With the kids back at school, we all know that summer is making its final farewell and waiting for fall to arrive so she can float out the door. As the seasons change, fashion-conscious ladies and gents have new and funky styles to look forward to, right from the materials used within the outfits, to the colors exhibited and the accessories sported. Fall 2011 is no exception with designers and fashion brands having already launched a wide range of versatile clothing options to suit all tastes, lifestyle needs and, of course, the oncoming chill that invariably comes with the season.
As opposed to years gone by when eyeglasses were considered to be a statement of nerdiness and classless-ness, with no-one having dared to step out in an ugly pair of unfashionable specs without an absolute need; this coming Fall follows recent trends by ensuring that glasses are not only part of the season’s accessories but actually a must-have item to complete an outfit and sign off on a look.
Let’s take a look at the materials that seem to be “in” for the months ahead. Firstly, anything goes. Mixing and matching is the name of the game as designers pair up lace with leather, feathers with suede, print with shiny and almost any other combination you can think of. Of course, the aim is not to look like a circus act. Be careful of what you pair with what – the overriding rule is that there are no rules about what materials will look good together but colors may not always match up. To pull off the mix-and-match look, aim for glasses that celebrate mashing two or more materials – like plastic and metal, or acetate with rubber.
Another important style concern for the coming fall season is color. As always, color provides a major hint into your personality and your mood. It can send a certain message to those around you. It’s no secret that red is a power color and women have been encouraged to wear it. In the workplace, it is especially encouraged when attending high-power meetings where they need to be taken seriously. Having said this, red is also a very sexual color and depending on how it’s worn and with what, can have another effect entirely. Black is another power color, yet it is also fashion’s favorite neutral hue – just perfect for any occasion and as a match up, or breaking color for any outfit. In eyeglasses, however, black makes a bold statement and should be worn by someone looking for attention. Interestingly, there are two other colors that fall into this “bold” category this coming season – orange and yellow. These citrus-shades are traffic-stopping demand attention. If you are planning to wear an outfit in either of these colors, then a neutral color or more subtle frame are the suggested options so as to tone down the look and give it a stylish feel rather than having you step out looking so bright that no-one can bear to look at you. For an elegant edge, navy blue or burgundy are firm favorites again this season and can be teamed with almost any style of frame – subtle (rimless, semi-rimless) for an evening out, or bold for a day at the office.
In all cases, eyeglasses frames – whether fitted with prescription lenses to improve your sight or placebos to allow for fashionable wear – complete the outfit and so, should be thought about in conjunction with the outfit. If you feel like wearing your bright red, full-framed eyeglasses, then that orange polka dot dress is probably not the right choice, yet the same frame in black would be just perfect. As the fall fashion season kicks off, remember that when buying glasses online, you can buy a few different frames to carry you through the season and pay the same as you would for one frame at an offline store. After all, why shouldn’t everyone be able to afford to be fashionable this fall?
Hillary Glaser is a social networking specialist and expert in cross-media promotion, currently working on promoting prescription eyeglasses. She is the Director of Marketing and Special Projects for eyeglassespro.com – the easiest way to buy glasses online, which now offers free shipping on all US orders with the code FreeShip10.