Thanks to Bayker whose response to my post on the fount of optical abundance cites a another fount called WarbyParker.com. It’s an on-line company that sells their own designer frames with lenses for $95! I would have been highly skeptical except for the fact that when I was at MTV meeting with Lauryn Siegel (check her dapQ Snap here — not sure whose frames those are) both she and one her hip colleagues said they used Warby Parker.
Read how they do it here. (Apparently optical shops mark up their lenses 2-3 times and we all know how bad that hurts.) Once they’ve got you believing in the business model, here are the basics:
1) Our 5 day free home try-on: We’ll send you up to five pairs of glasses to try on at home for 5 days for free and will include a pre-paid return shipping label to send them back to us with no obligation to buy.
2) Our free virtual try-on: Using advanced facial recognition technology, our virtual try-on enables you to upload photos to our site, so that you can see how they will fit on your face.
Couple of quick thought if you haven’t already darted to the promise land of a different frame for every day of the week! (How awesome are those orange Colton frames pictured right!)
#1. I love geeky boy glasses but find they are often way to big for my face. Just cuz they are geeky, doens’t mean they are right for you. WarbyParker’s site enables you to upload your photo for a virtual try-on as a first step. They have GOT TO FIT YOUR FACE. The Butch Line from Fabulous Franny’s fits mine. . Don’t think this is going to be easy!
#2. If you can rock a monocle, will you please send me your photo and instructions!
Out here on the west coast, we rock Allyn Scura – both new old stock, and self-designed frames at reasonable prices. They even do travelling shows. The site is neither beautiful nor easily navigated, but they have thousands of frames from the 1890s forward.
http://www.allynscura.com
I’m wearing a pair of 80s Quetee brand “James” (a slightly oversized lens, but narrow brow, Buddy Holly type look) in orange tortoiseshell. New readers will be similar no-name clear frames. Haven’t decided on sunglasses yet – they need to be business-appropriate and survive under my motorcycle helmet, too.