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A man’s guide to wearing glasses (and caring for them)
It’s a beautiful world out there. To see that, all we need to do is open our eyes. Or, for some of us, to open our eyes and put on a pair of glasses. Yet eyeglasses can do more for a guy than make the beauty of the world clear and visible. Chosen carefully, worn correctly and washed appropriately, glasses can make a man look stylish.
"Glasses can be statement pieces. They can be something that is uniquely you"
Yet caution is in order, Joanna said. Your glasses are one of the first things people will notice about you. So you’ll want to choose styles that fit your environment and your face. “ Don't be afraid of a bold frame, a thick frame, when you're in the workplace, But try to go with neutral colors. Don’t wear a bold color at work. Those are for the weekend,” she said. At the office in particular, “you want to wear your glasses. You don't want your glasses to wear you,” Joanna said.
Variety is the spice of life … and of eyeglasses
Maybe you don’t need as many pairs of glasses as you need, say, pairs of pants. But it’s a good idea to have several pairs.
Melissa Slavick, another Taelor stylist, suggests that men embrace variety in their eyewear. “Definitely get more than just one pair in a staple black or brown or tortoiseshell. Maybe have one pair that’s a fun pop of color like red or blue. Something that's a little bit different when you're wanting to add a little flair to an outfit,” she said.
Another reason to have multiple pairs of eyeglasses is, as anyone who has worn glasses for many years can tell you: sooner or later you will break or lose your glasses. And when that happens, you don’t want to walk around squinting for a few days while you wait for the optician to make you a new pair.
Make sure your glasses fit correctly
One way to ensure you don’t break your glasses is to ensure they stay on your face. If you’re going to wear glasses when playing sports or just running around, use a strap to hold them in place. But if you don’t like the look of a strap – and they can look ridiculous if you're not on the playing field or the running track – make sure your glasses fit snugly and don’t slip.
A pair of glasses will change shapes slightly over time as you take them off and on. Eventually the glasses that once fit perfectly will start to slip down your nose (and eventually right off your face.)
So make a point of monitoring the fit of your glasses. Take a look in the mirror and make sure they sit on your face where they should. If they no longer fit as they should, stop by the optical shop and have them adjusted. Most opticians won’t charge for the service. So there’s no excuse not to go.
Make sure your glasses are flattering
Choosing the right frames for your face is a bit of a science. But don’t be intimidated. There are lots of guides out there to help you select eyeglass frames that fit your face shape. There are also loads of apps that let you check out frames virtually, as well as try-on services that will send you multiple pairs of frames to consider before making a purchase.
But style is more art than science. So don’t rely too heavily on what some face-shape chart tells you. Choose frames that you think look right for you. Or, even better, take a friend with impeccable taste with you to the eyeglass store and have them help you choose a pair.
And if you don’t have a friend with impeccable taste, it’s time to broaden your social circle. Everyone needs at least one such friend.
Dirty glasses are disgusting
One common (and revolting) problem among guys who wear glasses is a seeming inability to notice when glasses get dirty.
So here’s a tip: they are always dirty.
Just as you must wash your face daily, you must wash your glasses daily.
But don’t make a big deal out of it. There are loads of special eyeglass-cleaning solutions for sale out there. You don’t need any of them. Instead, do this:
Run your glasses under warm water
Apply a tiny drop of liquid dish soap to your finger (not a paper towel, tissue paper, etc.) and rub the glasses gently.
Rinse the soap off with warm water
Dry gently using a microfiber cloth. Don’t use anything else, it will damage the glass and/or lens coating
Don’t follow fashion in eyewear
Finally, most men are better off avoiding extremely fashionable looks in eyewear. For example, oversized transparent frames are in fashion in 2024. But on your average guy working in your average office, frames like that look more than a little silly.
