If you can believe it, this blind-as-a-bat daily glasses-wearer has gone three years without getting her eyes checked! Mostly because I love all my frames so much (yes, I have, ahem, five pairs) and resisted having to change them, I gave in to take advantage of a coupon to a local shop for a free box of contacts for summer. So with my new Rx in my hot little hands, I am finally ready for something fresh and new!

Seeing that Warby Parker frames are so affordable and its selection is so extensive - not to mention that the quality and customer service is stellar -  it's hard to pick just one (or two, or three..) new frames. The only downside: they are only in the US, so clearly I cannot take part in the awesome home try-on program. So I just have to go with what I know works for my face and hope for the best. I think I've narrowed it down to the ones below... What do you think?

big & bold:  crosby // duckworth // preston

sleek & classic:  sims // ainsworth  // arthur 

Now if only Warby Parker would start selling in Europe... (hint, hint, guys!)



photos of me by Christie Dietz 

That's right - I'm glasses twins with the handsome and oft-bespectacled Simon Baker. Okay, with his character in I Give It a Year, but I'm not splitting hairs on this one. Thanks to the amazing Warby Parker for making such great frames - not to mention doing such great work - and to Lunettes de for bringing this to my attention. I don't think I'm taking these frames off all week...


(I Give It a Year is just hitting German cinemas this week and looks to be quite funny)


photo of Simon Baker by Jules Heath ©Studio Canal, via lunettesde.com

ow. 33. It's hard to believe I'm really going to be that old in a week. I say 'that old' like I think I'm old, but in fact, I don't feel even close to that. I mean, what have I really done? Sure, I've finished two university programs and was working on a third, had one-and-a-half careers, gotten a dog, gotten married, moved halfway around the world, seen lots of Europe... There's just still so much more to do and so much more life to live! I just want to do more traveling and have more beautiful things and experiences.

Speaking of beautiful things, above is a compilation of many of the things I want most this year. While there are a few things that are fresh this season (like the J.Crew Harper boot, Chanel's newest fragrance and the not-even-out yet Moleskin Duffle from Boden's upcoming winter collection), I've kept my eye on things I've wanted for years, like the classic Coach Willis bag, a knock-off of the necklace I've wanted literally for a decade, the best scarf/wrap ever and a classic, nice-looking backpack, not to mention more Warby Parkers glasses, because I just love them so much. Add to that more little things like a new iPhone cover, jewelry pieces from H&M and Mango and some of the new Germany Collection polishes from OPI (check! thanks, mom),  and it's safe to say I have a pretty extensive want list. But really, when do I not?

As those of you who have followed my blog for a bit know, I'm a little obsessed with glasses and have been on the hunt for the perfect black pair for awhile now. While these aren't entirely black - they're black on top, tortoise on the bottom and backed with cream - this oh-so-chic pair from Krass (below) were the ones I just kept coming back to and decided on as my birthday pair. Can't wait to wear them!

One week to go...



*Daily Drop Cap by Jessica Hische

Barbara Bel Geddes looking sexy-smart in her frames in Vertigo

ver since I became a full-time glasses-wearer, I admit, I've become a little obsessed. So much so, that when I find another new pair I just have to have, my husband has taken to saying "you need glasses? I think you already have glasses," in a very fatherly tone. Yes, yes. I have glasses (three pair, to be exact), but to me that's like saying you have a pair of shoes, why would you need another? And those I just wear on my feet!

I've been on a pretty serious Brille-finding mission for nearly a year, specifically for The Perfect Big Black Frames (think these, these and these), but like with many things, I am easily distracted. Case in point: I finally made my way back to KRASS Optik, where I bought my first pair of glasses in Germany, to see what they had - and what do you know? They had no fewer than three pairs that I absolutely fell in love with. In addition to the black pair that might be THE ONES (another post on more potential glasses to come), I stumbled upon these most beautiful frames in the most beautiful color:

Even more exciting than how good they looked on (and the €199 price tag - €50 off if -ahem, when- I buy two), was the fact that when I gushed about them to my mother, she insisted I watch Vertigo, in which one of the lead actresses wears an almost identical pair - down to the exact shade and the keyhole nosebridge. I love that classics like this are showing up again and that I found these dead-ringers for a classic Hitchcock pair without even trying makes my day. Must mean they were meant to be... 

Daily Drop Cap by Jessica Hische

Wish these had worked out... 

he last year and a half of being a full-time glasses wearer (after years of contacts) has made me rather excited to be using eyewear as a fashion statement, rather than just bringing the world into focus. I mean, you wear them more prominently than just about anything else (honestly, most people don't even notice shoes, which are my other obsession), so why settle for just one option? While they are usually too expensive to even consider more than one new pair every few years, I've been thrilled to find options like Warby Parker, Jimmy Fairly and even sites with discounted name brand frames that make changing it up a legitimate possibility. 

Now on the hunt for the perfect pair of big black glasses, I've had a hard time settling on something, as the last thing I want to do is, well, settle. My first attempt (see above photo) was rather disappointing since they couldn't be touched without squeaking like crazy and it was confirmed the lenses weren't fitted properly in the frame. Opting to not test my luck again ordering something all the way from the U.S. when this might happen again, I figured my best bet was to find a pair nearby. Jimmy Fairly is the French Warby Parker, but I wasn't sure I was wowed by any frame (other than these awesome ones I'd want in sunglasses), not to mention the fact they only offer the try at-home program in France. My next stop in researching options brought me to a few brand-name discount sites based here in Germany, the most deeply-discounted and reputable-looking one being SmartBuyGlasses. The prices made me wonder why anyone would ever pay full retail!

