Trying On Eyeglass Frames: Bold or Soft?
I usually try on clothes for the blog, but this week I switched gears and went looking for new eyeglass frames, which turned out to be its own special kind of identity crisis.
Choosing frames is oddly personal. They sit right in the middle of your face, announce themselves before you’ve said a word, and somehow manage to make you look either polished and interesting or like you made one unfortunate decision under fluorescent lighting.
So today, I’m sharing the contenders.
Try not to let my expression sway you. I did my best to keep my face consistent, but people kept coming into the store, I started chatting, and lost track of what I was doing. There’s also quite a bit of glare on the lenses, so you’ll need to look past that and focus on the frames themselves.
I found several fun options, and I’d love your help narrowing them down.
The Franny has an oval shape with a slight cat-eye tilt that gives it some lift without going too far into “retired drama teacher.” The toffee tortoise feels warm and classic, and the shape is soft enough to be easy to wear every day. It also comes in Jet Black, but I think the tortoise has more personality.
The Marisol has a soft, round shape with a more noticeable bridge and bolder temples, so it makes a bit more of a statement without feeling heavy. The Nordic blue is unexpected, which I liked immediately. It’s not loud, but it’s definitely not apologizing for itself either. It also comes in Toffee Tortoise if you prefer a safer choice, but where’s the fun in that?
The Fara is a classic cat-eye with a lighter, more refined feel than some of the chunkier versions out there. The mix of crystal acetate and metal keeps it from looking too sweet or too severe. It has enough shape to be interesting, but not so much that it starts wearing you instead of the other way around.
The Ezra is a softly rounded metal frame made in Japan from lightweight titanium, with delicate detailing along the eyewire and nose bridge. This one feels a little more intellectual, a little more understated. It also comes in polished gold, but the silver feels cleaner and more modern to me.
The Rocco has a strong brow line and a softly squared bottom, which gives it a more architectural feel. The wide temples and gradient colorway make it a little bolder than some of the others, so this one definitely has presence. It’s the kind of frame that says you notice details and aren’t afraid to make a statement.
The Naima is an oversized acetate frame in a soft rosewater color. It has a playful, slightly glamorous feel without tipping into anything too flashy. Oversized frames can be tricky because they either look chic or like you borrowed your aunt’s readers from 1989, but this one manages to stay on the right side of that line.
The Wright has round lenses and a keyhole bridge, and it comes in several colors as well as a low-bridge fit option. That’s especially helpful if frames tend to slide down your face or sit awkwardly on your cheeks, which is enough to make even a beautiful frame irritating by lunchtime. The rosemary crystal color is subtle and interesting, which I always appreciate.
The Torrez is described as square, but to my eye it reads more softly rounded, which is probably why I liked it. The combination of tortoise fronts and metal temples gives it a nice balance of structure and lightness, and the adjustable nose pads are always worth mentioning because fit matters more than most of us want to admit. A frame can be gorgeous, but if it pinches or slides, it’s not the one.
I like several of these for completely different reasons, which isn’t especially helpful when the goal is to narrow them down.
And finally, if you’re fortunate enough to only need cheaters, I envy you. They’re much more affordable, so you can play with lots of pairs.
So I’m curious what you think. Do you prefer the bolder frames or the softer ones?
I am in my -own your space era. So I love the Fara in iris on you and the wire frames -Ezra both are very flattering and feel modern. Frames feel difficult to chose when you know that pair of glasses will be worn with everything for the next 12-24 months.
I narrowed it down to three: the Fara, the Ezra and the Torrez. I feel your face and your hair coloring is too light for the bolder frames. The decision now is which one is the most comfortable.
I prefer the Fara on you, but the Wright has some potential.
I wear glasses and contacts. Silhouettes and etnia (Spanish) are very comfortable and fashion forward frames. I have both. Just bought etnia progressives with just reading correction to wear with my contacts…LOVE THEM!
Thank you for asking what is such a personal decision on your part! In my opinion, the Franny is the wrong shape for your face, while the Ezra compliments your hair and allows us to see your beautiful eyes! I also think the Rocco in Coastline Fade matches the color of your eyes and just seems to be “you”. The peepers are just fun and you would enjoy wearing them at different times, depending on what clothing you happened to be wearing – since I have noticed that you often match your glasses with your outfit. Good luck with your decisions!
I know personally how hard it is to choose something you are wearing 24/7 on one’s face but I really liked the Marisol in blue on you. Suited you very much. Have fun choosing.
Hi Jennifer – Great idea for a blog! I thought all the frames except Rocco, Marisol, and the Torrez were great contenders for you. Ive been wearing glasses since I was 7 yo and am about to turn 70. This year I came to the realization that frames are always on my face so shouldn’t I have more than 1? I heard yes and have been exploring all my moods thru different eye glass styles and shades! I have a new eye prescription and now have about 6 pairs of eye glasses, (all acquired throughout the year). Its sooo much fun – jewelry for your face! I discovered the receptionist at the Drs office has 10 pairs and counting so Im not alone. Thanks for today’s blog!
Mary
I like the Franny the most—it is lifting and fresh on your face. 2nd place would be the Naima. You look good in quite a few of them—but those are my 2 faves.
I love the Fara Frame on you! It doesn’t look heavy but it has personality. Colouring on you is great!
Naima, franny and wright
They all look very nice on you – if it were me I’d be focusing on selecting from the Franny, Ezra, or Fara. If you wear your your glasses all the time I would also be considering comfort. I’m going through a similar decision-making process for glasses myself!
I love the shape of the blue light ones on you, the clear frame is different, but very good looking
Deciding on eyeglasses is actually worse than trying on bathing suits in my experience! I like the Fanny on you — the shape and size is very nice; the Naima is a beautiful soft color for your complexion, and the Ezra is light and open. The others seem to heavy and dark for your facial structure and coloring. It will be interesting to see what you choose in the end.
PS: if you haven’t tried titanium frames before, they are a joy to wear — so light and comfortable.
I like Fara for boldness, which I think your smile shows you like it too. Ezra has my vote for a more soft, refined event. So I guess I’m suggesting these two: Fara for when you are feeling bold and spunky and Ezra when you have a more serious event or feeling.
I prefer the lower contrast, cool colors on you. I think they work well with your coloring and. your contrast levels. The Naima and Fara frames look lovely, and I think the Rocco frames would work if you prefer something more bold. The Wrights are pretty with your eye color. In my opinion, the Ezra frames pull your face down. You’re lucky to have found so many great choices. I can’t wait to see what you pick!
I like the Franny on you.
Hi Jen,
I don’t usually leave comments, but I had to place my vote for the Franny frames in tortoise. They are by far the best choice out of any of the frames. They are tres chic and lend you enough of an unusual spark that I would go out of my way to compliment you if I saw you out and about. please purchase the Franny frames!
Picking new frames is so difficult and everyone has a different idea of what looks good, often based on their personal taste. On that note, I like the Marisol in Nordic blue and the Fara.
My favs are Naima or the clear Peepers. They are more modern and look a little edgy. And the softer colors don’t overwhelm.
I love the Franny the most. My second choice would be the Fara in the Iris. It is such a difficult choice to make. You honestly look lovely in any of the choices.
Oh, you’ve picked out so many wonderful frames … what a hard decision, but how fun! I really like the Fanny Frame and Bold Peepers on you best! Thanks for letting us share in this choice!