What specs are 'in' (but not too in!)

[Indecisivelurcher]

Just that really! The arm on my specs snapped clean off yesterday and I'm now in a panic to get a new pair. Went in this morning and picked a couple of pairs I liked which were fairly similar to my old ones, which were a bigger style in a thin plastic frame, purple tortoishell. Went back later with my mum (who usually has better taste than me) for a second opinion and she didn't like them at all, and is steering me at some thin gold metal ones, fairly round. Now I'm a 37yo mum of two. I'm not cool by any stretch, but do like to have up to date specs. But I'm concerned whether thin gold metal fairly round ones are too trendy for me. Dh however thinks they're old fashioned. So who is right? Where is the mum fashion line at?

I like your current ones best too and so does DD

Goggles4u!!!!! I have loads of pairs. So cheap!!! Make sure you get also a half price voucher. You can use their chat option to ask for a discount. I got mine for about £30!

@neveradull can you try before you buy from there? Or a virtual try on?

What do people do with these cheap online websites... So I could go into a local opticians, get a pair of glasses say £100 but could be £70-200+ really. I can try them on and pick a style that suits me. I can get them fitted to my face. They are my only glasses. Or I can go online, pay a fraction of the price, get a couple of pairs, but I can't try them on. I can't get them fitted to my face. Do people just put them on and they fit?!

Went on google to show you the ones I have. Buy one get one free in options.

Just seen the same frames for both of them online for less than half the price in the options. I'd have saved myself £80 if I'd bought both of them online.

Opticians *

You need to try frames on to know what fits and suits. I have lots of experience with this and personally think the rules about face shapes and what glasses shape to go for is nonsense. There are a lot more variables, such as how high your nose bridge is, how far apart your eyes are, where your brows are etc.
Online glasses are usually poorer quality and as you say you can’t have them fitted properly. I think in your photos most of the frames are a bit wide for your face and in my opinion if they come up as high as your brows they don’t look right.
It would be well worth it to go to a more trendy independent opticians where you could be advised by someone who really knows their stuff. If you wear glasses a lot and they are on your face it’s worth having some good ones!

Also, at the moment I don’t think there is any style that is particularly ‘in’ - anything goes really, all the cool designers have a wide range of styles that are current. Metal/thick acetate/thin acetate are all fashionable right now. So just go with what suits. I do think rimless are a bit aging though so maybe not those.

I like the last pair best. The first plastic pair are nice too, but sit above your eyebrows, so a little too large. I'm not a fan of the metal ones tbh.

Round metal ones are definitely in

DH has been wearing the same NHS style roundish thin gold frames since he was a teenager and is not happy that they are now considered stylish.

I like the pair you'd chosen yourself (3rd pic) best but that's probably because they're a bit like my own so they're in my comfort zone.

I'm thinking of switching back to metal next time because I'm starting to get bored of plastic. I spend ages and I'm a complete pain in the arse when I'm choosing frames but my first instinct is always to choose something similar to my last pair, because that's what I'm used to, and I try and push myself out of that mindset. I find any change looks strange and alien at first, and then you adjust. Of course there are some broad brush generalisations about what suits, e.g. round frames accentuate a round face, small features can be overwhelmed by large frames etc. But beyond that, I don't worry about that side of it too much. I think more about the shape, whether they look modern, will be comfortable, what clothes they will go with and whether I'm likely to get bored with them.

I don't buy online. I like a real, living optician who will advise me as to whether the frames suit my prescription and fit them properly.

I've just trawled the 4 opticians in town, and have fallen slightly in love with a top whack pair. They'd be £230-290 depending on my prescription. Which is a bit horrifying. I would have to cobble cash together somewhat but could do it if there were 0 fun spends in Jan, not even a coffee out as I just won't give myself my normal £125. A big perk is they could make them ready for me to pick up tomorrow. So I am tempted. Alternatively there are a cheaper pair that would be fine, £130 and with a second pair free 🙈 but i wouldn't get them until the new year. Possibly the day before NY if they can. The superglue on my broken ones seems OK at this point. Wwyd?

I wouldn't pay more just to get them sooner but, if they're the ones I liked best then I'd go for broke. My specs are on my face 24/7 so I always pay as much as I can afford.
(I would miss my coffee though )

I think the expensive ones are too wide for your face. I like the other ones you just posted that you said are cheaper and ready by new year. I think they're a good shape on you and I think you suit a darker frame. I liked the ones your mum suggested but didn't think the gold was right for you.

Don't suppose you know what brand the expensive ones are?

I tried mine on in store - designer ones - then found the identical ones for about a 3rd of the price online. Can't remember the exact details but I got a pair of prada and a pair of ted baker with lenses for less than vision express wanted for the ted Baker frames

Just found order - this time I used "the glasses company", cost 159 for the two complete pairs.

The expensive ones aren't right at all. I like your current ones or the cheap ones OR the dark brown ones earlier where you've posted 2 pics together.

They're actually almost identical shape and fit. I think I'll get my 5yo to decide 🙈😂

@Indecisivelurcher That is exactly what I do. You can measure your frame and work out your PD. Once you have done that you can just order them. They are so cheap its worth it. All of mine have been fine! I took my prescription and order the cheapest pair to try out. I think they were 6.95 and then adding the lenses it came to around 30. Then a half price code which brought it down to around 20 including postage. Totally worth it when you consider you are paying£££ from a shop optician. Try it out. Goggles4u are fab! They are ready in about a week. Popped through the letter box. If they are rubbish [none of mine have been] then you haven't lost much.

I have recommended them to people at my work. Only one person with a complicated prescription had to wait ages for hers. Apart from that, they have been fabulous. I will never go to my local optician. Its a total con. 5 years ago I had a pair from specsavers. They cost me £150 !! I have literally 7 pairs of glasses for that. The quality does vary but they are just as good as the opticians and I am so pleased with all of them.

The this photo of ones you choose.

Sorry but the expensive ones don't suit you. They're much too light in colour. The cheaper ones look good or you could try the Kylie range at Specsavers - I have these two.

www.specsavers.co.uk/glasses/fever?sku=30715660

www.specsavers.co.uk/glasses/spinning-around

The Karen Millen and Nicole Fahri ranges are good too.

I'm warming to the round ones but you're smiling on them so that might be why they look good.

I've been buying online glasses for a while but my one new year's resolution is to go to a proper optician and try more styles and get them adjusted to fit properly.