's worth.

This is a circumstance where an optician can be very helpful. For example:

• If a frame looks good, but it slides off your nose. Your optician can fix this during the final fitting, by adjusting the temple length or the way the temple tips wrap around your ears.
• If the front is too wide and doesn't fit your face. Your optician could order the frame in another size. If it doesn't come in another size, you could be fitted with a different brand of frame that's very similar. Also, some manufacturers have released petite collections with frames that fit smaller faces.
• If the nose pads are uncomfortable. Often the optician can replace the nose pads with more comfortable ones or can find a similar style of frame with better pads.

Durability is another factor that seems to appeal more to men than to women. But you really don't want to buy a frame that falls apart after a few months. It once was easy to tell the difference between a poorly made frame and a well-constructed one. But now even cheaply made frames may be so well finished that you may not recognize when a material is easy to scratch or bend out of shape, or when the hardware will give way long before it should.

Opticians are experts on frame durability, because they see firsthand which frames customers keep bringing back for repairs, and which ones elicit few or no complaints. So be sure and ask for advice.

Delicate details and exotic color combinations are two of this year's biggest trends in women's frames. Shown are two Fern frames from the Koali collection by Morel.

How Many Frames Do You Need?

Women don't hesitate to buy more than one pair of shoes, so why do many of us balk at buying more than one pair of eyeglasses? It's okay to view eyeglasses as another fun fashion accessory when you consider that:

• You can find great deals on eyewear. Look in the newspaper, or check with your eye care practitioner. Optical stores have sales all the time, including "two-for-one" or "buy-one-get-one-half-off." Often you can buy new eyeglasses for less than the price of new shoes or a purse.
• Unless they're bottom-of-the-barrel, eyeglass frames usually last a long time. If you are like most eyeglass wearers, your prescription isn't going to change every year, and you'll likely hold onto those frames for a long while. Do you wear the same shoes or earrings every single day for years? Probably not, so why would you want to wear the same frame every day?
• Eyewear is more than a medical device. Some women think gold frames go with everything, and that might be true for them. But is it true for you? You might be more interested in a copper-colored metal frame for when you're wearing jeans, a blond tortoise plastic frame for the office and a pretty rhinestone-studded silver frame for an evening out. It's fun to consider the options.

If you really are on a tight budget, then by all means choose one frame that you'll be happy wearing with any outfit and in any situation. Opticians excel at helping their customers find such frames. But it doesn't mean you have to choose a plain, thin metal style if what you really like is a colorful, chunky plastic frame. Remember, this frame is going to be on your face every single day, and you must love how it looks on you. Otherwise, you might as well wear contact lenses.

Current Frame Trends for Women: Fall and Winter 2009

If you want to know which eyeglass frames are the must-have look of the season, check out these trends. Also see the current eyeglass frame trends for men.

Beyond Cool. Black, gold and multicolored temple patterns take you beyond cool in the latest oval Apple Bottoms frame. You can also declare your independence in the rectangular Lulu Guinness plastic frame in patterned brown, or the newest red and green metallic frame model from OGI Eyewear.

Retro Revival. Cutouts and logos give the purple plastic Balenciaga frame a retro look with modern flourishes. Reminiscent of the "hip" look of bygone days, new cat-eye frames are just plain fun to wear as demonstrated by the green and purple Cinzia reading glasses or pink and clear plastic D&G frame.