How do you go about choosing new glasses

[Holepunch]

Mine are at least a decade old The kind of thin rectangle shaped lenses that would have been reasonably fashionable then. I like them and think they suit me, although that could be just because I've been used to seeing them on my face for 10 years!

They badly need replacing but I'm unreasonably nervous about choosing new ones. How do you do it?

I ask the glasses lady what is on trend, try loads on, form a shortlist, then ask staff/people in the shop what they think.
Takes forever!

I only wear reading glasses, but with dd it goes like this (a method refined over many years ):
Go into good sized opticians, try on practically every pair of glasses in the shop. Find one (or two, or three) style that suits you.
Then, set about trying on every pair in that style, comparing to see which out of two or three at a time that you like. Whittle it down to three or four pairs.
Go off and do something else for half an hour or so (usually a meal for us), then go back and try them on again. (At this point, be prepared for a change of mind - repeat above process.)
This usually results in a pair she's happy with.

I go to Specsavers, look in their teen designer bit (because I have a little head) and choose the pair that make me look least idiotic.

I mainly wear contact lenses but my glasses are from Glasses Direct. Browse online, pick out pairs to try on at home, repeat until you find "the ones", order. Really quick and easy, and cheap.

I've always found the staff in spec savers to be really good at choosing what will suit, the same probably goes for most opticians.

Same here, ask the sales assistant! I got a nice new pair last year by asking the woman at the counter to tell me which ones to buy. She chose about 6 pairs for me to try on and I chose the ones I thought looked best. The staff probably see dozens of people a day trying the styles on so they will be able to home in on what will suit best - same as staff in wedding dress shops I suppose!

I 2nd specsavers. Tell them your budget, try on loads of pairs, they should be able to tell you which suit you best. I've been wearing specs for 20 years and tend to get a new pair a year.

I've just bought a new pair at Boots, also had my eye test there, and they were really good. The guy who helped chose a pair was really blunt about what suited and didn't suit me...which I actually found helpful!

I usually take dh as when I'm wearing my glasses he is the one looking at me most of the time iyswim

I try everything on in the shop until I find something I like. If I don't find anything I like, I go to the next opticians.

I usually bring DH as I care about his opinion, and I would rather not have any of the staff giving me any advice unless I ask them.

I recently trawled the High Street trying to find something affordable and reasonably stylish. (I always break my glasses - so no point spending a fortune). Got pretty patchy help from sales assistants and not much choice at the budget end of the spectrum.

Then happened across these people. They have face shape advice and also a style finder which matches your choice of style, colour,material etc, against their stock. They also have fancy pants software which uses your webcam to take your photo and then superimposes your choice of frames on you. They'll send you four short-listed pairs to try at home (freepost) and then make you prescription up in your selected pair. Because they had an offer running I got two pairs, both with anti-reflective lens coatings, for £66 all-in (including postage). My best bargain so far this year I think! (NB. they have an offer running now...code on homepage). Never occurred to me before to look on-line but I am a complete convert.

If they are reading only glasses and are on and off a lot think about sturdy plastic ones. Better for removing with one hand. I discovered this recently. My old ones were rimless and the constant onning and offing ruined them. I now have plastic ones - frames are a deepish red outside with bright red on the inside. I really like them :-)

I just try on loads and loads and very slowly whittle it down. I also look online and if I see any I like, my optician will get hold of them if they can. (That's one advantage of an independent optician - I find they'll go the extra mile for you.) I talk to the staff, bring my husband and/or a friend for an opinion and also take photos because I'm very short sighted and can't see myself properly when I'm trying on.

Don't rush it because, if you've had your frames for a long time then anything different will probably look hideous at first. It takes me weeks and lots of visits before I choose.

Boots will take your picture in different frames so you can see pictures next to each other and eliminate. Or take selfies!

Selfies all the way!

I've just done this. I hate shopping for frames but actually found so many great options that I purchased two frames, a geeky-girl marbled tortoiseshell pair and a taupe faux-wood pair. The former is high visual impact, the latter more casual and neutral for slobbing around.

Rounder and bigger shapes are fashionable now but pick something that suits the shape and size of your face! Photos made choosing so much easier! I tried lots and lots and took DH with me because I'm bat blind for moral support and because he has great taste.

I found the cool geeky pair at a high-end indie shop, the taupe pair at a high street chain. Glassesdirect also had great choices and a lovely online photo try-on service. I did it before going shopping to figure out shapes that looked best on me, but didn't order from them because they didn't make my type of lenses.

If you wear glasses a lot, paying a bit extra for design is pretty worthwhile - you will wear them for many years, perhaps a decade

I wear the men's geek thick black NHS ones from Boots and everyone without fail says oh are those Prada. Find them in the old codger section of frames.