Insert appropriate Timbuk3 quote here
June 12, 2007 2:09 PM Subscribe
I will soon be getting laser surgery on my blighted eyeballs. One point on which I have forever envied my (better-)sighted brothers and sisters is the ability to wear stylin' shades. Please help me pick some out!
Ok so to begin with, this is my face.
I drive a black, 2006 Chevy Cobalt. With the spoiler and shiny alloy wheels! It is seriously cute and fun and my shades need to match.
I listen to just about every variety of music you can imagine. Some favorites are: Decemberists, Electric 6, Blackalicious, Lily Allen, India Arie, and Nanci Griffith.
Some favorite authors are Phil Dick, George Elliot, China Mieville, Michael Ondaatje, Gene Wolfe, and Italo Calvino. I also adore Mark Doty and Jack Gilbert.
Favorite movies are Amelie and Spirited Away.
I own a Macbook but I'm typing this post on a fairly powerful desktop PC I built myself.
Prospective eyewear need not encompass all of the above trivia, but I hope it serves as a rough guide. Thanks in advance! I've already spent hours (tease me if you must) poring through Zappo's inventory and find myself utterly at a loss.
Ok so to begin with, this is my face.
I drive a black, 2006 Chevy Cobalt. With the spoiler and shiny alloy wheels! It is seriously cute and fun and my shades need to match.
I listen to just about every variety of music you can imagine. Some favorites are: Decemberists, Electric 6, Blackalicious, Lily Allen, India Arie, and Nanci Griffith.
Some favorite authors are Phil Dick, George Elliot, China Mieville, Michael Ondaatje, Gene Wolfe, and Italo Calvino. I also adore Mark Doty and Jack Gilbert.
Favorite movies are Amelie and Spirited Away.
I own a Macbook but I'm typing this post on a fairly powerful desktop PC I built myself.
Prospective eyewear need not encompass all of the above trivia, but I hope it serves as a rough guide. Thanks in advance! I've already spent hours (tease me if you must) poring through Zappo's inventory and find myself utterly at a loss.
Response by poster: Hm. I was hoping people would be inspired! by the other stuff. Alas.
Well. The shirt in the picture is this one. I tend towards comfortable, but nice stuff. Chinos, jeans from Banana Republic, a nice pair of box-toe shoes from Ecco, another pair of nice summer shoes from NXXT, if I'm wearing a button-down it'll be seersucker or maybe a light linen with short sleeves. I have a violent allergic reaction to Tommy Bahamas.
Sorry if that's useless. I have a hard time with fashion terminology and what have you. Friends and family get frustrated shopping with me because I shoot down 90% of their suggestions without being able to articulate why I don't like them.
posted by kavasa at 2:38 PM on June 12, 2007
Well. The shirt in the picture is this one. I tend towards comfortable, but nice stuff. Chinos, jeans from Banana Republic, a nice pair of box-toe shoes from Ecco, another pair of nice summer shoes from NXXT, if I'm wearing a button-down it'll be seersucker or maybe a light linen with short sleeves. I have a violent allergic reaction to Tommy Bahamas.
Sorry if that's useless. I have a hard time with fashion terminology and what have you. Friends and family get frustrated shopping with me because I shoot down 90% of their suggestions without being able to articulate why I don't like them.
posted by kavasa at 2:38 PM on June 12, 2007
You could just sport some aviators. It's hard to go wrong with those these days. And there's the added bonus of being able to buy them at a drugstore for $5. Just make sure they aren't super-reflective. A nice dark smokey lense will suit most people.
posted by greta simone at 2:40 PM on June 12, 2007
posted by greta simone at 2:40 PM on June 12, 2007
Best answer: The best thing to do is find an expert optician. I could recommend one in Providence but the thing you must find is an optician who is experienced enough with human faces and her current inventory AND patient enough to try a few dozen pairs in order to find the best one.
posted by mkb at 2:41 PM on June 12, 2007
posted by mkb at 2:41 PM on June 12, 2007
My personal sense of style is nearly non-existent, but when I got my eyes blasted with lasers and went searching for my first pair of plain-old sunglasses ever in my life, my criteria were that they be comfortable, suitable for cycling, and give good coverage, especially around my peripheral vision and at the top.
I looked at a lot of different pairs. A lot. And despite being nonplussed by the company in general, I wound up choosing the Nike Skylon EXP.R (if I'm reading Nike's heinously flashturbated website correctly) in black.
I also like Gene Wolf and PKD, so I'm pretty sure these will work out for you.
posted by adamrice at 2:48 PM on June 12, 2007
I looked at a lot of different pairs. A lot. And despite being nonplussed by the company in general, I wound up choosing the Nike Skylon EXP.R (if I'm reading Nike's heinously flashturbated website correctly) in black.
