Picking out your reading glasses is an important task that should not be taken lightly. After all, they are an accessory that will spend a great deal of time on your face. Yet choosing the right reading glasses does not need to be an exercise in frustration, stress, and wasted time. Taking a few moments to think through your needs, goals, and style will save you a great deal of time and effort in the long run. Follow these 6 steps to find the reading glasses that are just right for you.
1. Mirror Your Best Feature
Your reading glasses will call attention to your face, so you might as well highlight your best feature. For example, if you are constantly complimented on your green eyes, consider a pair of reading glasses in a similar shade of green. Those with cool, pale skin might want to offset it with a pair of black frames. Think about what you like most about your look, and find a way to repeat it in your reading glasses.
2. Balance Your Face Shape
Reading glasses are a wonderful way to balance the shape of your face. If you have a round face with no real angles, try rectangles or narrow, angular glasses. If your face is long and thin, choose decorative frames that add width. If you have a broad, square face, choose narrow ovals that soften your features. Oval faces are considered ideal due to their natural balance. To maintain that balance, choose glasses that are approximately the same width as the widest part of your face, or a walnut shape that is neither overly large or excessively small.
3. Keep Things Proportional
Be honest about the overall size of your face, and choose reading glasses that are in proportion. Large glasses will quickly overwhelm a small, delicate face, while tiny glasses look youthful and inconsistent on a broader face. If you love a style that does not seem proportional, look for a variation in a more proportional size.
4. Think Through the Practicalities
Under what circumstances will you likely need to pull out your reading glasses? Will you wear them in a conservative office, where suits and ties are the norm? Are you an actor who is having trouble reading scripts? Perhaps you are an adventurer who needs reading glasses to follow trail maps. The circumstances under which you will wear your glasses will help steer you toward an appropriate frame material and design.
5. Celebrate Your Own Personal Style
Trends come and go so quickly that it is pointless to try to keep up. Instead, focus on selecting the reading glasses that are truly a reflection of you. Think through your wardrobe, your favorite accessories, and even your makeup choices (if applicable), and look for reading glasses that blend well with your overall style. Remember, the point of your glasses is to help you see, not to be something awkward sitting in the middle of your face. The best reading glasses for you are those that easily become just another harmonious part of your complete look.
6. Consider Multiple Lifestyle Pairs
If you, like many people, adopt numerous personas depending on the occasion, consider purchasing multiple pairs of reading glasses. For example, you might work in a conservative office, spend your free time at the local comic book store, and attend an annual black tie gala. It would be impossible to choose a single pair of reading glasses to fit all of those different situations, and trying to do so would likely result in a pair that does not quite fit in anywhere. Instead, buying a few different situationally-appropriate pairs lets you pick and choose at will.
Choosing reading glasses is a big decision, especially if you have never worn them before. With time and practice, it becomes much easier. For now, however, take stock of your needs, desires, and personal style, and you will soon find the reading glasses that are just right for you.
Since 1995, the family-owned and operated Affordable Fashion Readers has been providing comfortable, high quality, fashionable reading glasses at prices you can afford. All of our eyewear has been tested and personally approved by a member of our team. Take the first step toward clearer vision today!