Glasses direct blog

This was a lovely way to finish the day. Our good friend Ran pointed out that one of our products was on the Friday Funny Reviews page of reevoo


“This is no exaggeration: The first night I wore these glasses out, I was invited to join a gentlemen’s club, asked to play rugby for a local team, and I went home with a beautiful young lady who claimed, the next day, to have only talked to me because of my glasses. These glasses = WIN.”




See this and a bunch of others on the reevoo funny friday reviews page


We don’t know who this illustrious customer is but, sir, we salute you. And your mai tai glasses.

There are more celebrities who wear glasses out there than you might think. Here are some of our favourite and a selection of similar glasses from our range for you to get the celeb look!

Jennifer Garner

Jennifer is actually wearing semi-rimless glasses in this picture, but the shape is quite a cute sixties/seventies style. We have some similar in this shape called Trenton for £19.

Bill Nighy

Here’s a picture of Bill at the Valkyrie premiere rockin’ the retro look. I love this shape of glasses and when I do my ‘celebs in glasses’ spotting, find that this is the most frequently worn style by celebrity men. We have an almost identical pair to these called Mai Tai for £24.

Cate Blanchett

I often think Cate is a bit of a chameleon with her acting roles. She’s not one to pick the same sort of part time and time again. I reckon the same can be said for her style, bright and extravagant one day, whistful and ethereal another. If you’re looking to equal her purple look, our Coco Loco frames in purple £24 might just do the trick.

Ewan McGregor

Another pair of bold glasses from the one-time Trainspotter Ewan. If you want to emulate his geek-chic style check out our Madrid glasses in black for £29.

Julie Walters

I think these purpley pink glasses really suit Julie. They’re nice and modern and really brighten up her otherwise pretty dark outfit. Not too sure about the grape earrings though! We have a great pair of new pink glasses called Athena for £29. They’re already a hot favourite with our ladies.

Richard Gere

Sexy Richard (yes I remember him from his Pretty Woman days) looks hot in these simple frames. White shirt, black jacket…you can’t go far wrong by teaming a pair of specs like Austin £29 with this suited and booted look.

For a while now I have been following the keyword glasses on Twitter. I find it a really interesting insight into how people wear their glasses and their attitudes to them.

The most common theme I read is that people so often leave their glasses behind at home and really struggle at work to read their screens without getting headaches. I guess this is where it’s useful to have more than one pair. The other side of the coin are the really lovely tweets that people write, full of excitement when they are getting new glasses. It really does have a sense of occasion, seemingly for a couple of reasons; one because they can see again and two because people think it makes them look prettier/better/more intelligent!

Some of the others along the way that have made me smile:

1. ahaha. this pretty hot girl walked into the coffee shop and the old guy next to me put on his glasses and then just looked at me and smiled

Probably made the old chaps’ day

2. I just sneezed so hard my glasses flew off my face

This must have been one hard sneeze or they were just really badly fitting glasses.

3. I just tried to wash my face with my glasses still on. Oh yeah, today’s shaping up to be a great day

Sounds like a very tired person!

4. At swimming club last night a girl not wearing her glasses asked me how I knew Jane (my twin) – I said I met her in the womb!

A perfect illustration of the vital use that glasses have, distinguishing one person from another!

And some that made me sad:

1. I might go to Thailand for 2 weeks in Fall to get a pair of glasses

It made me sad because it seems an awful long way to travel to go and get some new glasses, he must really be struggling to get the right pair.

2. Really wants an iPod Classic, but knows she needs to get her glasses and contacts arrgh!! Decisions, decisions & responsible ones at that

Ah the age-old decision that people have had to make between buying glasses that they NEED and buying something else that they WANT. No longer a problem when glasses are cheaper.

3. Where are my glasses? I can’t find them without my glasses

Catch-22!

4. Got called into work for a shift trade. Guy who was supposed to work mornings broke his glasses in two

I felt really sorry for this man, he had to go into work just because the other guy broke his glasses. Whereas if the guy had had more than one pair, the issue would have never arisen!

If you are reading this, then the chances are you’ve decided to brave the waters and buy glasses online (rightfully so!). Whether you are buying from Glasses Direct or any other online glasses retailer, buying spectacles online is not all about finding the lowest price around. As you read on you’ll discover, when buying glasses on the Internet other factors must be taken into account because let’s face it, we’re not all made of money and online prices cheap as they are, are still an expense we can sometimes do without. As an online marketing consultant myself, advising retailers on their e-commerce development strategy, I have seen consumer demand change over the years and online retailers have to provide the same if not better service than their high street counterparts. I am happy to report that Glasses Direct is heading in the right direction, though other retailers may be offering the same experience so it’s a good idea to always shop around.

Here are the 10 questions you should be asking your online glasses retailer before buying, remember it’s your eyes so don’t joke about. Cheap glasses doesn’t mean cheap quality or service, make sure the online retailers answer yes to all these questions.

