Alexander Daas Opticians Shares Top Tips for How to Choose the Perfect Pair of Glasses
[Photo by Carlos Vaz]
Whether you wear glasses out of necessity or for style, it can be challenging to find the perfect pair that matches your features and represents your personality. Nowadays there are so many styles and designs to choose from, including prescription sunglasses and blue light glasses. When finding the perfect pair of glasses, there are various factors that need to be taken into consideration.
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“Proper frame fit is important for several reasons such as optimizing the optics of the lenses (for those that care to see better), comfort (nothing more annoying than a frame that keeps sliding down your nose), and of course looking great (get styled to maximize your sexiness),” says Oliver Macapinlac, an optician at Alexander Daas Opticians in LA’s Larchmont Village neighborhood.
Alexander Daas is a luxury independent eyewear brand and a celebrity favorite that is known for its individually crafted eyewear made from premium materials and high-quality acetates. The brand also offers best-in-class custom lenses to go into its frames.
“Every face is unique and deserves the perfect frame—and Alexander Daas Opticians styles clients into the right frame based on their face shape, face proportions, skin color, eye color, hair color, lifestyle and fashion taste (clothing style),” adds Macapinlac.
Macapinlac took the time to answer some of the most-asked questions about how to find the right glasses for your face and more:
Are certain styles of glasses best for specific face shapes?
I’ve never really believed in the generic face shape chart that you can find on Google. Every face shape has a variety of features such as eye distance and position of the bridge. The shape alone is not the only way to selec the right type of glasses. Moral of the story: see an optician/stylist to find the perfect fit.
What is the most popular style of glasses?
Modified aviators (not as droopy and more squared off) are always great sunglasses. Right now people are also loving heavier acetates and rich colors. Eyewear is really starting to be embraced as face jewelry and fashion versus just a medical device, and people are having fun with it.
How do I know if a pair of frames is right for me?
At Alexander Daas Opticians, we take all the guesswork and decision fatigue out of the equation for you. Our uniquely trained opticians/stylists specialize in styling our clients. Working with an expert is the best way to make sure you end up with the right frames because there are so many factors and checkpoints involved. Here is a short cheat sheet to get started:
For clear eyeglasses, you want to make sure your eyes are horizontally centered. Vertically, they should be positioned a little above the center. For sunglasses, the focus is more on the temples not being too tight and bowed outwards, nor too wide. You want the frames to be a hair wider than the width of your head and the temples to comfortably go straight back.
The frame should comfortably sit on the bridge of your nose, not sliding down too easily nor pinching your nose too tight.
If you have a prescription, make sure you can see clearly all visual distances the lenses are made for, and you shouldn't feel any discomfort, headaches, dizziness, etc.
What are important things to look for when trying on glasses?
Aside from trying on glasses that are the right fit for you, quality is an important factor to look out for. And quality can come in a wide range of prices—more expensive doesn't always mean better. It's important to know what materials the frames are made from. Titanium and stainless steel are the better metal materials while acetate is the better "plastic." Quality hinges are very important so that you don't end up with temples that constantly come loose. And opt for independent brands over mass produced licensed brands. Independent brands are usually made in boutique factories with more handmade steps and much higher craftsmanship. Massed produced licensed brands are priced more for the name and logo on the temple than for the quality.
Are there any universally flattering styles?
I wouldn't say that there are styles that are universally flattering on EVERYONE, but there are some styles that do well on ALMOST everyone. Slight cat-eye shapes are great for most women, with the angles on the sides of the frame accentuating the cheek bones and the slight upwards angle along the top serving as a nice lift. For men, rectangular (almost square) shaped frames tend to help chisel the jawline and add more definition to facial structure. But there is so much variety and detail, even within just those two types of styles, that it really does come down to finding the right frame for each individual person.
Alexander Daas Opticians is located at 161 N Larchmont Boulevard, Los Angeles. For more information, visit their website and follow them on Instagram: @alexanderdaas
Kamala Kirk is a University of Southern California graduate and has been an editor/writer for more than a decade. She has written for E! Online, Total Beauty, TravelAge West, Malibu Times Magazine, and many more. She resides in Los Angeles and is a proud pug mom. Follow her on Instagram: @kamalakirk