north shore news

‘& FASHION

NEWS photos Mike Wakefiela
HEAVY plastic frames are back, in a range of shapes »
and colours. From front to back: black Giorgio Armani
frames, inlaid with brown; rose-coloured frames from
Nautica; and a pair of tortoiseshel! Armani frames.

.An eye for styl

Deana Lancaster

News Reporter
deana@nsnews.com

IT’S cool to bea
four-eyes.

It wasn’t always this way.
Up until a couple of 5
ago, Weanng specs Was a
sure sign that you read too
much and had an unnatural
obsession with computers.

But these days even peo-
ple with 20/20 vision are
rushing out to pick up a pair
of chunky, funky frames that
add interest and style to
their look.

North Shore News clas-
Sifies sales representative
Christa Takenaka agreed to
be our model when we set
off to Image Optometry in
Park Royal North to find
the latest in eyewear.

“My vision is really bad,”
said Takenaka. “! think I’m
legally blind.” Usually she
wears contact lenses, but
finds them drying, so some
days she opts for a pair of
small, metal-framed glasses.

At the store, she was
immediately drawn to a dis-

play oof heavier-styled
frames.

“Tike the thick, plastic
frames,” she said.

First reappearing on styl-
ish faces sbour two vears
ago, the heavy, black glasses
singer Buddy Holly was
famous for in the °S0s have
been modified for 1999.

“They got brighter,”

said Jeff Larson, manager of

Image. “They came out
with a lot of colours tor
spring and summer.”
Contrasting or comple-
menting inlays are one new
trend. Larson demonstrated
with a pair of tortoiseshell
frames inlaid) with blue.
From the front, the glasses
appear to be a simple mar-
bled brown. But when the
wearer turns his or her
head, the glimmer of sap-
phire becomes evident.
Shape has also under-

gone a transformation, As
well as the rectangular
frames, ovals, cat's eve, even
xeometric shapes such as
pentagons are becoming
popular.

‘Takenaka fell in love with
a pair of Kenneth ©
“Microwave * frames,
Availible in) burgundy, tor-
toise-shell and black, the
small squared frames were a
pertect fit.

“Becauee my vision is 90
terrible EF prefer smatier
frames -~ then the lenses
don't have to be as thick,”
she said.

In the past, only people
with small faces could wear
small frames.

Not so anymore, said
Larson. Bowed “temples”
curve out around the head
and can be sized for a bigger
face.

THESE dark red, cat’s eye-
shaped frames are from
Luxotica, called “Vogue.”

THE “Microwave,” from
Kenneth Cole was model

Cirista’s favourite style.

DO NO
Olt “TIL SATUR

ies ee me

CHANGE YOUR

AY

or you’ll pay too much!

As well as the
plastic frames,
Larson said) light
metal frames
remain popular
with people who
want to minimize
the visual impace
ylasses have on
their face,

One of the
Digest sellers in
the store is astvle by
Alfred Sung. called
“Cappuccino.” The
geometric frames are a
whisper of staintess
steel, and according to
Larson, much more resis-
tant to crushing than they
look.

THE “Cappuccino”
frames from Alfred Sung
— just a whisper of
stainless steel.

» day Stu

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