Trends in spectacle frames, what's in at the moment?

[Mum5net]

My Opticians are amazing with the technical aspect of 'servicing' my eyes but their range of frames is parked in the last century.
Has anyone got any good suggestions, online or otherwise, for sharp looking frames? Even from European sites and cities. I'm hindered by a +9 prescription so rimless, super light frames never work for me. Traditionally I am guided towards smaller rectangular shapes, but I can get the lenses thinned and my opticians have acknowledged their range is rubbish and will happily source from elsewhere, if I find what I want.

A practical consideration: I've had plastic my whole life and last year for one of my 'two for one' pairs I chose metal. Never had them before. Truly, I've not touched the plastic new ones.The metal are a revelation. I can't tell I'm wearing them, which is a novel sensation. I won't go back.

I don't care much for fashion, but I like bright and funky glasses and wondered where I can find them because most big high street opticians had very dull ranges. I wondered where does Prue get her glasses, then saw she now does her own range!
I've just got some orange plastic ones from Wolf and love them.
I'm a -11 so was always told I have to have tiny rectangular glasses and even with thinning I hated how they looked. I found a great independent place with their own lab on site who fitted me 1.9 thinned glass lenses in a bigger frame for the first time. I'm over the moon with them

I've just 'upgraded' from Specsavers to Jimmy Fairly. I do always tend to go for a dark chunky frame but I've tried something different (lighter acetate colour) and love them. Varifocals and I have astigmatism
so not the simplest of lenses. Super light to wear.

I love Suranne Jones big black specs in Vigil though!

@MerlinsBeard87 do you know how the 1.9 thinning at the independent place compares to specsavers ultra thinning? Is it a lot better, maybe I need to bite the bullet and pay more and leave specsavers. I’d assumed all thinning was the same.

Do they have nose pads? Do they not rub your nose?

@CormorantStrikesBack the 1.9 thinning in glass is so much better than the 1.7 at specsavers I've been getting my whole life. Expensive, but glad I went for it as it made a big difference to my confidence.

Hexagons! Or octagonal.

Thank you, I will make enquiries locally

@CormorantStrikesBack I would definitely ask a local optician who can fit the lenses properly rather than buy them online. I used a place in Somerset with their lab on site so he had experience of positioning the lenses to make the most of them. DM me if you're in that area and want the details

Sadly I’m nowhere near Somerset…..are your lenses glass if they’ve been thinnned so much? Are they heavy with being glass? @MerlinsBeard87

@CormorantStrikesBack yes they are glass lenses so a little heavier but I'm not really noticing it. They say not to wear them for sports to avoid breaking them

Match them to your clothes style, hair and colourings. Focus on what fits your aesthetics and face shape.

Nah, specs don't match anything - they're like an alien object on your face so you may as well embrace it, is my personal view.

The reason I've been looking at Etnia is that they seem to do a really good range of colour. I'm bored to death with tortoiseshell, don't want black and metallic looks invisible on me (which some people like but I don't).

I ordered some Walter and Herbert glasses this week. British made and seemed to be highly rated.

Have a look at Rapp or Anne et Valentin if you want something a bit unusual

Spent a very worthwhile hour at Ace&Tate this morning…
I concentrated on round, wire, clear and dipped into a few shapes but the two which photographed best on me were Morris and Alfred which weren’t a million miles from what I have now…
However, as my prescription cannot be accommodated, I’m off their richter for varifocals, they offered me pair either of those for £75 which I thought very fair.. Potentially I can get them glazed for a fee of £60, plus slimmed lenses bespoke +9s for £400, at my current opticians.
Other customers were all in their 20s and 30s, so it definitely had the right vibe.
What made me deflated was seeing others walk out with three finished ready to wear pairs for £400, so they could mix and match according to the day and occasion…
Eye test is Monday , then next weekend, if I can get time I’m off to look at Cubitts…
Definitely will have to buy in person rather than online and now want to explore the nose-pad situation. Ace &Tate do some with nose pads but not the ones I needed in stock…
The big annoyance though is with the lenses costing as much, if you make a bad frame choice, it’s not a £120 mistake but a£600 one
Huge thanks for all the suggestions. Truly helpful.

but the two which photographed best on me were Morris and Alfred which weren’t a million miles from what I have now…
Please ignore me if you've already made your choice cos if you have, I really, really don't want to put you off. But I just wanted to say that, whenever I first start looking at frames, the ones I think look the best on me are always very similar to what I'm already wearing. Which is fine if that's what you want but once or twice I've paid for new frames only to end up comparing them with the previous ones and wondering why I bothered.

This is why I now usually spend at least a couple of months choosing and trying lots of different styles. I've found it takes that long before I adjust to anything different. Even then, once they've fitted the lenses, I sometimes check the mirror and think, 'What have I done!' But in the long term, I don't think I've ever regretted picking something new whereas I have regretted being too cautious.

I hear you on the cost though. My prescription is expensive and I always end up with a total bill if over £500. It's a real bummer but I'd rather end up with one pair that I'm totally happy with than two that are just ok.

I wear a style, brightly coloured and currently red, that suits my face. I've tried to be trendy and rarely does it fit with the need for my prescription and thinning of the lenses, or the shape of my face. We have a great optician that understands lens technology and how to shape them, so very different to other opticians I've experienced, which does help, so lenses are as thin as possible and the glasses fitted so well I forget I am wearing them. I found a style that suits me and I am sticking with it. I have the frames where magnetically you can overlay with sunglasses, so the best of both worlds (and cheaper) too.

@Floisme those are gorgeous. I need new glasses soon and am seriously tempted by some of those frames.

I think you need to find another optician who can also advise on style. Honestly I think it's as important as being able to do the prescription. Maybe take the prescription to another place that has an interesting range. I hated Ace and Tate. No one to hold my hand through the process, peering at myself through blank lenses, not all styles out as assistants are gathering them up elsewhere and putting them back. I am terrible at online. I would never choose the lovely frames a good independent optician suggests for me. My current ones are Tom Ford and Oliver People's.

@Mum5net Tom Davies are the frames to go for. My local optician gave me a deal on them. My lenses are not cheap as they include a prism. This brand include a lot of variables so you can build your own. I didn’t need to but I am very happy.

@Floisme I hear you.
DP had to photograph them for me, then I had to put my old glasses on to have a look... he filtered ones he didn't like and ... didn't think I'd like.... so I was aware the system wasn't perfect...
I actually like going on my own and letting the optician staff say what's good as they tend to be quite frank.

Looking forward to Cubitts .

Ran Optics are worth a look too.

Autocorrect!!! RAEN Optics

@Emma0For0 I didn't know I wanted new glasses but after looking at the firmoo site I want several! Thanks for introducing me i'll definitely get my frames from there next time!