dedtired - Me at 60 wanting to be 43

suero - IP address needed for EVERYTHING not permanently attached to me!

don't need reading glasses yet, but can tell i'm getting closer to the time that i will...

i have presciption glasses to correct a sl. nearsightedness, but very rarely wear them- mostly if i'm driving a long distance at night and it's raining.
but, i love wearing presciption sunglasses and usually have a couple of pair. i'm due for an eye check up and only have(had) one pair of sunglasses that were still in really good shape. last night i carelessly left them where our puppy could grab them and needless to say they are not wearable now! :( i will be making an eye appt soon!
i have a hard time choosing frames though--i think because my face is long and narrow.

Golddust, I know my friend has had her cheap glasses for several months now without problems. I guess if something happened, I wouldn't feel too bad about chucking them.

Having reading glasses stashed all over is appealing to me, same with distance glasses.
I have my yearly eye appt. next week and I'll use the insurance allowance to get another pair of higher end frames that are progressives- for when I need to read and see long distance, primarily church. But I won't wear them all the time, drives me batty. I haven't had progressives for a few years now.

But then dh and I are going to order some funky glasses from Zenni.

At Christmas, a dh, a friend and I were sitting around the kitchen table and I wanted to show them the Zenni website and the glasses my friend had gotten. (Whom they both know) and they were both so negative. Finally I said, "You know we can upload your picture, I've got my camera right here it won't take but a few minutes then you can see what the glasses will look like."

You would have thought I wanted to upload naked pictures to my open account on Photobucket!

They would not do it under any circumstances, and dared me to take a pic of myself and try on glasses. Of course I did, duh, they were amused and interested in seeing my pic try on frames but they still wouldn't do it themselves.

I have a new pair on order, my first actually. I have always had 20/20 vision and am now going to have progressive lenses so I don't have to keep taking my reading glasses off at home. I got some with only a frame over the top and no frame on the bottom, I like how they aren't so heavy looking. The frame part is a bronze copper color.

Those "new" plastic frames reminded me of the 80's and may look great on someone else, but I didn't like them at all for me.

Ha ha. I just checked out my new frames online and the website says "these Calvin Klein frames are designed for men". Oops. I'm not one of those.

Dedtired, I'm an optician and work for a eye doctor. Please take your new glasses back to your optician. Ask them to remark the lenses and check and make sure they aren't too high. There are laser marks on the lenses that allow the lenses to be marked and checked. They should NOT get upset about this, it's easy to do, they should want to make sure they are correct.

If your glasses have nosepads they might just need some an adjustment. Have you worn progressives before? With some of the shorter corridor progressives(needed for narrower frames) just a little tilt up with your head can put you into the corridor of the lens.

Golddust, The antireflective coating that Costco uses is decent but not the best. There are AR coats that are more scratch resistant and easier to clean but they are more expensive.

Hmm, I posted a reply earlier but lost it somehow. Yes, it's awful that I am intimidated by my opticians. They are a bunch of grumpy old men. However, I will screw up my courage and ask for a change if I am not happy after a few days. No, the new frames do not have nosepads. I've worn progressives in the past and have not had a problem with them although now I recall that the reading had to start a bit lower than average.

I've worn glasses since I was ten, so I feel funny without them.

Nice to have an expert on board! How much does it cost the optician to order new frames?

I am enjoying these Older Women threads!

Not new frames -- new lenses.

I am 51 and my eyes have been getting worse and worse. I've never worn glasses my entire life and I am NOT happy. Now I have to wear the magnifying glasses to read. But, I've noticed it's getting even worse lately. I think I may need real glasses full time. So not happy and pretending it's not happening. For now.

This was close to my own experience. I never wore glasses as a child, and when I was in my early 30s the eye doc said I could use some very slight distance correction, and I opted for colored contacts. I wore them for awhile (mostly because I liked the color!), but they were a pain so I stopped. Fast forward to present day, and while I still can get by with just a little distance correction and don't need to wear glasses or contacts for just being out and about, I can't read - and certainly can't do computer work - without my reading glasses.

