Introducing the New Ocean Avenue Collection from Warby Parker

 Warby Parker contacted me and asked if I would like to help them introduce their newest collection of eyewear, just in time for Summer, and I said that I would love to help.  For those of you who aren't familiar with Warby Parker, let me tell you a little bit about them.  They sell stylish sunglasses and eyeglasses online starting at $95 a pair, with free shipping and free returns.  But the thing that really sets them apart from other online glasses sites is that for every pair of glasses you buy, they'll give a pair of glasses to someone who needs them.  It's a really great program that makes a big difference.  And if you have ever gone without your glasses, you know how much better you feel when you wear them.

I have never personally ordered glasses from Warby Parker, because they don't sell bifocals, but I have heard good things about them from my friends.  Another cool thing about Warby Parker is that they have a Home Try-On program, so you can pick 5 pairs for them to send you and then try them on and figure out what you like best for five days.  It's a lot better than the Virtual Try-On features that many glasses websites have, because you'll never know exactly what your glasses will look like on your face until you actually put them on your face.

Now that you know a little bit about Warby Parker, allow me to introduce their new collection, Ocean Avenue.  This collection is inspired by New York City in the 1970s and 1980s, and they're perfect for long days spent on the boardwalk in the summer sun (if you're lucky enough to live near a boardwalk).

If I didn't need to wear bifocals, I would order one of these frames.

So if you're looking for some new glasses or shades, check out Warby Parker's new Ocean Avenue collection.  If you buy a pair, you'll not only get a stylish new addition to your look, but you'll give a pair to someone in need.  Plus you can try them on before you buy them, which is pretty cool.

Better One or Two?

Well everyone, I can tell I am getting old because I am getting bifocals.  Just kidding, partially.  I am getting older (My 20th birthday is on the 28th of this month, and I'm the most excited about it because I can finally join 20 Something Bloggers then. (I think so anyway; I won't actually be twenty-something, but I'll be 20, so I hope that's good enough.))  But I am actually getting bifocals because I have reading glasses and glasses that I wear all of the time, but I always forgot to put my reading glasses before I read, and my normal all-the-time glasses are stronger than what I need while reading, so it makes my eyes tired.  Solution: combine my reading glasses with my normal glasses so I'll never have to worry about putting them on or not.  I'll just always have both on.  So because I love you guys so much and also because it is such a difficult decision, I want you to help me choose which ones look best on me.  I have narrowed it down to 11 options, not 10 like a normal person, because I am such a rebel.  So it would help me a lot if you could tell me which one, two, or three you like best on me.  A couple of the frames are the same, just in different colors.  Thanks for helping me out, guys.  Okay, so here are the pictures, and the glasses are a little off center because virtual glasses trying on software isn't perfect but it's good enough.

If you would, please leave a comment with the one, two, or three pairs you like best. To make it easier, use a number, with the top row being numbered 1 through 3, from left to right, the next row being 4 through 6, and so on. Thanks for your help : )

Glasses and Me, and You!

I have worn glasses ever since I was in the 5th grade.  My brother got his glasses a couple of years before me and I thought they were so cool and I secretly hoped that my eyesight was bad enough that I could get some too.  But I had to wait two years until I started having trouble seeing the overheads even when I sat in the front row.  Anyway, soon after getting glasses, one of the boys in my grade started teasing me and calling me four eyes.  I thought that it was stupid to call someone who wears glasses four eyes because it's pretty obvious they still only have two eyes.  Plus I happened to know that this kid had a really tough home life so I didn't let it faze me.  I have always been lucky enough to not take what other people say about me to heart.  I only started to really care about my appearance about a year ago, and that wasn't because of other people.  I just decided that I would rather dress like a successful adult than a questionably homeless person.  (Even if I'm not a successful adult yet.)  But there are some people (most people actually) who really care about what other people think of them.  They have grown up in a world where wearing glasses carries a stigma.  Some people who actually need glasses don't wear them because they don't like how they look with them on or are afraid of what other people think.  The main examples of this in my life are my aunt and my boyfriend.  Even if you're really into fashion and looking your absolute best all the time, there are so many different styles of glasses that you are sure to find something that looks great on you. 

If you need to wear glasses, you should wear them and be proud of how you look and feel in them.  I know that for a lot of people, myself included, money is an issue.  And I will be the first to admit that glasses are expensive.  Especially if you need bifocals, which can cost $300 as a starting price and only get more expensive from there.  So if you are a person who needs to wear glasses, but can't because you think you can't afford them, stop right now and pay attention to what I am about to tell you.  You can afford glasses.  That's right, you don't have to pay hundreds of dollars for glasses that you might not even like.  You can find glasses that look great on you without breaking the bank.  You might be thinking that such cheap eyeglasses can't possibly look great, but think again.  Need a visual?

These styles and many many more are on the website.  There are lots of wire frame, plastic frame, and rimless styles to choose from.  And just to clarify, the great price offered on GlassesUSA.com is for not just frames, but also lenses with your prescription.  If you're new to buying glasses online, don't worry about it.  You will need your prescription, which you can easily get from your eye doctor.  And the rest is fun: you get to compare the looks of different pairs on your own face, with their virtual mirror tool.  You just need to upload a photo of yourself.  And if you've tried on glasses in real life before, you know that the pairs they put out to try on don't have prescription lenses in them, so it's difficult to even see if they look good on your face or not.  Buying glasses online is a simple way to bypass this problem.

Don't wear eyeglasses but want in on the action? Well, if you're a hipster, the obvious route to take would be to buy some glasses and poke out the lenses.  But for you non-hipsters out there, the site also sells sunglasses, both prescription and non-prescription ones, so there's really something for everyone.

So if you need to wear glasses but don't, you can't use their price as an excuse anymore.  Go buy a pair of these stylish and inexpensive glasses.  You'll have the joy of knowing you got a great deal, as well as the satisfaction that accompanies looking awesome.

Disclosure: GlassesUSA.com paid me to write this post for them about their site, but the opinions expressed in this post are solely my own.