Happy Friday, Everyone!
Cath is heading home from the beach (I haven’t seen her in 5 days- boohiss), just in time for a glorious weekend! Meanwhile, back in the AsianCajun apartment, I’m trying to convince myself that I’m not too sick to enjoy the weekend. I had to leave work early, and I feel like any sort of movement requires far too much effort- except for blogging!
So, I’ve been thinking about glasses and style a lot lately.
Glasses and I are not friends. I hate having something hanging off my face, digging into my ears, and limiting my peripheral vision. I’ve been a glasses wearer since I was nine, and a contact wearer since I was ten.
One frustrating side to living in Atlanta is the pollen and its miserable cohort, allergies. Apart from feeling groggy and sick, I also can’t wear my contacts for most of the spring and part of summer. If you run into me while I’m wearing my glasses out in public, you will also see a thought bubble above my head that says “ARGHHH.” or “&^%$” because I can’t see as well in these damn things.
Also, on top of it all, my glasses don’t go with a lot of my outfits.
Now I know most of you probably think that’s a fairly ridiculous (superfluous, frivolous) statement, but I swear I’m not talking about trends (in fact, hipster glasses are still enjoying their day in the sun) or even fashion. Glasses, as a practical accessory, change the entire look of what you wear. I even alter my make-up (more dramatic) when I wear glasses, as the reflective lenses tend to wash me out.
I know there is the sexy-librarian look, but how many of us love to prance around in heels and pencil skirts every day of the week? There is also the indie-hipster look, but I’m getting long-in-tooth to pull that off (if I wanted to).
I needed inspiration and found it on Garance Dore (the top photo in this post is her’s too- gorgeous stuff!):
For these four-eyed beauties, accessories are simple or non-existent, and outfits are fairly monotone. So I’m keeping that in mind when I shove my glasses on my face and walk into my closet every morning (grumble, grumble).
Inspiration is always good, even if I still want to run off and get lasik right this minute (Money Fairy, where are you?).
Fellow glasses-wearers, how do things change for you when you put your specs?
Non-glasses-wearers, what is it like to wake up and see crisp lines and shapes?!
BLOG NOTE: Cath and I seem to be having some difficulty with blogger. Our old AsianCajuns site won’t load and we have no access to our emails! Once Cath is back in town, we will confab and see what we can do. We’ll let you know if our email changes. We are planning on new stuff for the site, so stay tuned!
I switched from contacts to glasses exclusively about a year ago, and haven’t looked back since. I just feel like they give me more of a “look,” and the ability to change it up from time to time. If you’re looking for an inexpensive extra pair, I highly suggest warbyparker.com. $100 a pair, fabulous selection, I’m over the top pleased with mine.
We love warbyparker, Matt! Thanks for mentioning it! My bf just got a pair from them and is waiting on a back order of another pair. I have to say I think men have it a bit easier with glasses- maybe it’s the stronger jawline that balances out frames around the eyes.
I started wearing contacts 3 years ago and now my glasses are exclusively reserved for watching movies, reading, and bumming around indoors. They’re pretty old and beat up as I tend to wear them while reading until I nod off and roll over on them (oops). I’m always telling myself that one day I’ll splurge on a new pair of Chanel glasses, but I’ll have to break the habit of falling asleep in/on them first!
Haha- I do the same thing, Lisa!
I know what you mean. When I switched to glasses it was not out of love of glasses. But, really, just wanted to say that the first photo in this post is outstanding.
Isn’t it, Pam? Check out her gorgeous blog here: http://www.garancedore.fr/en/
wow some of those glasses you posted are a tad too big for my taste. they remind me of these huge red ones my mom had in the early 90’s. haha.
i do like the last pair though with the rhinestones on the top!
i just had to get new reading/computer/tv watching glasses.ugh my eyes are getting worse in my old age. got a cute pair of tortoise YSL frames recently.sooo super cute!
My mom had some too! I bet your YSL frames are gorgeous on you!
i think you look great in glasses. i on the other hand. my eyes are sooo small it just makes it look smaller. lol i hope you feel better!!!!
Thanks so much for the well-wishes, Anh! Oh- and I know what you mean about glasses making your eyes look smaller- I feel mine do too!
Hey Laur! I’ve been wearing glasses since I was in 4th grade- a boy told me when I got them that I look better with them on! Haha! I’m near-sighted so I only wear them for driving, movies, games, concerts- stuff like that but I wish I wasn’t always the last one out of the car – I have to take them off, put them in the glasses case, and then exit the car- meanwhile everyone’s already out! I hope you girls can still come to my slumber party! If you still want to come, send me your photos to wreckedstellar@gmail.com by Sat. night- I’m posting them Sunday morning! xo, mel
As a longtime glasses wearer/hater/lover myself, I’ve only recently truly embraced the idea of glasses. I’ve always hated them, and still wear contacts 9 days out of 10. I think the key is having a couple of different frames, ones that you can swap around for different outfits and styles. Then that one pair doesn’t feel so stale.
