Getting an Eyeful of New Styles
Keep up to date with this season’s latest trends.
* Colorful plastics: Two- and three-toned layers of colored plastics give frames depth and fun accents. Top, purple and yellow plastic frames with violet lenses, $225, from Selima Optique.
* Futuristic fashions: The frames are often made from anodized metal, titanium or frosty plastics in rimless or semi-rimless designs. The silver anodized frames, second from top, are from See, $159. Third from top, new titanium frames, such as the hot-selling Silhouettes, can weigh less than three paper clips and are fashioned with a minimalist sensibility; $295, at the Optical Shop of Aspen.
* Polarized lenses offer glare protection with a lightly tinted lens. Frame, fourth from top, from Clayton-Franklin $335, from the Optical Shop of Aspen.
* Wrap and roll: Lenses and frames can curve more deeply than before, even in most prescription lenses. Fourth from bottom, chunky black wrap frames by Matsuda, $355, at the Optical Shop of Aspen.
* Oversize glamour: Whether it’s a silver-framed aviator or a big lens in a chunky plastic frame, the look evokes Elvis, Audrey Hepburn, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, and Aristotle Onassis. Big is hip, and also offers more sun protection. Third from bottom, rounded, rectangular aviators by Bevel, $360, at Selima Optique.
* High-tech tints: Gradient tints that are darker at the top are a retro-cool trend. Cutting-edge glasses combine tints, such as violet and amber or pink and blue. Second from bottom, gradient lenses lighten from charcoal to dove gray in a frame called the Aristotle, $250, from Selima Optique.
* Embellishment: Rhinestones embedded in the frames give Selima’s cat eyes Hollywood glamour, $350. Funkier yet is the ‘70s look of rhinestones embedded in the lens. Side arms are still the top spot for designer logos or accents such as charms or unique earpiece coverings.
* Photochromic lenses (not shown): New lenses available at some optical shops self-darken in sunlight from rose to purple, light blue to deep green or pale yellow to vivid orange. Simpler photochromic lenses, such as Corning’s classic
Transition lenses come in standard brown, gray or green.
* Fashion tints: Far right, lenses in soft tones of rose, blue, violet, green and yellow aren’t necessarily for the sun, but they’re fun when you want attitude and style. Pictured, fashion tints from See, $159 to $199.