A competitor site, MisterSpex, is a bit more expensive, but they let you try on a few pairs at home first (albeit, only after putting down a hefty deposit for the price of all the frames). Knowing I could get my money back, I figured 'what the heck' and sent off for my four favorites. Below are the two from the bunch that I decided are serious contenders,  but I'm still not convinced I've hit on exactly what I'm looking for (like this, this and this). 

First and foremost - I love the black! For years, I've loved black glasses on other people, but felt like with my porcelain skin and then-platinum hair, it was just too jolting a look on my overall paleness. Now being a redhead, all that has changed. I'm also really big on the angled sides, which I think detracts from my seriously prominent cheekbones. I like the really clean, simple fronts - no logos, no temple detail. What gives me a moments pause is my worry that they are too close to a pair I already have in terms of width and lens height, making them a bit further from what I was hoping to find and perhaps not unique enough to justify a whole new pair.

I can't lie, I've been pining for a pair of Tom Fords since he first started making glasses, but never could dream to afford them until now (I found these for less than half the usual going rate!). Even imagining them in black - which were sold out via this site - I'm not sure the shape is the most flattering (they too much resemble the shape of my big forehead, perhaps..). I love that they are closer to that more 'square' lens shape, but there's something I can't put my finger on that has me unsure about these ones. 

There are also two pairs I've tried on here in town that I still can't get out of my mind...

These I was drawn to originally because of the great grey shade, but I have found that they are available in black as well. The size seems to more perfectly fit my face and they do give me more of the taller lenses that I was looking for, but I had put them on the back burner as my husband wasn't a big fan. I still really like them, even though they're not 100% like the Nerd Brille I was searching for.

I picked up these original Wayfarers as a fluke, thinking I wouldn't like them at all. Turns out, I loved them! They were just thick and over-sized enough, but looking back at the photos, they seem to overwhelm my face so much more than they did in person. They were actually the only pair yet that both my husband and I had an immediate positive reaction to, and you can't go wrong with a classic (right..?). Perhaps I should stop poring over all my choices and just go with what I loved right off the bat...

Friends and strangers alike, if you've managed to make it through this rather lengthy post of my hemming and hawing, I would love to hear your opinions. I think I've spent too much time in front of the mirror debating these frames, not to mention countless trips back into the same local shops to the point they probably figure I've started casing the joint. Is there an obvious standout here that I'm not seeing? Do you have any frames that you would recommend I try? Should I keep looking for something better..?

*Daily Drop Cap by Jessica Hische

I adore this short film 'Catch a Tuesday' by Oliver Peoples featuring Zooey Deschanel - & it's glasses. So classic!

ast year, I made the decision to correct my very fuzzy vision with glasses rather than my usual - and quite expensive - contacts. In addition to being easier on the single-income-couple's wallet, it meant I was already adapting to the glasses-wearing German culture. Seriously, there are eyeglass shops on every block. Sometimes two.

For my first pair of glasses A.M. (After the Move overseas), I went with the classic "Nerd-Brille" - the bigger, heavier, '50s-throwback frames that have been popping up all over the fashion-conscious for the last few years. Since the height of fashion around Wiesbaden are the ubiquitous furs on the senior set and the Louis Vuittons slung on the arms of the nouveau riche (not sure what statement they're trying to make, considering LV's checkered past), I'm mostly alone here in my attempt to be on-trend. You just can't tear Germans from their metal-framed, architectural specs.

This year, I knew I would need some prescription sunglasses once the sunny season stared, naturally, as I would now need to shield my eyes from the headache-inducing rays AND see at the same time. Since the gorgeous weather has started early, I enlisted the help of my amazingly multi-lingual friend (fluent in four languages, like any good European) last weekend in ordering a pair of Persols I had been coveting for years - my first prescription sunglasses ever. I realize it's somewhat cheating to take a translator, but after my husband finished having his coronary upon finding out what it costs just for his wife to be able to see, I wasn't about to take any chances.

I have found that in circumstances such as this, where there are a lot of technical words involved - and especially when a lot of money is going to be spent - it is critical to understand every last detail. In my defense, my first trip to the same store to ask a few questions ended up with a little English, some broken German, and no one really understanding any of it. I call this an all-or-nothing situation - either my German is good enough to communicate and understand everything, or I need to find someone fluent in English. Since I hate to make anyone here cater to my native language, I took some insurance that there would be as little room for confusion as possible, and even understood a lot of what was said. At least I handled my first German eye exam in German  (and at least she knew what I meant when I read the über line when she asked me to read the unter line). It's all about the little victories in these situations.

So while I will not be embracing the severe, designer-obsessed frame trends so popular with the Germans, I'm at least embracing the German way of using eyewear as a style statement rather than just a functional necessity. I am so inspired to see the comeback of glasses in my country of origin as well, whether through super-cool short films from the likes of Oliver Peoples or the creation of companies like Warby Parker, which not only offers great frames that won't break the bank, but also donates a pair to someone who can't afford it for every one sold (I plan to get at least a pair or two when I'm back in the states this summer!). Since my husband first asked me out when I was wearing my glasses, I'll take it as a sign that Dorothy Parker was indeed wrong - men DO make passes at girls who wear glasses.

Here's one more short film that single-handedly proves that glasses can be sexy:

Devendra Banhart at the Rainbow House - Director's Cut from Oliver Peoples on Vimeo.

Of course the glasses, the music and the architecture (oh, that house...) are amazing, but I love how it shows the simple sexiness of being at home, reading and black winged eyeliner. I would just like to crawl in and live in that video (and in those amazing Myriel sunglasses - be still, my heart, maybe I could sell a kidney...). Perhaps I'm on my way once I get my new frames... and some better black liner.


*Daily Drop Cap by Jessica Hische