Oh I could go on about vision woes for days! I’m a 9 in one eye and 10 in the other and only started wearing contacts when I was 18, glasses since I was 10 or 11. I only ever wear my glasses when I truly cannot be bothered with how I look or what I wear so I never have to worry about how my glasses look with the outfit as, chances are, on that day I don’t care!
Your glasses look cute!
I completely relate – glasses at 9, contacts at 11 and every day sinceexcept during FL allergy season. It’s miserable! In glasses daily right now and I feel like I look completely different. I’m trying to learn to love them and even got a new cute pair, but I feel like I need to do that hipster look too and that’s not my style. So what do we do? I like your clothing suggestions. Been wearing a lot of tailored shirts and shorts, going for a classy, sophosticated look. I think you’ve got it completely right with the monochromatic palettes. Have you thought about trying those new Zyrtec allergy eye drops? I don’t know if they’re contact approved, but it might be worth looking into!
Haha. I remember getting glasses in grade two and thinking ‘this is what people see everyday?’. I also beef up the make-up when I wear my glasses
I am with you, Lar. I hate wearing my glasses. I feel too academic. I really want Lasik, and I can’t wait for the day that I can see first thing in the morning!
I’ve been thinking about new specs myself. I love the inspiration you found!
I’ wear glasses all the time (can’t stand contacts) and actually like how quickly they can change a look. I have about 8 pairs, and picking one – green frames, rimless, cats-eye tortoiseshell, and purple are some current faves – is integral to an outfit or mood. It can be an investment, but most of mine are from inexpensive online retailers (have been pleased with zenni optical and eyebuydirect) and there really isn’t much difference between those and my extremely expensive Kate Spades from an optometrist. So, think of frames as accessories and embrace the glasses!
I started wearing nighttime correction lenses (hard contacts) in 4th grade and have never went back to glasses since then. It’s really convenient because I wake up with almost 20/20 vision everyday, but don’t have to deal with contacts during the day 🙂 The only downside is that if I skip a night, my vision goes back to normal
I have to wear my glasses most days since my eyes are too dry to tolerate contacts for more than a few hours. I used to hate having to wear glasses all the time, but last year I discovered how to love wearing glasses. You have to buy spectacular frames. Not just okay frames, I mean the most amazing glasses you’ve ever seen on your face. I bought myself a pair of frames that are dark purple with silver and crystal flowers on the sides. I get compliments on them all the time. I’m actually excited about wearing them, and I cannot wait to find another fantastic pair of frames so I can mix it up.
A relative of mine says that glasses “gehören zum Personlickeit”–they are a part of your personality.
As a glasses wearer only in the last two or three years (thanks, grad school reading, for ruining my eyesight), I find that I get taken more seriously–that, or that I have told myself that I look more academic and intelligent in them.
oh my, it;s so strange because i always thought i had a ‘four eyes’ personality. but alas, no glasses. all these pics are so great.
I agree with you.
I’ve wearing glasses since I was.(wait for it). 5 and I don’t remember ever waking up in sharp images.
Unfortunately, I don’t wear contacts as the glasses tend to make my washed out face, not so washed out. But that also means I can’t put on eye makeup because I can’t see what I’m doing without glasses and I can’t put some on with glasses. a total Catch-22 situation. Lasik is on my “Things to do before I get put out by the mafia” list. Maybe we will see each other at a rundown, shady Lasik office in Thailand (No offense to Thais)?
I like your frames. I also wear glasses and I like them, I feel people take me more seriously. BTW I also apply extra eye makeup when wearing my glasses.
I totally feel you about the glasses and contacts. This pollen is killing me, not to mention I have been wearing these contacts way too long. Waaaay too long.
I am just powering through the pollen and wearing the contacts.
I wear hard contacts right now, but I know what you mean. Hard contacts are a ^&$( to wear, but before, when I was wearing glasses, my eyesight would get worse each year and I would have no peripheral vision. I even ran into a door once. However, nice glasses frames are really expensive and problematic when they break.
Ahhh I actually wear glasses a lot when using my laptop/attending lectures/ movies etc but don’t really like to wear them when I am out and about. It’s wierd not seeing crisp lines and clear faces but I am so used to it now! I have some really thick rimmed ones which really limits my peripheral vision.but I actually like them so I’m not afraid of whipping them out if I am at an art gallery.
