Upgrading Your Spring Style? Don't Forget Your Glasses

Forbes

28-03-2025

Barton Perreira Ebbets frames
If the old adage that eyes are the window to the soul is true, then maybe it's time to add a little bit of decoration. More and more, people are embracing their prescription lenses and forgoing contacts in favor of a smarter, more put-together day-to-day look. This spring, it might be time to upgrade your frames to something that improves your eyesight and your style.
Before delving into what frames to get this spring, it's important to know what shape of eyewear best suits your individual head shape. Just like clothing, certain frames may not look good on every person. It's important to know what will work with the angles and curves of your face, instead of fighting against them.
As UK-based Banton Frameworks notes, the easiest way to find your face shape is to take a face-on photo and draw a line that circumvents the face. By doing so, you have a general shape to go off of that can fall into one of the general categories: round, square, triangle, oval and heart. This is your starting-off point to ultimately find the right frame for you.
The next step is to identify the frame shapes that work best for your shape. When it comes to eyewear, it's a matter of contrasts by making sure the frames don't accentuate natural features and instead create contrast for a more interesting effect. Here is a brief overview of what the best frames are for each shape listed above:
Once you know what style to look for, it's time to find a frame that fits this season's trends. Are you going for quiet luxury, 90's throwback or perhaps something across the pond?
Canadian fashion model Linda Evangelista with her partner, actor Kyle MacLachlan at Irving Plaza, ... More New York City, USA, circa 1995. (Photo by)
With little real estate, optical brands often need to set themselves apart. Whether through brand storytelling, high-end materials or creative designs, luxury eyewear brands are leading the pack when it comes to what makes the difference between glasses you have to wear and glasses you want to wear.
Take, for example, Tejesta, a Miami-based eyewear brand whose frames often flirt with a $1,000 price point. Instead of mass production, Tejesta relies on creating small-batch collections which then gins up a sense of exclusivity—and, by extension, luxury. The styles are inspired by the Art Deco period, as well as the American Southwest, which can be seen in the bold designs that veer on modernity while still being classic.
But there are many roads to becoming a luxury brand. Instead of relying on exclusivity, like Tejesta, brands can use their career as a springboard to building their own brand. That's, in fact, what Barton Perreira's founder did. Having previously helmed Oliver Peoples as CEO, Bill Barton founded his brand with design partner Patty Perreira (who counts Vera Wang, Prada, and Miu Miu as past clients). Together, they've created a brand that relies on Japanese artisans and a handmade production line to create their range of classic frames.
Interestingly, Oliver Peoples has another connection to a stylish independent brand that whispers 'quiet luxury', Garrett Leight. Garrett is the son of Oliver Peoples' cofounder, Larry Leight, and has used his lifetime in the industry to design a range of classic designs ranging in styles from wire-rimmed classics to more vibrant cellulose acetate options. In fact, father and son have designed a collection within the Garrett Leight brand called Mr. Leight, which balances Garrett's forward-thinking colorways with Larry's more classic shapes.
Garrett Leight models wear Cascade M in Bronze and Cascade M Sun in Gold/Pure Almond Gradient
Since the 1990s, wire-rimmed frames have been on the decline—but that's about to change. For spring, WWD has forecasted that the 'office siren' or 'corpcore' trend will continue well into the year. While this was originally a style trend found for young women across social media, it has slowly but surely crept into menswear.
In short, 'corpcore' is a stylized version of corporate fashion which emphasizes minimalistic style and has been inspired by the '90s and early aughts. Wire frames are a low-effort way to achieve this look without investing too much money into a new wardrobe.
If you're in the market for a high-end option, Austrian brand Silhouette has an array of options which fit this aesthetic and offer a range of customization, including lens shape and color. Two American brands, Serengeti and Erker's, provide excellent options in the sub-$400 range for those looking for premium options at a mid-market price point.
Silhouette frameless lenses, courtesy of brand
Brits have long carried the mantle for being a nation that knows how to accessorize. From ties to socks to umbrellas, there is an English sensibility that comes with dressing that's not easily replicated abroad.
Luckily, this spring is the perfect time to skip across the pond and find a style that's on-trend, while remaining timeless enough to wear year after year. Cubitts has become something of a cult favorite for their unique styles, colorful frames and price point. Many of Cubitts' frames are also clip-on compatible, turning them into sunglasses with ease. A perfect option for those sunny days ahead.
Alternatively, if you're looking for something a bit more classic, how about a brand from 1886? Curry & Paxton has kept the design philosophy from its forebears alive with a limited set of options in traditional colorways. In fact, if you peruse their online store a certain model, the Yvan, may seem familiar. It was the same style worn by Michael Caine in some of his most famous roles, including The Italian Job. While you may not be planning a robbery anytime soon, you can look the part of Caine's Charlie Croker—and that's half the fun.
British actor Michael Caine poses with his co-star Sue Lloyd during a break in the location filming ... More of 'The Ipcress File' in London, 1965. (Photo by)