1. Is the quality the same as if I buy my glasses from the high street?

Remember, buying glasses online is cheaper because online retailers are able cut out the middleman, and don’t need to pay for expensive high street stores and eye testing equipment. The quality of the glasses should be the same as the high street.

2. Do they offer a money back guarantee?

You should absolutely insist on this one. At Glasses Direct glasses come with a 30-day, unconditional money-back guarantee. If you feel your new glasses aren’t right for you, they’ll give you a refund or exchange them for another pair of the same value – no questions asked. Other online glasses retailers offer either a 14 day money guarantee or their guarantee is hidden somewhere so you have to ask why.

3. Can I try before I buy?

Most online glasses retailers offer some sort of ‘Try Online’ service where you can upload your picture and paste an image of the glasses on your picture giving you an idea of how the glasses will look on you. The quality of the technology changes from site to site, but will provide similar results. On the other hand, only a select few offer a ‘Try at Home’ service where you pay a small fee to cover postage & packaging and can trial frames for 14 days at home before buying.

4. Will a Dispensing Optician review my order to ensure my prescription makes sense?

Glasses Direct have a team of qualified Dispensing Opticians who check and authorise every single order. If they come across anything out of the ordinary, they will get in touch with you by email or phone and may ask you to confirm your prescription details. This makes the buying process stress free and the Dispensing Opticians are also available to talk on the phone for an online consultation.

5. Can I pick up the phone and talk to a service representative?

When I buy anything online, I like to know I can pick up the phone and someone will be on the other end should any problems occur. Unlike some online glasses retailers, Glasses Direct has a UK call centre based in Swindon. The call centre is open 8am to 6pm Monday to Friday making it easy to chat glasses before or after work.

6. Will I be able to read reviews from other users?

Very few sites I have tested have any review functionality, let alone one which is constantly updated. Glasses Direct like other leading online retailers use a 3rd party customer review service by Reevoo. Because the reviews are managed by a 3rd party provider, they all appear on the site. That’s right whether the review is positive or at times less flattering you can view it on the site. For me, this says it all, nothing to hide and a sign of a retailer believing in its products and willing to listen to both praise and criticism.

7. When the website says ‘glasses from £15′ are they talking about more than one frame for £15?

Many retailers try to lure consumers based on a low offer, but the result is usually one frame for this low price and then you also have to pay for the lenses which are sky high. Some retailers such as Glasses Direct have kept the emphasis on value and the basic price of £15 hasn’t changed. Truth be told Glasses Direct has increased its range of higher end frames, but not at the expenses of its core offering of £15 frames. The more expensive frames tend to be designer glasses which you would expect to pay a bit more for anyway.

8. Can I buy frames based on my gender?

While having a great deal of choice is a good thing, at times you need a gentle nudge and some basic advice. The people at Glasses Direct have always understood the value of great professional advice and the end result is frames divided by male / female together with straightforward search options by price, frame style etc.

9. Will I get thin lenses for free?

When it comes to lens thickness, size does matter. Your choice of lenses and coating is an important part of buying your glasses. Lens thickness can make a real difference to how they look, especially for stronger prescriptions. Make sure you are getting a thin lens.

10. Will I be able to re-glaze my glasses one day?

If your prescription has changed or your current lenses are scratched or damaged then you might need to re-glaze your glasses, unless you really feel like buying a new pair. A few online glasses retailers offer this service and prices seem very competitive compared to the high street.

When you find an online glasses retailer who can answer yes to all these 10 questions, then buy your spectacles online. Buying online is as safe as buying on the high street only prices are much better.

Recommended reading: Glasses Direct guide to buying glasses online
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Ran Nir is the founder of Conversion Counts an online marketing consultancy focused on online e-commerce development strategies.

Thanks to Oberazzi’s Photostream for the imagery

We send out a free microfibre cleaning cloth with every pair of glasses we sell. This year we will be redesigning it, and I thought that it would be best if the challenge of designing it was opened up to you, as well as us

My own entry will be based on inspiration from Damien Hirst’s dots – I think the picture’s called Opium…

If you’re up for this then you’ll need to email me your entry. This can be either a fully fledged photoshop file, a link to something that provides inspiration, a scan of a doodle on the back of an envelope, or anything really that conveys the idea for the design. We can do the final artwork. Make sure that you send it to Cloth Design Competition by Friday 27th February at 6pm. We’ll then set about the task of picking the winner.

In return, well, all we can offer you is the immense sense of satisfaction from seeing your design/doodle/creation end up on our cleaning cloths for at least a year, with a namecheck at the bottom ‘Cloth design by [your name]‘, a blog post putting you and your design on a podium, and a lifetime’s supply of cleaning cloths! We’ll also throw in a pair of glasses of your choosing from the website to the lucky winner.