I have so many cheapie OTC pairs of readers that I've lost count. I tend to wear my tortoise-look frames at work, and the pair I like best at home I actually picked up at a flea market for $2! I'll do whatever it takes to be able to read (and therefore do my job!), but I do feel somewhat frumpy, even with snazzy, hip frames. ::sigh::

I know many women have an issue with wearing glasses for some reason. Wearing glasses as a child, I was taught to feel grateful that my problem was so easily fixed. Polio, for instance, left permanent reminders. Seriously, my parents had no mercy for whining.

All these years later, I admit to feeling a little smug thinking about all the girls who used to tease me about my glasses are finally needing them too.
Not that I think any of you ever teased anyone. Hearing the strong negative reactions to having to wear glasses is likely a trigger for those of us who had to wear them most of our lives. Just saying'.

Just checked out the Zenni site. Do I need to check with my current eye doctor to make sure they'll honor those frames and that my prescrip will work with them or do I just take in the frames and say give me some lenses for these? Might an eye doctor have an up-charge if I buy the frames elsewhere? Curious on your experience with them. Anything else I'd need to know or check out beforehand?

Golddust- hope my comments didn't offend you. I've worn glasses, contacts, etc since gradeschool. I broke down and had the lasik when I couldn't find my glasses one night in a hotel room and nearly called the front desk because I couldn't see good enough to find them. One of those things in life where I hoped that lasik was going to eliminate the cost and dependency on glasses. Lasik helped, but I'll always be dependent. You're right - I should be grateful for sight & glasses.

Bumble, my cheap glasses lasted well over a year but I was still disappointed when they weren't fixable. Maybe because they were my only pair of clear glasses.

I do have prescription sunglasses but now I expire with darkness until my new ones arrive. I have progressives that help me see the road and the dashboard but I still can't read or thread a needle while wearing them.

Hilltop, I wasn't offended by any of the posts here. Just saying that eye sight is precious and if glasses can fix the problem, it's a high class problem. My GD has had seven surgeries on her eyes after going blind at age 3. We hope and pray every day that her vision will last her life time. Her vision is that fragile.

Oh, for all of you that are finding your lenses scratch even while using a soft cloth or micro fiber cloth there are a couple of things you need to do.

First, rinse your lenses before cleaning. Now I know you can't always do it, but do it at least once a day. Get in the habit of washing your lenses off under running water every morning. This washes away anything on the lens (even dust) that could scratch them. Also rinse them anything you know they are dirty.

Second, wash your cloth! Over time it will get dirty. With micro fiber clothes I recommend washing with dish soap and letting air dry. You can wash in the washing machine as long as you don't use fabric softener. Fabric softener will ruin the cloth, it just won't work as well.

Also, what is scratching most of the time is the cheap anti reflective(AR) coating. Inexpensive AR is fragile and does scratch easily. It is also hard to clean and gets dirty fast. If you have this issue on your lenses it's probably the AR. The solution is to get a premium AR, though not all places offer it. Yes, it costs more but your lenses will stay clean all day and won't scratch easily. Most premium ARs have a 2 year scratch warranty, too.

golddust - I also did not mean to offend. In fact, I never poked fun of anyone wearing glasses. My brother has worn glasses since he was 2 years old and had a couple surgeries when he was very little. He did get made fun of when he was little and I hated that. I would never contribute to that.

For me, it's just that it's a sign of my age. My distance sight is still fine, and I can even use my computer all day (which is what I do for a living) without a problem. And since it's just due to age, lasik is not an option for me. I have enough reminders about my age every morning in the mirror. Just don't like that this is one more to add to the list.

Golddust, is that your Granddaughter? She is an absolute knockout! She looks wonderful in glasses. I do hope her vision remains good.

