If you can't see well without glasses, and don't wear contacts ...

[catbiskit]

... how do you go about choosing stylish frames that suit you?

Last time, my DH took photos of me wearing different frames, then I put my own glasses back on to see the photos. We also had a dispenser hovering, making suggestions. Unfortunately, the result wasn't great - I regretted my choice. But I'm due to get new glasses soon, and I'm wondering how to make sure I choose better.

What do you do?

I'm blind as a bat and just look in the mirror very close up. Also take advice from shop person as I always go alone.

Get close to the mirror

I remember buying a pair of glasses, I said to the optometrist that the frames weren't dark enough. He said no problem, he could dye them. When they were ready and I put them for the first time, I was surprised to see Buddy Holly in the mirror.

I find it exhausting and can only do about 10 minutes looking at frames before I get worn out. It really helps if you can bring someone along.

I bring DH with me, we are together for 30 years now, he knows very well what suits me.

He takes photos, close ups and further away and I often go home and think for a day.

Luckily the shop assistant is absolutely lovely where we go and never pushes for a sale.

I use glasses direct and do the home trial and stand nose to mirror

I bring my daughter who is great at that sort of thing.

Order a home trial online and try them on with a magnified mirror

I take advice in the opticians, peer closely at the mirror and then they take photos for me to look at and I choose from them.

Any optician will take photos if you ask them to.

Boots used to do this before smartphones were invented.

Take advice because size and strength of lenses affect how the frames look on your face.
And take a stylish young person if you have one handy, to stop you looking like Deirdre Barlow.

Bring someone you trust to give an opinion and don’t buy if you’re not sure! I only emphasise that because I’ve also had specs regret. It’s an expensive purchase that’s literally going to be in the middle of your face every day, but you can easily feel pressured into rushing it.

When you’ve just been given your new prescription and someone’s hovering there, commenting on every pair you try, rattling through the purchase options and the lenses and the BOGOFs, and trying to make another appointment for you to collect, you’re being funnelled into making a quick choice.

But your current and spare glasses aren’t suddenly going to become useless overnight, so I rarely choose straight away. I’ll have a browse, take lots of pics, sleep on it, and go back when I know I can look around quietly with plenty of time and without an assistant following me around ‘helping’. Then I can juggle photos and frames and squint in the mirror for as long as I like without feeling like a nuisance.

I buy online - glasses direct let you select up to 5 pairs of frames you can try at home and then send back and order with prescription if you like any of them - I find they have a better selection than the high street stores and no pressure from sales people. I also use Fytoo who have lots of funky styles

I’m -9.50 both eyes and can only see clearly about an inch away from the mirror so mostly I just take selfies and hope they’re in focus so I can see what I look like!

I use specs4less after a while you know what suits you.n

take photos

Try using virtual try on maybe....there's a lot of similar apps online.

Screenshot your favourites as you do it and then compare all the photos afterwards.

Buy the one you want if it's the same as the online one or take the picture with you and request something similar.

https://www.specsavers.co.uk/glasses/virtual-try-on?srsltid=AfmBOopg0-1DH9v1ZlTb6eTxtGQ6S-zC6Gg8DT6iZ6XDQOGgYZ72WEHy

Blind as a bat with a small face, so only kids' glasses fit me.

I tend to stick to the same style. There's not much choice for me as it is.

Thanks. I hate my glasses and would like to change them but can’t see anything I like in soecsavers or boots. Might check this

Last time I went i asked the assistant to tell me what suited me. She said a pair of very round ones looked good. I said they were a bit Harry Potter, then noticed she was wearing the exact same ones. Bit embarrassing!

Just go really close to the mirror!

I do also ask the person in the opticians their opinion. Although even my previous glasses they would have advised me to go slightly bigger on the glasses for the face fit (although they said they still looked good so it was up to me) I got them cos I loved them and they did me well.

I've never regretted the glasses I've chosen though

I wear kids ones too!

Take photos and then look at them at home and then choose a pair from the ones I tried.

I also don’t look at myself very much.
so don’t think about what I look like too much.

after 30 years of wearing contact lenses so I could avoid much hated glasses I now have to wear specs and I hate it. I think I chose flattering ones, but I hate them but know there won’t be a pair that a prefer so I accept them in the same way I would have to accept specialist pair of shoes, or a walking frame.

I have the same problem. Most frames are too big for me.

It's tricky.

I peer into the mirror from about 6" to make a shortlist. Then I take selfies wearing the shortlisted frames, or get the assistant to take photos of me. But in the end the glasses never look exactly like the photos anyway, because, once the prescription lenses are in, my eyes look tiny. And the weight of the lenses can make the glasses sit differently. And I often need them to be adjusted, bent this way or that.

It is what it is. 🤷🏻‍♀️ I have to wear glasses. I have to be able to see.

I'm happy with my choice most of the time. Maybe once every five pairs I feel I've got it wrong.

IIRC Specsavers let you change your mind within 3 months of buying the glasses. They did that for me a few years ago.

Loving all these people saying go close! Would not work for me as long sighted. I just can't see well enough but do wear contacts... so that. I feel your pain though! Even able to see I've sometimes regretted my choices. Expensive with varifocals.