Photo: Les Black (CC)
Recently, Brian
Trota from GlassesonWeb.com
asked me if I’d be willing to include a guest article on my blog about buying
eyeglasses online
Since I’ve been
curious about this topic, I said yes.
Trota sent me the following article written by Daria Patrunjel, who
contributes to GlassesOnWeb.com and CelebritySunglassesWatcher.com, and runs a
fashion blog called Kittenhood:
Eyeglasses shopping can be a drag. There are so many choices
available, especially online, it can be overwhelming. Plus, there are always
those frames that you like, but which don’t compliment your face, and the ones
you’re not drawn to, but they look cute on you. So what should you do?Here are four tips that you shouldn’t skip when shopping for
glasses online:The consultation.
Before everything else, make sure your prescriptions are up to date. You don’t
want to order your lenses only to realize they don’t really aid your vision.
See an eye doctor before you do the actual shopping. You also need your
pupillary distance measured.The real deal.
Buying authentic glasses is a long-term investment, because they’re durable and
better quality. There are many glasses vendors online, but only buy from
reputable ones. Look for reviews and make sure real customers write them. This
way, you know your Marc Jacobs glasses really
are Marc Jacobs, and not Narc Iacobs.The perfect style.
Finding the perfect glasses is no easy task. As a general rule, know that they
should repeat your best feature – for example, green frames for green eyes –
and contrast with your face shape – round glasses for a square shaped face, for
example. Find an old pair of glasses or sunglasses that fit you well and
measure their temple, lens width, the distance between the lenses, and the
overall frame width. Compare these measurements to those on the website to make
sure your glasses fit.The fitting room.
Many glasses vendors offer the possibility of virtually trying on the frames.
You upload your picture, and try on as many glasses as you wish. Another option
is that you receive more frames at home, and only pay for the ones that you
want to keep. If you can’t decide, ask a friend for help. They’ll be more
objective than you could ever be.
For the drawbacks for consumers buying eyeglasses online, see the
article on consumeraffairs.com, “Buying Eyeglasses Online: Good Idea?”
