Shopping with Emma: The Eyeglasses Edition

LensCrafters.jpg
By Amy Brozio-Andrews

If you've never been shopping with a 6 year old fashionista --you don't know what you're missing.

A few weeks ago I thought it would be fun to take my 6 year old -- Emma --shopping with me for new eyeglasses. Now here's the thing about Emma: for a first-grader -- well, let's just say Emma's pretty sure of her own mind.

Case in point, she recently told me I should "cover up" before going to volunteer at her school, "You know, everyone will know you're pregnant if you don't."

Um, I didn't know it was a secret...

Also, Emma's quite the F.I.T. (fashionista in training) with her slim fit only jeans (nothing baggy will do), sparkly t-shirts (the more sparkle the better) and her pink and purple sneakers. She has some pretty definite ideas about what passes for style.

Anyway, my frames were about five years old. Emma desperately wants a pair of her own (so much that I bought cheap dollar store reading glasses and popped out the lenses for her) and jumped at the chance to pick out glasses "for real."

So, off to LensCrafters in Colonie Center we go.

LensCrafters has a pretty decent selection of frames to choose from-- trendy, traditional, plastic metal, rimless-- but you're pretty much on your own as far as choosing which style best suits your face. The prices aren't bad. There's a clearance section (though it's pretty thin) and if you ask, they sometimes have promotions going that could save you some cash. If price is really a limiting factor though, you could probably do better at Target or Wal_Mart.

So while I'm browsing through the demure tortoiseshells and thin wire frames, Emma makes a bee line for the bright and sparkly frames.

I should have known.

Her top three picks: Dolce & Gabbana ($269), Burberry ($310) and another Dolce & Gabbana ($289). Do you see a trend here?
Burberry Glasses.jpg

D&G glasses.jpg

D&G Glasses 2.jpg

Now I'm flattered that she thinks I can pull off such a flashy look, but I think pink rhinestones are a bit much for the daily school run. Besides, I can just imagine myself trying to hot glue gun infinitesimally small mismatched replacement stones back on after these frames get dropped a few times. (Can I even get those at Joann's?)

While I combed through the more conservative selection, Emma tried on fancy pair after fancy pair and preened in the mirror.

Finally I settled on a brown and blue Anne Klein frame (about $170).

AnneKlein Glasses.jpg

Quoth my personal junior style consultant: "Sooo boring, Mom!"

"One hour later, I went home with my tasteful (if unexciting) new glasses -- which is, I think the real selling point of LensCrafters-- one less errand to have to
remember to do seven to ten days from now. Choose new glasses, do whatever
other shopping I need to do, pick up the glasses, and be done.

And Emma? She grudgingly admits they look "nice" but she's still pining away for the day she'll be able to choose her own, pink rhinestones and all.

Find It

LensCrafters
449 Colonie Center, 1417 Central Ave.
Albany, NY 12205

Comments

I'm wearing my own black, cat-eye, rhinestone-adorned glasses today and admittedly, it definitely is catering to my inner six-year-old.

I recently had smashing success ordering my glasses off the internet- $30 including delivery for prescription lenses in flexible titanium frames. Sweet! Since you already have your practical pair, Amy, this might be a good option if you want an inexpensive pair just for fun and fashion (read: rhinestones).

I love the Anne Klein glasses. I have the purple ones from a few seasons ago and I love em. Sad to think new ones are needed!

If you have a pair of good fitting frames and a ruler, shopping for glasses online is fun and thrifty. Our insurance paid for glasses at Empire Vision; then I took the Rx and bought a pair of back-up glasses and a pair of Rx sunglasses for about $50. (Always google for online coupons before you checkout!)


Sorry it isn't local, but online glasses are definitely the way to go. $68 for a pair of rimless, flexible titanium frames vs >$300 for the same frames at the local glasses place. Yes, I had to wait 3 weeks for them to come from somewhere in asia. Well worth the wait.

A quick bit of research seems to indicate that my eye care 'insurance' company also owns all the eye care places where I can get my eyes checked and get glasses. Apparently they also own the company that makes all the frames that said places sell. Hmmm. Now I'm even happier having ordered them online.

I've been looking into buying glasses online but I'm nervous about not being able to try them on to see how they look. What if I get stuck with glasses that look great online but horrible on my face?

I don't think I'd buy glasses online either, unless I tried them on somewhere first then found the same exact ones online... even when trying them on in the store it's tough for me to find ones that I think look good on me, I wouldn't want to take the chance by looking at a picture. (And I buy basically EVERYTHING online, too, so I'm certainly not against that)

Funny, I think my wife got those same exact glasses a few months back, Amy. Nice choice!

On another note, chicks with glasses rule.

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