I love my glasses for everyday. They are black plastic framed with white inner framing, which gives a very flattering brightness to my eyes. But I really don't think they will suit the formal dress I'll be wearing for my son's wedding. I can't wear contacts, so I'm wondering if perhaps frameless glasses will clash less with a formal dress.

Pickyshopper, what color dress are you wearing to your son's wedding? Perhaps you can pick a frame in the same or similar color. A metal frame would be a little dresser and not so heavy looking, you don't need to go completely rimless.

I was just looking at pics of the women who attended Philadelphia's Academy Ball and a number were wearing their glasses. They seemed to mostly be metal frames. Some had plastic rhinestones. They both looked quite nice! Dressy occasions were always the worst for me. I could wear contacts but they weren't so comfortable, so they detracted from enjoying the evening.

Wish we all could have 20/20 vision forever.

I meant to post earlier~~when I got my last pair(s)of glasses, the tech fitting me thought the rimless styles add age. He's been fitting me for the last 10 years so I feel I value his opinion. Needless to say, I didn't get rimless. ;o)

I think this is a nice example of youthful, chic glasses on an older woman. All plastic too.

{{gwi:1494702}}

BB, LOL. I just saw her pic on Yahoo.

I'm so glad I read this thread. I just got back from the opticians where I discovered that my new glasses had the wrong prescription in one lens. I had just thought I was having trouble adjusting to my new glasses, but after reading the advice here, I went in and will now have glasses I can actually see out of. Thanks!

Yes, it is wise to have the prescription checked. One time they switched the prescription in mine -- out the right in the left and the left in the right. No wonder I couldn't see!

That picture is the woman who had an affair with JFK when she was in in tern at the White House. Guess that tradition goes a long way back. She wrote a book about it. I do like her hair and glasses though!

I don't think anyone thought Monica was the first.

Nope and I imagine this woman wasn't the first either. She was 19 when JFK was in his mid-40's.

Anyway, she wears glasses well.

I do like her glasses.

My Mom loves Zenni Optical. Can not remember how many pairs of glasses I have gotten for her. Plastic, metal and titanium etc. She loves them and wants to have more. Luckily, Zenni doesn't break the bank. We can afford them.

I have blue metal frames in a rectangular shape. I had oval ones before that fit so perfectly but these look more up to date. I've worn glasses since I was 13. These are my second pair of progressives.

I am disappointed that my far distance vision (for driving) was not corrected like I expected. The optician said that they'd checked the prescription. He was not very nice about it, implying that If I had more going on in my life I would not be so focused on my vision. Geesh. I'm thinking about calling the eye doctor and asking him about it. I've searched on the internet about dstance vision but have not found any tips.

I made an appointment with my ophthalmologist to have my new prescription checked. It just isn't quite right. I feel a little more brave about asking the optician to change it if I go in with a new scrip from my doctor. Optician can't argue too much with that, although I know he will not be happy and will be sure I know it.

I've been using the same optician for years and if they give me any push back, they have seen the last of me. I paid $657 for these glasses and for that price they darn well better be right.

Cocooner, be sure your reading prescription is not set too high in the lens. It helped me tremendously to have it placed a bit lower. The reading area was creeping up into the distance vision. Does it help to pull the glasses down slightly on your nose? If so, it may be that the reading is set too high up.

From Self magazine -
Using glasses to camouflage fine lines:
It's easy to hide crow's-feet if you don frames with thick plastic temples. Look for a subtle cat's-eye that arcs up to the brow bone to lift your face and make you appear refreshed. And ask for lenses with a 5% pink tint. That makes it harder to see creases.
The celebrity they picture to illustrate the point was Diane Keaton. The frames they highlighted were D&G 1213 frames $195 @lenscrafters.

To beef up disappearing brows:
fake fuller brows and direct all eyes to your face by getting brow-line-style frames. The specs feature a thick plastic top line or have gradient shading.Choose frames that mimic the contours of your brow bone to bring even more attention to your eyes.
The celebrity they picture was Fivel Stewart (??). The frames they highlighted Ray-Ban 5244 $160 @ lenscrafters.

