I’m a little tired of the small selection of frames at the local optometrists shops, so this time when I got my eyes checked I just got a copy of my rx so I could buy cheaper frames online. I’ve been browsing on Zenni Optical and using their online try-on gadget. Also looked at a few other places like Warby Parker. While they do have huge selection, I’m still finding it difficult to find something I like. The pictures seem flat so I’m worried that whatever I buy, I’ll hate when I see it in real life. Also it is hard swimming through the thousands of possibilities.
Has online shopping worked for anybody who was particular about what their frames looked like?
For example, I want something that looks okay on my face (obviously). I also want to have just a hint of bling, sparkle. The online shops let you choose the frame materials from plastic, metal or a hybrid but they never say anything about rhinestones or other fancy additions. And as I mentioned, the photos are too flat and you can’t tell if a frame has any sparkly stuff. Anybody know where I can find frames with some bling?
Your experience with online glasses shops is going to be equal to your comfort level with buying a “wearable” item sight unseen and your overall pickiness.
Personally, I’m that guy that walks into a store, is presented with a huge wall of options, and within 10 seconds I point and say, “that one,” so I have had very positive experiences with Zenni in particular, but I know people who are much pickier than me who hate it. I’ve found Zenni’s overall product quality to be utilitarian at best. That’s perfectly fine for me, ideal even, but I understand most people aren’t like me.
Based on what you’ve written, I think you’re that person who is going to carefully inspect each and every frame for sale on the website, read every single review, and eventually choose one, only to get it three weeks later and hate it. IMHO I don’t you’re going to be happy with buying them online, at all.
I buy my glasses from EyeBuyDirect. I’ve had pretty good results with them.
I usually wear contacts, and I’m happy with pretty basic black plastic frames for eyeglasses and a classic Ray-Ban Wayfarer shape for prescription sunglasses, so I just look at the measurements and compare to frames I already have.
I have bought like 4 pairs of glasses from them for less than what it would cost me to get a single pair from a local optometry shop.
EyeBuyDirect doesn’t do this, but bany places will send you a bunch of empty frames to try on, so it’s pretty low risk to try it out. Those places generally charge a bit more
As a compromise, Warby Parker has quite a few physical store locations, including ones in Virginia and Washington, DC. So you can see the frames in person and be fitted by a qualified professional. You can either have them sent to you or you can return to the store when they are ready for the final fitting.
They have a big selection of their own proprietary range. Personally, I find most of their frames boringly similar, and didn’t want that look for eyeglasses. But I did buy a pair of single-vision sunglasses that look kind-of similar to Ray-Ban Wayfarers.
I buy mine from 39DollarGlasses.com. I’ve never been disappointed in any I’ve gotten. The descriptions and photos are very detailed and they also include photos of people actually wearing the different frames so you get an idea of what they look like while being worn. If you use the Filter tool on the upper right of the page, you can choose frame shape, color, and a whole bunch of other parameters if you want. Your best bet might be to get a pair that are similar to ones you already have; you can use the filter to drill down to similar shapes/colors and increase your chances of getting something you know you will like.
As for ‘bling,’ the current fashion trends are not in favor of things like rhinestones, so you aren’t going to find loads of choices there (I did come across this one and this, and I actually like this one!), but there’s lots of fun colors and patterns.
To be honest, I find most frames that I see in any of the shops and the online stores to be boringly similar. I’m not sure I’m that picky, so much as not a lot looks good on my fat face and so much of them look the same to me. I think I’m attracted to the hint of bling for that reason. Also, if I need to wear something on my face all day long, it might as well be jewelry-like.
I just bought 3 pairs from Zenni this month, total price USD 90. I’ve bought from them for years so the fitting part is easy, just go with the same dimensions on frames I’ve bought before.
I spent a lot of time looking for something fun but professional and didn’t quite find what I wanted :(. Obviously I found a few that were good enough, but often the colour/style either was the wrong size for my face or couldn’t be fitted with my prescription. On the other hand the glasses are cheap enough that if I’m not really happy with I style I can just use it as cheap backup and wear my favourite frames day to day.
Considering how cheap buying online can be why not give it a try, its a small fraction of what I’d have to pay at a local shop.
