TIPS FOR CHOOSING YOUR PERFECT EYEWEAR

Have you ever gone to pick out new eyeglasses, but been overwhelmed by all your options? Do you ever struggle to know what eyewear shape looks best on you? Do you have a hard time choosing eyewear? We’ve compiled our best tips for picking the perfect pair of eyewear to help make your decisions easier.

1.Contrast your face shape
There are seven basic face shapes to review including oval, base-up or base-down triangle, oblong, square, diamond, and round. Eyewear should contrast your face shape but be in scale with your face size. Find your face shape below and try out our recommended shape frames
• Oval: wide or walnut-shaped frames
• Base-up triangle: frames with a wider bottom, light color or lightweight
• Oblong: frames with more depth than width
• Square: narrow frames and with more width than depth
• Diamond: cat-eye shaped frames or other detailing on the brow line
• Round: narrow frames which are wider and have a clear bridge
• Base-down triangle: frames with color or detailing on the top half

2. Highlight your features
Pick your best or favorite feature and pick a frame to highlight it.
• Some features to consider highlighting would be your eyes, hair, skin color, and face shape. For example, if you have blue eyes, try a blue frame to match and highlight your eye color.

3. Match or complement colors
Your skin, eyes, and hair work together to create your overall coloring. Everyone has either a cool (blue or pink undertones) or a warm (yellow or orange undertones) overall color. Try a frame from our color list below to complement your coloring.
• Warm coloring: camel, khaki, gold, copper, peach, orange, coral, red, or warm blue
• Cool coloring: black, silver, rose-brown, blue-gray, plum, magenta, pink, blue, or tortoise

4. Find the perfect size
Try on multiple pairs to see what size fits your face shape best.
• If the frames are too small your peripheral vision will be limited and could potentially feel tight on the head. The frames should not pinch your nose, leave red marks, slide down your nose, or easily slip off your head. The tightness around your ears can be adjusted to get the perfect fit.

5. Match your frames to your lifestyle
Make sure your frames will work for every part of your life and will be a representation of you and your personality.
• Pick frames to match your unique lifestyle and hobbies. Consider your common activities when choosing frames. For example, if you are more active you may want a pair of sports eyewear or a wraparound band. If you spend a lot of time on the computer, you may want eyeglasses with a tinted lens.

6. Anti-reflective coating
An anti-reflective coating helps eliminate reflections on both sides of your lenses to cut down annoying glare and improve night vision.
• Anti-reflective coatings allow for sharper, clearer vision with less glare. The lenses appear to be nearly invisible, giving the eyeglasses a more attractive appearance and allowing for better eye contact.

7. Are weight and material important to you?
Frames are most commonly made of plastic, metal, or a combination of materials. This combination determines the longevity, weight, and average cost of a frame.
Key Features:
• Metal frames often have adjustable nose pads
• Metal frames can come in hypoallergenic materials
• Stainless steel and titanium are long lasting
• Plastic frames are lighter
• Plastic frames tend to be less expensive
• Flexible hinges allow the “arms” to bend more than regular hinges
• Plastic frames typically need less maintenance than metal frames

At Advanced Eyecare Professionals we have specially trained opticians that are happy to speak with you about the many different types of eyewear and lens options available. They can also help explain what your insurance benefits are in regards to eyewear. No appointment is necessary to speak with one of our opticians, so please feel free to stop by one of our locations.