If life has taken on a slight blur recently – even without your favourite wine – it might be time to face facts: you need glasses.
But as anyone who has ever tried buying specs will tell you, it’s a complicated business.
You may enter your opticians dreaming of looking as demure as your favourite visually-challenged celebrity. But while you might get
away with Jennifer Aniston’s latest skirt, her designer glasses may well not suit you.
That’s because your purchase depends on far more than whether you like a certain design. Choosing the right pair depends on everything from your face shape and hairstyle to your colouring and personality.
‘Choosing the right pair of glasses is all about balance,’ says Sharezah Housden from one of the country’s most exclusive opticians, Culter and Gross of Knightsbridge. ‘This applies to everything from face shape to hairstyle.’
For example, she says people who have long hair or whose hair is a major feature of their face should stick to very simple glasses so that the glasses do not become a feature and so lessen the impact of the person’s hair. ‘On the other hand, people with shorter hair or who always wear their hair tied back often suit bolder glasses because their hair is not such a feature on their face,’ she says.
With glasses now available in hundreds of shades there are certain rules that can help your choice of colour. ‘As a general rule people with darker hair and complexions can get away with bolder colours,’ she says.
‘Though surprisingly blondes can often look good with a real contrast of black glasses,’ she says. ‘Choosing glasses the same color as your eyes can also work well.’
Personality is another important factor. ‘You can follow all the rules you like, but sometimes bold glasses will not suit someone with a shy personality and vice-versa,’ she says. ‘So none of these rules are hard and fast.’
‘You should always try to have fun when choosing glasses,’ she says. ‘Keep an open mind when you go into an opticians and consider everything. Nothing beats going into a shop and trying different pairs on.’
There are even a confusing number of different lenses now available to make your choice even harder. A spokesman from Pentax, one of the world’s leading lens manufacturers, says the main points to consider are your lifestyle, your appearance, comfort and protection.
If you work in an office, for example, you may want to choose lenses with a special anti-reflective coating that helps reduce the glare of artificial lighting by up to 80 per cent. And if you wear glasses all the time, you may want to consider paying a little extra for the latest lightweight lenses. Up to 45 per cent lighter than traditional lenses, these can make wearing glasses far more comfortable.
But perhaps the biggest minefield is frame shape. ‘Again this is all about balance,’ says Sharezah. ‘As a general rule you should choose a pair of glasses that have different characteristics to your face – this helps
to balance things out.’
If you have a very angular face, for example, round glasses will complement your features more than angular shaped glasses.