Choosing a suitable spectacle frame style is an integral part of the glasses journey. A lot of parents bemoan having paid out a lot of money for that teenage child who was ‘so in love’ with a particular frame, only for it to be shoved away in a drawer a few weeks later. When said parent asks why…the response is a dour, ‘they don’t suit me’.  One can only imagine the sense of frustration that engulfs the parent at this stage. However this is not an isolated matter that arises, neither is it confined to the teenage population. Up and down across the land a lot of spectacle wearers trawl optical practices trying to find themselves the perfect frame and many still feel like they are stuck in a maze. Others end up abandoning wearing spectacles altogether to use alternative methods of sight correction, they find this exercise mind boggling and it even fills them with dread and anxiety.

With clothes shopping one needs to know what suits their body shape, in the same vein when choosing frames you need to know what works best for your facial features. Once one has deduced this the maze will shrink considerably, and the spectacle wearer can confidently look at the various options open to them. Knowing what suits your face shape, skin, hair and eye colour; that is the right foundation for finding what style suits you best. Your frame choice can reflect the mood, personality or image you are portraying. These factors are fluid so one must be aware of what their dominant personality traits are, so that they are reflected in their choice on a daily basis. The chosen frame must enhance the wearer’s looks.

Consulting a good dispensing optician can help to minimise the confusion that may arise when one starts to go through the plethora of different shapes and sizes that frames come in. Dispensing opticians are trained to design, verify and fit eyeglass lenses and frames, contact lenses, and other devices to correct eyesight, so who better to advise you on the best style to choose for your next piece of amazing eyewear.  Have an idea of about which colours work best, this will increase the options available. Certain face shapes carry some frame styles better than others. Identify your main facial feature that is easily identified when anyone looks at you, the jaw line is usually the defining area of the face. One can either opt to accentuate it or minimise its visibility, depending on how favourable they find it as a feature.

Comfort is of paramount importance when purchasing a new pair of spectacles. It can be a difficult and even tedious task for some, hence why the assistance of a professional is needed. Any dispenser worth their salt will always encourage the wearer to try on as many different styles and material types, if not for any other reason than to quickly eliminate those that are uncomfortable to wear. There are various styles one might have seen and admired on family and friends and would be keen to have. However, it is important that what one wishes to emulate is compatible with their facial features.

There are different things to be mindful of; the material the frame is made from, the size and fitting of the frame, the best lens material to use determined by the prescription; to name but a few. Some of these points may sound blatantly obvious to consider, but would not be so apparent to someone who has their heart set on a specific style, and no amount of reasoning can persuade them otherwise. An example of an incredulous choice of a frame would be a female of petite build and with a high myopic prescription of say 10D, opting for a metal frame with a fine finish and a large eye size. It would fit very poorly and would be uncomfortable, most likely not staying on the wearer’s nose; and the lenses produced would be thick, heavy and unsightly to look at. The material that the frame is made from will have a bearing on its overall finish and weight, for instance, high-grade titanium produces lightweight frames that are durable and hypoallergenic as it is not an alloy. Comparing acetate and metal frames, in most cases, acetate frames have a fixed moulded bridge, and this cannot be altered or adjusted, however, in the case of metal frames, they come with pads on arms that can be adjusted to the best fit the wearer needs.

Lens material choices need to be succinctly explained so an informed decision is made, and to help manage expectations on the finished product that will be received. The lens material used will influence the weight of the spectacles.