With six out of 10 people in need of prescription lenses, eyewear has become a common component of personal style and image. However, choosing the right eyewear that represents your authentic style, as well as the message you want to send to your customers and clients, can be rather challenging. It’s frustrating spending hours trying on various frames searching for the perfect one, only to spend hundreds on lenses that in the end you don’t really love.
According to the Vision Council of America, over the last 30 to 40 years the need for eyewear has more than doubled because of the additional strain and stress we’ve placed upon our eyes. With the advent of technology we spend more time looking at our small screen phones, computers and tablets then we do each other. Increased cable and movie channels, as well as video games, have kept us inside in dim lighting (which also causes eye strain), rather than outside in bright natural light. Since the need for corrective lenses will progressively increase over the years, the need for great eyewear will be of particular importance.
Eyewear is a critical part of your overall business image because it speaks to your personal style and who you are. After all, we know how transformative a great pair of eyewear was for Clark Kent. An individual’s perception of you as a business professional is determined by your appearance, behavior and communication; however, over 80 percent of that determination will come from your appearance or what you’re wearing. Since people first connect with your face and then your eyes, wearing the right frames that fit and compliment you and your face is essential.
So what do you need to know to find the perfect specs? Here are seven tips that will point you in the right direction.
ONE: Look for frames with color to complement your basic wardrobe colors. Brown and black may feel safe but if you think of your frames as an accessory for your face, the right color will brighten your face and accentuate your eyes.
TWO: Follow your face. If your face is curvy wear frames with curves. If your face is angular wear frames with angles. Round faces must avoid round frames but can easily wear a softly curves or soft cat eye frame.
THREE: Your eyebrows frame your eyes. Select frames with shapes that follow the arch of your brow.
FOUR: Size matters. Your frames should be as wide as the widest part of your face. Wearing frames too small will add weight on your cheeks.
FIVE: Your eyeglasses should not touch your cheeks. You do not want your frames to move when you smile.
SIX: If you have circles under your eyes select frames that follow the same line as in a thicker material. This will mask the circle and no one ever has to know.
SEVEN: Your eyes connect you to others. So don’t cut the eyes off at the top or the sides with part of your frame.
If you’re still uncertain about choosing the right frames for your face, consult with an eyewear consult that can access your facial features and provide selection recommendations that will help achieve the proper balance and proportion for your face. This will save considerable time and effort on your part and assure success finding the perfect frames for you and your professional image.
Dr. Carol Parker Walsh, a certified image professional and owner of Camas-based Evolve Image Consulting, is the expert behind the Vancouver Business Journal’s advice column: Dress Code. These columns will specialize in strategies for developing a positive and professional self-image. Walsh can be reached at carol@evolvingyourimage.com.