Good luck!

There are quite a few blogs which take fashions from the high-street, rather than the catwalk, spotting and snapping people seen out and about looking fabulous daahlink. The most famous of these is the Sartorialist. I think they’re wonderful.

Writing as someone who’s not the coolest lollipop in the freezer it’s nice to see fashion in a real world setting rather than the oddities of the emaciated fashion show twigs.

There’s a new one that I found today via Eye Heart Glasses, a very cool New Zealand blog run by Jo about Glasses.

In her latest post she draws together a few items of interest from around the web, and one of them was from Advanced Style which has the fantastic tag line:

PROOF FROM THE WIZENED AND SILVER-HAIRED SET THAT PERSONAL STYLE ADVANCES WITH AGE.

It’s chock full of the dapper and the chic, who eschew the twin-set and zimmer. Plenty of them with some pretty fantastic glasses.

[Photo by MISTER MORT]



[Photo by Advanced Style]



[Photo by Advanced Style]



[Photo by MISTER MORT]


I’m going to enjoy following this site.

A couple of months ago I nearly got knocked off my bike.

As an assured cyclist this was a bit of a shock to me, I’m normally very careful and aware of my surroundings, but on this one particular day I noticed I was missing a lot of activity. I soon learned what the problem was.

My glasses.

I realised that what may make a great pair of glasses to wear during the day won’t necessarily make a great pair of glasses to drive or cycle in. Now I have a specific pair that I wear for cycling & driving.

So what was wrong with them? They were glasses with large plastic arms. A style I love to wear (Although the wife says they don’t actually suit me…), but causes big safety issues when driving or cycling.














As you can see, they entirely destroy your peripheral vision, making it very difficult to see anything coming from the left or right, and meaning you have to turn your head to see the wing mirrors.

Also the lens rims themselves are thick so you lose vision there too.

So what should you look for in some Driving glasses?

1. Thin arms – the thinner the arms, the better your peripheral vision
2. Thin rims – again, less light is blocked from your eyes
3. Secure on your face – so they won’t slip off when you turn your head quickly
4. Big field of vision – So all your peripheral vision is in focus, and you can see the dashboard
5. Strong/tough frame

It’s likely that theses glasses will be thrown around a lot in your car, shoved in glove compartments, ashtrays, coin holders and that shelf in the door (no-one here can think of the name for it). It’s also quite likely that you’ll leave them on a seat and someone will sit on them.


There are 2 main styles that cover all these traits.

1. Large aviator style frames
2. Large rimless frames

Large aviator styles

These glasses called ‘Robert‘ are comfortable, have a huge area of vision, small arms, no rims along the bottom so limited peripheral vision loss, and resilient ultra thin flex arms to make them tough.

Otherwise these glasses called ‘Stan‘ are made of bendable metal so will be far more resilient if you leave them on the passenger seat and someone sits on them by mistake. They should just pop back into shape.

These glassses, Ray, are one of our basic pairs of aviators with the ‘comfort bridge’ keeping them nicely on your nose and very comfortable.

These are called ‘Toronto‘ and have tiny arms and no rims, so peripheral vision should be maximised, and they are also made of bendable metal, so can take a bit of rough treatment.

To make the ‘ultimate’ pair of driving glasses you should also think about a pair with Polarised lenses to enhance your driving in bright sunshine, these minimise glare from headlights, and light reflected off the road.

As a result of this I now have a pair of bendable rimless frames which I put on for cycling & driving then I swap once I’m at work to something a bit more swish, and I’m going to get a pair of polarised aviators for the car…when the sun finally returns.

Since changing to them I’ve had no more ‘incidents’ with traffic, although I’ve probably just cursed myself by saying that.

The Opus Design Award is a Japanese based competition for people wishing to ‘Deliberate Today through the subject of eyewear’ if you please.

There’s some lovely ideas. Who knows how many we’ll see on sale at Glasses Direct in the future?

This years winner was ‘Switch’, a photochromic pair of glasses where the entire pair change in sunlight, not just the lenses.

Project here

The silver prize went to the thought provoking idea of glasses for blind people – so that the glasses actually indicate the blindness instead of/as well as the stick:

Project here




These are slightly scary. Clamping to your face.

Project here

However the best for my money are these, if only for the dodgy translation. They’re glasses designed to counter the problem of the lenses steaming up when eating hot food.

When you eating hot food,
the misty in glesses is the most besetment for people
who put on a pair of glesses.
But it is discourteous that somebody usually shave the glesses.
Easy to shave the glesses not only well-mannered but also elegance

Project here

Here’s one that went from crazy design in 2002, into production

2008 Awards

Let us know any you think are particularly good.

Note: the main awards site does have a few broken links on it, but it’s worth persevering.

Click on the image to enlarge.

Jamie appeared up on Sky again the other day to point out a few of the more unusual stories popping up around the internet.