Trying On Eyeglass Frames: Bold or Soft?
I usually try on clothes for the blog, but this week I switched gears and went looking for new eyeglass frames, which turned out to be its own special kind of identity crisis.
Choosing frames is oddly personal. They sit right in the middle of your face, announce themselves before you’ve said a word, and somehow manage to make you look either polished and interesting or like you made one unfortunate decision under fluorescent lighting.
So today, I’m sharing the contenders.
Try not to let my expression sway you. I did my best to keep my face consistent, but people kept coming into the store, I started chatting, and lost track of what I was doing. There’s also quite a bit of glare on the lenses, so you’ll need to look past that and focus on the frames themselves.
I found several fun options, and I’d love your help narrowing them down.
The Franny has an oval shape with a slight cat-eye tilt that gives it some lift without going too far into “retired drama teacher.” The toffee tortoise feels warm and classic, and the shape is soft enough to be easy to wear every day. It also comes in Jet Black, but I think the tortoise has more personality.
The Marisol has a soft, round shape with a more noticeable bridge and bolder temples, so it makes a bit more of a statement without feeling heavy. The Nordic blue is unexpected, which I liked immediately. It’s not loud, but it’s definitely not apologizing for itself either. It also comes in Toffee Tortoise if you prefer a safer choice, but where’s the fun in that?
The Fara is a classic cat-eye with a lighter, more refined feel than some of the chunkier versions out there. The mix of crystal acetate and metal keeps it from looking too sweet or too severe. It has enough shape to be interesting, but not so much that it starts wearing you instead of the other way around.
The Ezra is a softly rounded metal frame made in Japan from lightweight titanium, with delicate detailing along the eyewire and nose bridge. This one feels a little more intellectual, a little more understated. It also comes in polished gold, but the silver feels cleaner and more modern to me.
The Rocco has a strong brow line and a softly squared bottom, which gives it a more architectural feel. The wide temples and gradient colorway make it a little bolder than some of the others, so this one definitely has presence. It’s the kind of frame that says you notice details and aren’t afraid to make a statement.
The Naima is an oversized acetate frame in a soft rosewater color. It has a playful, slightly glamorous feel without tipping into anything too flashy. Oversized frames can be tricky because they either look chic or like you borrowed your aunt’s readers from 1989, but this one manages to stay on the right side of that line.
The Wright has round lenses and a keyhole bridge, and it comes in several colors as well as a low-bridge fit option. That’s especially helpful if frames tend to slide down your face or sit awkwardly on your cheeks, which is enough to make even a beautiful frame irritating by lunchtime. The rosemary crystal color is subtle and interesting, which I always appreciate.
The Torrez is described as square, but to my eye it reads more softly rounded, which is probably why I liked it. The combination of tortoise fronts and metal temples gives it a nice balance of structure and lightness, and the adjustable nose pads are always worth mentioning because fit matters more than most of us want to admit. A frame can be gorgeous, but if it pinches or slides, it’s not the one.
I like several of these for completely different reasons, which isn’t especially helpful when the goal is to narrow them down.
And finally, if you’re fortunate enough to only need cheaters, I envy you. They’re much more affordable, so you can play with lots of pairs.
So I’m curious what you think. Do you prefer the bolder frames or the softer ones?
Absolutely the Fanny Frame! My immediate reaction was not about the glasses but ” what a pretty lady!”. Which I think says it all.
Love the 2 peepers! Those look great on you, more modern, artsy. ♥️
FAra, Franny, and Torrez are my favorites on you, but truly you look great in all!
I agree with Kathleen!
beautiful eyewear choices for a beautiful lady !!
Naima
The Erza
The Franny
The Fara
The Marisol
Good luck
The Fara frame in Iris is my choice for you. The frame is interesting, not heavy, but it makes a statement. I love the colour.
FARA FRAME IN IRIS CRYSTAL WITH RIESLING
EZRA FRAME IN BURNISHED SILVER
NAIMA FRAME IN ROSEWATER ACETATE
Dear Jennifer,
I think these three models are the ones that emphasize and highlight your features with refinement, enhancing your native charisma and the warm calm that your physiognomy transmits.
The blue ones are very jovial even if they come with the assumption of color.
Finally, a little joke: I don’t think I’m qualified to give advice because over time (for the sake of frames) I’ve accumulated a few pairs: one in my dressing room, the next ones in the kitchen, purse, office and car.
Thank you for everything you share with us.
I agree with you entirely.
Franny
I prefer the softer frames on you. My favorite on you are The Franny frames.
The franny frame looks great on you my second choice is the naima!
I like the Naima in Rosewater. They don’t detract from your face or overwhelm your features.
All of them look great on you. I personally prefer the more delicate frames for everyday glasses and the bolder frame for sunglasses. I like the Fara frame on you but the Rocco I would love in sunglasses. The granny looks very cute on you too.
Hi! The first frames are the most flattering. The clear one are rather interesting. Get both!
Hello, I thought you looked really beautiful in The Franny and also in the Fara. The others didn’t do you justice or allow your beauty to shine through. Eye glasses are a challenge when you need to wear them daily. Happy hunting!!
Love the Fara but you look good in all of them! Lucky you!
The Marisol frame, Artic Blue looks fabulous on you!
The Fara and Naima are great on you. They don’t overpower your face, and are flattering colors for your skin. Some of the others are too bold or age you ( heaven forbid!). Definitely opt for blue light blockers, light weight lenses ( they don’t leave a mark on the bridge of your nose).
Good luck!
I like the toffee tortoise and eye bobs the best.
Because I love a bold frame, I vote for Marisol. You look awesome in it! You fade away in the lighter frames. The readers featured at the end also look great.
I like the softer frames on you, particularly this time of year. The rose water pair looks awesome!
I love the Naima the best. Your face is what you see and not the glasses which block your beautiful face.
Don’t think you can go wrong with any of your selected frames. My personal favourites are the Fara Frame in Iris Crystal, the Ezra Frame in Burnished Silver, and those blue Eyebobs are pretty cute on you too! So perhaps I favour a softer, or when there is colour, a more delicate in size look on you. That being said, that red sweater looks pretty fabulous on you!
I like the Wright frame on you! Just looks like it belongs to you if that makes sense. I don’t like the thicker frames.
I think the bolder flatter you. The first pair is the stand-out to me.
I vote Frannie or Fara- both give a sense of presence without stealing the show!
I liked the multi-toned blue peepers the best ( second from the bottom). They might not go with every outfit but they are great fun and would be good as a second pair.
Before you chose any pair, it is important to get the right shape and size for your face. And as you said, you want to wear your glasses, not have them wear you. I think you look best in more delicate frames. I also think you need to pick a pair that goes with the colours you wear, unless you want to change your whole wardrobe. I liked the brown ones, but I see you in blues and grays most of the time and almost never in browns.
I agree with your comment that glasses are tricky to buy. I think glasses and bathing suits are the most difficult. I hope all of our comments haven’t confused you further.