This past Friday I had my annual eye exam (something that us people with less than perfect vision have to plan on doing). I’ve had eyeglasses since I was in 4th grade (I’m now in, undefined grade). I only waited about 3 years after getting glasses to make the transition from glasses to contacts. Even though I wear contacts every day, I still rely on my glasses a lot.
Though I’ve been using corrective lenses of some sort for almost 15 years of my life, I’ve only bought new glasses frames twice. In the past 6 years of my life I’ve only changed the lens prescription in my glasses…once. (Don’t worry though, I change my contact lens prescription every year after my eye exam. Yay, blindness!) While not having updated prescriptions in my glasses hasn’t proved too problematic, I’m getting a little sick of squinting at the tv. So I decided that I would update both my lens prescription and glasses frames this year! It’s only been a couple years coming…
Deep down I know why I avoid shopping for new frames (and it’s not just because of my insurance coverage). Like many people with eyeglasses may have experienced, I was made fun of when I first started wearing glasses. I brushed it off pretty well for the first year by avoiding wearing them unless I 100% needed too. After that first year I thought that maybe by getting new frames I would avoid rude comments from my classmates. Now remember, I’m still only in 5th grade now and I have a very small face, so a lot if the frames at the optometrist did not fit my face correctly without being fitted (which they only do on your glasses, not the sample eyeglasses they have). The consultant that was helping me pick frames mostly let me do my own thing (which made me feel like I was like so adult for a 5th grader).
I found a pair that I really loved and showed the consultant. All she did was laugh and ask me if I really wanted those frames. Again, I brushed it off and reassured her that these were the pair I wanted. Fast forward a couple weeks, after the lens were put in and the frames were being properly fitted, I went to pick them up. The same consultant handed them to me to try on and she just laughed again! I was crushed. It was too late to find another pair of frames so I made due, because I still thought they were cute, even if people didn’t think they looked cute on me.
Shopping for New Glasses
Since that whole ordeal I have only shopped once more for frames (because glasses don’t last forever ya know). Thats a grand total of once in ten years. I decided this is the year to get those new frames and stop putting it off. This leads me to the original point of this post, finding frames that fit your face. For this I only have one tip, which I fully plan on embracing from this point forward. My one and only tip for finding frames is this: Choose the frames you love, no matter what anyone else thinks. Trends may change, people may laugh, but those things will pass. You are the one who has to be happy with the frames you choose, not anyone else. It’s only taken me 10+ years to realize that but I’m glad I can see clearly now.
PS: For the record, I settled on the Tory Burch glasses. I can’t wait to share them with y’all once they come in!
Warby Parker Navy Glasses // Warby Parker Tortoise Glasses // Tiffany Glasses // Tory Burch Glasses // Kate Spade Purdy Glasses (My former glasses)