I have been meaning to give contacts another try- as the first time I tried them, it was a bit of a nightmare but then again, I’m told I just gave up far too easily and obviously, it takes a few tries to get it right. ButI get hayfever in the Summer too and the thought of Laser eye surgery scares me. Can’t win!
I saved my pennies and after over 22 years in glasses, took the plunge and got (Epi) Lasik –regular Lasik’s more expensive and more painful counterpart. Never looked back (excuse the pun). Worth every ounce of pain, every penny scrimped, and every minute of (a long) recovery time! *I think your glasses are cute.* Maybe invest in a second pair to change things up?
ah glasses- well ive been really close to getting a pair just because i think it looks so good to wear glasses – but i didnt since i have perfect sight
my favourite shape is the wayfarer-esque ones.
take care my lovelies
xx ediot
and to answer to the question- waking up seeing clearly- its good. and also seing traffic sings from far away is fun. my boyfriend envies my sight totally–and he actually is impressed by how good i see
First off, hope you are feeling better by now!
I wear glasses, but only for driving, the movies and when I need to see people across the table at work meetings. 🙂 Other than that and b/c I don’t wear contacts, I really can’t see anything beyond 5 feet all that clearly. I know, so bad, but I worry that my eyes will get worse if I’m wearing contacts all day.
Love those inspiration pics! I don’t think I could pull off the larger frames. mine are Oliver Peoples and they are similar to your size frames but are thicker dark tortoise shell. Are your glasses clear? Since I don’t wear them throughout the entire day, I never really choose my outfit based around my glasses. OK, I realize this is not any help at all, but I think the glasses look great on you. Plus if they are clear, that helps with it being easier to match things with?! 🙂
xo, becs
Warning: long rambling comment! I love talking about glasses (I’m such a glasses geek)
I work for an optometrist and also wear glasses myself. I can honestly say after helping literally hundreds of customers pick out glasses that is like picking a new nose (seriously!). Glasses are feature of your face more than an accessory! They are quite literally part of you! I do not feel like myself when I am not wearing mine!
I love my glasses but it took me forever to pick them and now I am looking for a new pair which I am not looking forward to! Picking glasses can be a nightmare especially if you don’t like wearing them and the most common thing I hear at work is “I hate picking new glasses” because its such a trial!
Size is an important factor, then you add in shape, colour, material, your script/lenses and it all starts to get a little overwhelming! Also if you don’t think the person at the store is going to give you an honest opinion take a friend! or take pictures and come back another day!
You mentioned that your lenses are reflective. Next time you purchase glasses ask about anti reflective coatings (Generally called multi coating) My glasses have it as you can see in the photo here http://tinyurl.com/2fgbk79 and it makes not only a big difference to the look of the glasses but also makes them more comfy to wear (that photo was taken with a flash!) It means that light passes through the lenses and makes it easier to see your eyes (and your makeup)
Sorry for the long comment! Like I said I’m a real glasses geek!
Oh I sooo appreciate the long, rambly comment- they are my favorite! And thank you for all your tips on what I should look for and be thinking about if/when I get a new pair of frames. I was fair diligent in my quest last year and absolutely loved my glasses. for one day. And then I remembered how much harder it was to live with them- and I do feel like it is another feature on your face! So true!
ps- Lovely blog 😉 Just catching up!
I get really really upset when I fumble in the mornings/evenings and can’t find my glasses! I end up wearing contacts most of the time primarily due to my clumsiness. I am paranoid that if I wear my glasses all the time, I’ll break them in my day to day activities since they are not part of my body and I’ll be totally blind all day. Yuck.
lol @ Jinah: Same here! Or when I take off my contacts before having located my glasses. then I need to fumble around the house for my glasses. Also: glasses make me feel ugly. =( I don’t care how trendy anybody tells me glasses get, I’ll always feel yucky in them.
Oh, I adore glasses! I’ve wished I needed them many times.
Haha “glasses wearer since 9 and contacts wearer since 10”! Love it! An orchestra teacher from high school once told our class to beware when she was wearing her glasses–it meant she was in a crabby mood. When she was wearing her contacts, then all was okay for the day; she was likely in a good mood. I find that to be true about me now.
i love being a ‘girl who wears glasses!’ you look great in those. there’s really something to be said about specs appeal lol 😉
glasses are a chic and easy way to add a touch of intellectual to any outfit 🙂
I have been a four eyed beauty (if i do say so myself!) since I was 9 as well. I love to dress up, wear cute dresses in the summer and get glamorous. But I feel like my glasses throw off everything. I hate it. It is actually the only thing that makes me self conscious. I wore contacts once upon a time, but they always irritated my eyes. I have the money for lasik, but I’m too much of a fraidy cat to go through with it. I’m in the same boat.
I LOVE this post. I can relate all the way.