Easily accessible place to keep reading glasses?

Factual Questions
1

I’m not even sure what I’m asking for here but maybe someone else has found a solution to this problem.

I wear reading glasses. They are bifocals, for medium distance and short distance. In other words, for a computer screen (medium distance) and shorter distance things like the keyboard, books, paper work etc. I do not need them for any longer distances and in fact they distort things at longer distances.

So naturally, I’m constantly taking the things on and off. I always make sure to buy shirts with a breast pocket so it’s easy to stick a soft case in the pocket and pull the glasses in and out as needed - very convenient. Wearing a shirt without a pocket is a major PITA! It risks misplacing or breaking them. I could use a hard case in my pants pocket but I can’t quickly pull the glasses in or out so I would likely leave them out risking loss or breakage.

My employer, in their infinite wisdom, has decided that everyone will wear a shirt with a company logo. I asked them specifically if they could get mine with a breast pocket for my reading glasses. They said that they would try to do so. The shirts came today and, of course, no pockets.

I could go into a rant about employers who insist on dressing educated professional adults but who won’t accommodate individual needs in doing so, but that would belong in the pit.

I could wear them on some kind of chain, but I’d prefer not to look like an old maid librarian, plus they’d be vulnerable to breakage, smudges, etc.

Is there some kind of solution to this (other than raising a stink with my new employer)?

Is there some kind of magnetic pocket thing I can put on a shirt, or something that will clip over a button? Is there some other solution that I’m not thinking of?

I know this probably sounds like a minor issue to someone who doesn’t deal with constantly taking glasses on and off but you’d understand if you had to put up with it.

2

I usually fold them shut and hang 'em by one earpiece on my shirt collar.

Now, in my case, I’m practically blind without my glasses, so it’s a pretty rare situation where I need to take off my glasses and have both hands free to do whatever. That might be a pain if you’re frequently taking your glasses on and off.

3

get a soft case with a pocket clip. on a button shirt insert the case between the buttons with the clip to the outside. with a pullover shirt clip onto the collar with the clip to the outside.

or

keep the medium/near bifocals near the computer and wear trifocals the rest of the time.

4

These are pullover shirts. I’m trying to envision what you mean by “clip onto the collar with the clip to the outside.” It sounds like your saying that the body of the case (and the glasses) would go inside the shirt. That doesn’t sound workable to me. Maybe I’m misunderstanding you.

Having two different sets of eyeglasses simply compounds the problem and I don’t really see the point. Trifocals, with plain glass at the top, worn all the time, might be workable, but then I feel like I’m letting my employer dictate my eyewear. Also I would have less usable vision space for each section and the top one would be basically a waste.

5

yes that is what i’m saying. i find if the case is outside it dangles and can fall off or can get caught on things.

if you have two pairs then you are always wearing a pair on your face, always have vision for the three distances when away from computer, don’t have to be concerned with carrying a glasses case during the workday. if you have a safe place at your computer to keep the unworn pair this could work.

6

I used to have a soft silk glasses case - I have a crappy picture of it on my webpage aruvqan.com. THe red thing around my neck in the picture of me in the black dress. It is a simple little rectangular pouch big enough to hold glasses, or id/credit cards/a car key [which is what i used it for]

this with a neck cord

7

Those look kind of girly but I might be able to find something like that in brown or black leather.

8

I think I figured it out. I’ll clip the case to the lanyard that holds my ID badge.

It’s not a perfect solution, so I’m still open to other ideas.

9

Anyone suggest laser surgery yet?

heh heh heh

OK, stop glaring at me!

How about propped up on your head?
That is what I do when I my shirt doesn’t have a pocket.

10

Can you get laser surgery for farsightedness? I don’t know the answer to that. Unfortunately I have other eye issues that would probably make laser surgery inadvisable.

I guess up on my head might work, but I think my ID lanyard idea is better.

11

On your nose? I keep my bifocals on pretty much all the time in my house and just look over the top of the frame when I don’t need to look thru the lenses. When I’m out and not wearing them I just hang them by an earpiece in the neck hole of my shirt if it has no pocket. One of my glasses cases has slots in the back so I can put my belt thru it and wear it on my waist. I’ve never tried it, never will.

12

Are you allowed to wear a vest over your company shirt?

13

I do often look over the top of them, to look at someone who’s approached my desk to talk to me, for example. However, I find that doing it all of the time causes a headache, probably because I inadvertently glance down when there’s nothing close in my field of view. The neck hole idea could work, but I’d be concerned about them dropping without me realizing it. Plus they’d tend to get smudged.

So far I think my ID lanyard idea is the winner.

14

Yeah, clipping the case to your lanyard will work if it doesn’t make it too heavy to wear comfortably. I’ve never had any trouble with my glasses falling from my neck. I think that would be a problem only when bending way over.
You or your spouse could sew a small pocket into the shirt, not at the chest but on the side near the waist so it’s not noticeable, but that’s way too much trouble. Do they have small iron-on Velcro strips? I have some peel-and-stick ones but I doubt if they would stay on material for any length of time.

15

How about
http://www.leevalley.com/en/wood/page.aspx?p=44495&cat=1,42363,42356&ap=1

16

Velcro. Apply directly to the forehead.

17

Wore the new shirt today. Clipping the case on the ID lanyard seems to work fine. I actually think I may prefer this since it’s a polo shirt - no ironing, and no tie! I also don’t have to think too much about what to wear in the morning.

I just wish they had given us more than three so I wouldn’t have to do laundry twice a week.

18

I put a tiny rare earth magnet on one earpiece of my kitchen reading glasses, so they stick to the side of the fridge. You could do the same on your lanyard or shirt. Velcro is another good solution.

19

What about this? Saw them on CSI and it seems like a practical solution without looking like some old aunt.

20

What if you purchased a fourth shirt, or if you can tell from the tag how to get the exact shirt w/o a logo (embroidery is pretty expensive, but embroidery places usually use common shirts)…then take the shirt to a seamstress and ask them to use fabric from the fourth shirt to make breast pockets on the first 3 shirts? I suspect the pocket would be on the right side instead of the left where the logo is, and where you might be used to it, but at least you’d have a pocket.