Now I just have to get myself to the optican and decide which is the more pressing issue, hiding fine lines or beefing up my skimpy brows.

Well, $700 today for an exam, new contact lens refitting, getting no-line bifocal lenses put in my Prada fames, and a new pair of no-line bifocal Rx sunglasses. With my current Rx sunglasses I would not be able to read on the beach or outside doing yardwork, so it's kind of a necessity. Oh well, at least I have good $$ set aside in the flex account. I don't have a vision plan, what plan is availanle covers very little.
I wear Ciba AirOptix multifocal with one lens for distance and the other close. I need a slight adjustment on my reading side. They are extremely comfortable lenses.

Eyes are getting back to normal from dilation.

I will be happy to answer any questions anyone has. I've been an optican for over 25 years and am certified.

I have many questions about lenses.

About 2 years ago, I bought what I thought were decent quality lenses to the tune of about $600. Within about 6 months, the anti-glare coating was scratching off, making my vision especially poor at night. One incident with a kitten playing keep away with my glasses caused deep scratches and gouges.

I suppose since the lenses are plastic, they can't be kitten proof, but the fine scratching that completely distorts my vision is unacceptable for that much money and that little time.

I'm seeing my eye Dr this week for another problem, but suspect I'll need a new RX anyway. I'm profoundly near sighted (-7.75), but I needed mild bifocals for the last pair. I wear contacts, so my glasses are only for use when my contacts are out. Lately, that's a lot.

Do I need an expensive lens? DH recently got new glasses, and while his RX isn't nearly as strong as mine, he got the mid-grade lenses with no glare coating, and couldn't be happier.

As to the plastic frames, I was persuaded to buy them by the tech, but I've never gotten a compliment. DH said I looked like a librarian, and a coworker commented that I looked like a nerd. I won't buy them again.

Thanks to this thread, I just got some new glasses - love em!

But I still really like my old frames...Anyone know of any good sites where I can send my old frames and have my new prescription lenses put in? Cheap, but good quality, of course ;-)

I've used 39 dollar eyeglasses before and was pleased with the results. I sent in a pair of Brighton frames.

happiladi
I will take advantage of your offer of help. My son needs an eye exam and possibly glasses. I use reading glasses from the dollar tree, however I will need professional exam at some point. My question is how do I know where to go? When I ask friends where they go, they all love where they go and all go some place different. Plus, opticians are in all of the discount stores in my area. I'm confused and don't want to make a mistake. TIA

Franksmom,about your anti reflective (AR) lenses scratching- it probably one of three things. The first is they used a cheap AR. I find in general with AR the more expensive ones hold up better. Of course, they could have used an AR that was cheap to them and charged you a lot.

The second possibility is that you got a good AR that was defective. This will show up as crazing all over the lenses.

The third is that it got exposed to some kind of chemical or heat that ruined it. Too much heat can ruin AR. Also, it is a good idea to rinse eyeglass lenses often and not just rub them dry. And wash your microfiber clothes!

First thing to do is to go back to where you bought them and show them the lenses. Most AR have at least a one year warranty. Some have a two year warranty. They should replace them for you at no cost. Ask what brand of AR they used.

My personal favorites are Crizal Avance or Crizal Sapphire.I find them very scratch resistant and also very easy to clean and stay clean. This is true even after a couple of years. Cheap AR is hard to clean and gets dirty fast. Crizal also makes Crizal Alize and Crizal Easy. Alize is good but not as good as Avance. Easy is better then most standard AR but not as scratch resistant or easy to clean. You can read about them at crizal.com

Other good brands are made by Hoya and Zeiss. I warn you, good AR is pricy but I think it's worth it.

Ar is not only good for night time, it allows more light to reach your eyes and makes your vision sharper. Extra thin lenses(high index) especially need AR because the higher the index of the lenses the more reflections they have. With AR the reflections are reduced to about 1/2 to 1%.

