The Look Of Success™ A Personal Journey - Exploring Eyewear

Diane Craig

Accessories can make or break an outfit. They can update a classic, breathe new life into an old favourite and turn daywear into elegant eveningwear. On the other hand, the wrong accessory can spoil the success of a really great look.

Simple truth #1
Eyewear is the most obvious accessory.

Simple truth #2
The right eyewear is crucial to the right look.

Simple truth #3
Eyewear is tricky.

The time had come to address this most obvious — and functional— accessory with Liz. No doubt about it, at Freda’s she received an “A” in Accessorizing, but picking the right glasses presents a real challenge. There are thousands of frames to choose from. The right choice enhances the appearance, while the wrong one becomes a costly mistake —rather like buying an expensive coat that doesn’t keep you warm.

My recommendation is to take a trusted friend to help with the selection process. It’s very difficult to be objective on your own and in my experience, many people rely on opticians. Trained to determine the right kind of lenses for your prescription, few opticians understand face shapes and the nuances of skin colouring — important factors when it comes to choosing frames.

Let me explain:

• Your face shape is the starting point — square, round, triangle or oval. Say for example, that your face is square; you’ll want to avoid square-shaped frames that mimic your face shape and choose instead oval or round glasses. In other words, try frames that contrast or “contradict” your face shape.
• The size of your face and features play a critical role. Delicate features disappear with frames that look amazing on a larger face with stronger features.
• Same story with the nose — slender and small takes a different bridge than long and prominent or short and broad.
• Moving on to the eyes — close-set versus wide-set, drooping or tipped, dark circles or crow’s feet, there are so many considerations.
• Cool or warm skin tone and eye colour can make the difference between whether to choose anodized metal, “tortoiseshell” or even gold or silver trim.
• And then there’s the entire issue of personal style. Which category do you fall into: dramatic, classic, natural, romantic, gamin or ingénue?

A final checklist:
 Replace your frames at least every four years.
 Check yourself in a full-length mirror before finalizing your frame choice — you want to be certain the proportion is right.
 When in doubt about the right frame, look for an almost universally flattering oval shape.

Liz has a few thoughts:
“My old glasses will need to be replaced this spring and although Diane approved of the shape, she showed me how to choose a colour more becoming to my eyes and complexion. She also walked me through the initial frame selection process and showed me how to avoid the wrong shapes. Thank you Diane, another mission accomplished!”

Stay tuned!
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