A Site for Sore Eyes
March 12, 2009 by Aly Walansky
Filed under Product Reviews, Style, Wellness
Ever been about to buy glasses online, and then be halted by sheer, unadulterated fear that they will be ALL wrong for you?
Silhouette, known for their rimless styles, now lets you “try” glasses on before buying them – through the web! Their site has something they are calling a Virtual Mirror, a interactive tool allowing readers to upload images of their face and tailor the ideal pair of glasses. There’s over 400 options, including:
· Base model
· Accent colors
· Lens shape
Sunglasses are extra important this time of year as the sun is more and more in our eyes – but is actually important year round! Sunglasses with UV and blue light filters – such as those from Silhouette – protect the eyes from powerful sun rays. The effects from glare can be eliminated through polarized sun protection lenses such as those using IQ POL technology. Wrap-around sunwear gives protection against sun rays coming from the sides, too, which a lot of other glasses don’t do.
To that end, we are awarding one winner Silhouettes’ Harmonia Sun Shield Model 8100, shown at left. To have your chance to win, go to the site, play around, and tell me what you think is the coolest aspect of having a virtual mirror! Deadline is April 1!
Image: Silhouette
What a concept! I shop online mostly and this is genius and very encouraging! Plus, I also need new sunglasses!
Virtual Mirrors are a great idea, but you do have to be very careful when using them to help you make a decision about buying prescription glasses or sunglasses.
Its often quite difficult to get the size or scale of the glasses exactly right compared to the picture you upload. Its all very well when these tool allow you to change the size of either the frame or your face so that you can make the frames look about right in the picture, but it may not be a very accurate representation of the actual size of the glasses when you actually wear them for real.
Just remember to take this into consideration… It is very good for getting an idea on the style though.
The Virtual Mirror allows me to do in the comfort of my home what seems to take forever in the store, try on frames. When it gets crowded it gets harder and harder to keep the salesperson’s attention so I can try on the frames. It gives me a good idea what shapes and colors work best for me as well. I love that I have privacy, all the time in the world to try on as many frames as I want, and best of all NO sales pressure! My favorite feature of your giveaway item is that the Wrap-around sunwear gives protection against sun rays coming from the sides, too, which a lot of other glasses don’t do. I have very light sensitive eyes, and wear shades even in winter!