I'm sorry this got so wordy.

Franksmom, I just reread your post and you asked if you needed expensive lenses.

You don't need them for the best vision but the higher the index of the lens the thinner they will be. Actually, standard plastic (and glass but I don't recommend that)has the best optics! A material called Tivex has great optics, too.

If I had your correction I would probably get 1.74 or 1.70 high index lenses with AR. If these are too expensive consider 1.67 lenses with AR.

Size makes a huge difference, smaller will give you a thinner lens. If you notice that you can lift your single vision glasses up and see better it's because they didn't set the optical centers vertically, a common problem with strong corrections.

Yeah, plastic frames are very trendy right now but I've never liked them on me, either. They do help hide the lens edges, though.

Joanie38,

It sounds like you are better off then many people because you have lots of choices that are recommended to you. Of course, this also makes it harder to choose.

Yes, you need an eye exam even if you just wear over the counter readers. Write down some suggestions from friends. Narrow the choices down this way. Look at the web sites for the doctor's/opticians. Read the reviews on the web for the place. Don't let one bad review sway you but if there are several that can be a warning sign.

Pick a place that is convenient and has times you can get in. If you have insurance you need to consider that. Make sure you check with your insurance-lots cover eye exams even if they don't cover glasses.

Now call a couple of places. Ask their prices and if dilation is included in that price. If you haven't had an exam in years (or ever) it would be good to have your eyes dilated.

If the places are close drop in and look around a bit at a couple. Remember, you don't have to get your glasses and exam the same place though lots of people do.

For your son if he is young ask if they have a doctor that is good with children. For his glasses ask about the warranty. Some places like Lenscrafters have a good 30 day warranty but a poor long term warranty. You want a place that will replace or repair the glasses for a year at no or little cost if they are broken or scratched.

For yourself during the exam ask the doctor if over the counter readers are okay for you with your correction. If you have a basic plus correction in both eyes that is very close to each other readers are probably fine.

Meryl Streep's eyeglasses are fabulous!

Yesterday I finally had my yearly eye exam and ordered some nice glasses. Kate Spade frames, high end progressive lenses.
After insurance kicked in, it still cost several hundred.

Today, for under 30 (including shipping) I ordered 3 pair of
glasses from Zenni. (they have a buy 2 get 1 free sale right now)
Can't wait to compare!

bumblebeez, was that the price with lenses or without? Sheesh. If that's with lenses, it's awfully cheap. Even without lenses, it's cheap! Let us know how they are. I loved some of their kooky frames but am too timid to take the plunge without more info.

With the lenses. I got the "no charge" lenses although I did add sunglass tint to one of the pair.
Under 30 including shipping ($4.95) for everything.
Two frames were $6.95, one $11.95.

I have seen the glasses up close, held them, and they seemed ok.

Great story, moonshadow!

I really wanted these Jimmy Choo glasses below but they were more than I wanted to spend but then I went home and found them online for a whole lot less and I still think I'm going to get them. One of the cheap ones I ordered from zenni is a copy cat look of them.I thought they looked great on.

{{gwi:1494703}}

Thanks Bumblebeez, and those are some very nice looking JC frames!

Your amethyst story has encouraged me to be a little more daring!

I have worn glasses since I was a young child, and I have always had plastic frames. I like the nose piece to be part of the glasses. I have tried on many pairs of the ones with the wobbly bobbing nose pieces and never found a comfortable pair. I always have very pale nuetral frames. A few years ago I was talked into a dark brown frame, and disliked it so much I bought a new one. I have red hair & hazel eyes and really like the way purple looks on me. I also like those blue frames Bumblebeez posted. Maybe next time I'll be more daring.

Nothing wrong with brown or black frames but frames with color can be very flattering. I have a pair that is fuchsia color and I get more compliments on it. A lot of women look great in blues and burgundy colors.