I also like Gene Wolf and PKD, so I'm pretty sure these will work out for you.
posted by adamrice at 2:48 PM on June 12, 2007
Check out the site for Maui Jims- These are some nice glasses, and i feel pretty groovy about putting them on everyday. Slightly pricey, but such a nice thing to own. Optically fantastic, and well made too- also for a variety of activities. I'd avoid any of the Oakley plastic style frame ones- they'll make most folks look pretty bug-eyed. I've got the Titanium sport Jims, with the silvery/smoke tint- the windward and paradise models are good because they're like a small aviators, and do tend to go with most outfits but (i hope) they're nicely understated.
posted by Joe Rocket at 3:02 PM on June 12, 2007
posted by Joe Rocket at 3:02 PM on June 12, 2007
Best answer: Wow - given all the background info, somewhere there's got to be sunglass savant who will know just the pair for you. And another who will debate him or her on how the fact that you like Nanci Griffith indicates a completely different pair...
Alas, I am not that guy. But I've got a few tips or thoughts for you.
The first question that comes to mind to me is whether you want to lean more sporty or more fashion-y. A lot of companies (like Oakley) are doing both genres, but making that call might be able to cut the field in half for you. Sounds like your style will work with any shades you like.
Once you get some ideas, you gotta try them on in front of a mirror. Sometimes the ones you think you want just don't work on your face, and some that you thought were marginal may be your favorites once you put them on.
posted by altcountryman at 3:15 PM on June 12, 2007
Alas, I am not that guy. But I've got a few tips or thoughts for you.
The first question that comes to mind to me is whether you want to lean more sporty or more fashion-y. A lot of companies (like Oakley) are doing both genres, but making that call might be able to cut the field in half for you. Sounds like your style will work with any shades you like.
Once you get some ideas, you gotta try them on in front of a mirror. Sometimes the ones you think you want just don't work on your face, and some that you thought were marginal may be your favorites once you put them on.
posted by altcountryman at 3:15 PM on June 12, 2007
Response by poster: Thanks y'all. Adam an' Joe, I appreciate your answers too, but I can see mkb and alt are right, I'm going to need to do some trying-on. But, please keep specific brand/style recs coming! They can help guide in my search.
And if anyone would like to recommend a specific place to go to do the trying-on, I live near Watertown, NY (pity me) and will be visiting Minneapolis for 10 days in early July.
posted by kavasa at 3:32 PM on June 12, 2007
And if anyone would like to recommend a specific place to go to do the trying-on, I live near Watertown, NY (pity me) and will be visiting Minneapolis for 10 days in early July.
posted by kavasa at 3:32 PM on June 12, 2007
i did get a flash based on your interests, but i'm one of those ppl whose style you would never guess based on my interests so i had to ask.
my hunch was, however, correct, and i see you on the casual- but-still style-y tip (plus you're gay, so you gotta represent) so i'm gonna recommend you take a look at the sunnies on these sites:
80spurple.com
activeendeavors.com
and never buy any accessories for your face without first trying them on.
posted by violetk at 4:55 PM on June 12, 2007
my hunch was, however, correct, and i see you on the casual- but-still style-y tip (plus you're gay, so you gotta represent) so i'm gonna recommend you take a look at the sunnies on these sites:
80spurple.com
activeendeavors.com
and never buy any accessories for your face without first trying them on.
posted by violetk at 4:55 PM on June 12, 2007
Tortoiseshell Rayban Wayfarers. But I'd say that regardless of your various criteria, 'cause they're the coolest sunglasses EVAR.
posted by MrMoonPie at 8:01 PM on June 12, 2007
posted by MrMoonPie at 8:01 PM on June 12, 2007
I say the following not as a snark, and not in an attempt to veer off-topic, but in an attempt to help you be as stylish as you're working so hard to be: while you're paying attention to getting the right glasses, also consider paying attention to the way your eyebrows connect.
posted by davejay at 8:36 PM on June 12, 2007
posted by davejay at 8:36 PM on June 12, 2007
The shape of your face doesn't care what music you like and what car you drive :-)
Go to a high-end department store (Saks, Nordstrom, etc) and try things on until something looks awesome.
Your question makes me chuckle because the thing I was most excited about after lasik was getting cheap sunglasses, after years of paying for prescriptions!
posted by pinky at 8:48 PM on June 12, 2007
Go to a high-end department store (Saks, Nordstrom, etc) and try things on until something looks awesome.
Your question makes me chuckle because the thing I was most excited about after lasik was getting cheap sunglasses, after years of paying for prescriptions!
posted by pinky at 8:48 PM on June 12, 2007
Some online-eyeglass stores have a widget where you can upload your photo and virtually try on glasses. At least you could get an idea for what shape you like. Here's one from Specs on the Net, but I've never bought from them.
The Glassy Eyes blog helps you get less-expensive prescription glasses and sunglasses online.
posted by IndigoRain at 9:25 PM on June 12, 2007
The Glassy Eyes blog helps you get less-expensive prescription glasses and sunglasses online.
posted by IndigoRain at 9:25 PM on June 12, 2007
Try the framefinder here; your headshot already uploaded. (Log in as firstname "Ka", lastname "Vasa," DOB 29 Feb 1980, password "mefi," and email "kavasa@metafilter.com") Knock your four-eyed self out!
posted by rob511 at 9:27 PM on June 12, 2007
posted by rob511 at 9:27 PM on June 12, 2007
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by violetk at 2:14 PM on June 12, 2007