Some people already do. New York upscale hairstylist Peter Emmand, 47, arranges his 25 pairs of optical frames alongside his 140 shirts, 125 pairs of pants and 70 pairs of shoes, choosing frame shapes and shades to match his outfits. Beth Kwon, 30, a New York-based journalist, takes a more laid-back approach. She wears her funky, two-toned, cat’s-eye frames by Japanese company Zip+homme with just about anything. “I never thought I’d have light blue glasses,” she says. “But they actually are neutral enough and have a simple design that I don’t have to coordinate my clothes.”
As with belts or wallets, it’s hard to come up with something radically new in eyewear design. But this spring’s lineup offers subtle changes from past seasons. Retro styles are still dominant. You will see plenty of 1930s-inspired aviator frames, 1950s cat’s-eyes and oversize ovals a la Jackie O, says Nicola. Geometrics are another trend; the architect of the moment, Daniel Libeskind, who recently won the contract to rebuild on the World Trade Center site, wears distinctive rectangular specs. This season, the bow ties, circles and hexagons are slightly asymmetrical.
Some of the old styles are making a comeback in new materials and colors. Light and noncorroding titanium is gaining ground. Acetate, a natural plastic made of wood and cotton, is still big, as is plastic. On the high end, look out for gold and silver, like the $1,395 12-carat gold vintage frame from Robert Marc. Buffalo horn is another newly popular luxury material. Light and strong as titanium, it has a natural, translucent color that complements most skin tones and doesn’t dominate one’s face.
Laminated frames with one color on the outside and another on the inside have been all the rage for the past couple of years. But this season, they come in a wider and bolder range of colors, like green on purple, red on brown and black on pink. Bright colors in general–whether the frames are plastic, acetate or metal–are popular. Women will see red, green and blue while men will be offered a more conservative palette of navy blue, black and brown. The latest technical advances include rotating and extendible temples, adjustable bridges and folding lenses.
Even if you’re not in the market for new frames, you can still update the look of your glasses. Many boutiques now offer lense-tinting services for an inexpensive “eye-lift.” Emmand recently stopped by a Robert Marc store and, for $25, had a pair of his lenses color-sprayed –purple and yellow. “It looks tremendous,” he says. “You don’t even notice that a frame is conservative. It disappears.” As today’s eyeglass makers know, it’s just as important to look good as it is to see well.
