Horn my rims

Vanity post, I’m afraid. If I could’ve been writing this on Friday evening, I would’ve had plenty to say, as I’m about to spend the day in London, sniffing all the latest scented whatnots and schlepping around for my other latest obsession – the spectacle of spectacles.

I’m terribly tired of my letterbox frames. Once upon a time these were new. Now they’re everywhere, including on Tea Party Palin. Time to move on.

I’ve decided to go for two pairs. The first – well, I’ve got em already. Here’s a rather naughty snap of me wearing em.

Yes, I am driving. It was slow traffic though. That isn’t a green blur out the rear window I can assure you.

I tried these on a couple of weeks ago. And liked them a lot. You know (if you wear glasses) that trying for new frames is hard work. First of all, I’m blind as a bat so only can get a vague impression of how I look in them. Second, most pairs make me shudder for some entirely unknown reason. I’ve got an oval face, which is supposedly just about right for most styles, but lots turn me into the monobrow king, the brain-fried nerd, the pervert who all the local kids have been warned about, or the ageing hipster. I don’t know which is worse. These puppies – well they just felt right. Slightly oversized, but not too much. Tortoiseshell. Simple really.

Tomorrow – Cutler and Gross. I remember going there a long time ago, when my disposable income seemed, well, a little less than it is now (I’m not exactly bling anyway, lemme tell you). I’ll see if anything rings my bell from their main and vintage ranges. And I’ll also be popping to Nicolai and the Haute Parfumerie in Harrods. Any sniffing recommendations that might have passed me by? Most things do these days. Please let me know what I simply must seek out, there or in Liberty or Les Senteurs.

Anyway, Cutler and Gross have stiff competition. I went to the best optometrist (how are they different to opticians, except for the route the word takes to its end?) in Cambridge (England, not Mass., darlings) which is 45 minutes away from my wee country abode. And I steered clear of these horny beauties to begin with because I thought, ‘Nope, they ain’t gonna work.’ But man, I loved em. They had all these gay German architect numbers everywhere, and some of em made me look like a pretty nice gay German architect (and so so light – featherweight – I think the brand was Mykita), but it was the pair next door by another company that held my attention. Horn rims. I never knew. But be honest. Am I self-deluding?

They’re, of course, the most £££ in the store. No surprises there. And they’re dark walnut in colour, not black. A bigger picture does them (though not me!) more justice. My pronounced chin is due to too much laughing from the wonderful assistant in the store – a woman who took my pic in profile too – mugshot style. I was of course being a little silly. The other photos. Well, in the light of post-exploratory reality, they ain’t no cop.

So honestly. Your thoughts. To horn rim, or not horn rim. That is the question.

And perfumes. Always perfumes, you people.

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  • Josephine says:

    Definitely the first pair, which says, ‘I meant to look EXACTLY like this!’

    The second pair is a little, ‘I somehow ended up with these.’

    First pair suits your face, your persona and the very little I know about your personality. Plus, they show off your full lips, a self-conscious feature that we share.

  • Lee says:

    No worries. I hope your head is better. I’ve been a bit like that this week but it’s sleep related, though I had a solid 7 hours last night. Yes!

    As for the rest, aw shucks hon.:”> Pick-ups here we come!

  • March says:

    Hi. I was migrainy yesterday, sorry for the late post. I have an awkward crush on you so I am unable to judge properly, but I think those first ones are really hot. If you want middle-aged straight women trying to pick you up, you should definitely wear those.

  • Lynne1962 says:

    Oh, the first ones,,,by a mile (or a few kilometers)Makes you look cool, calm, and collected. I do like the other retro ones,,maybe you could wear at home,,,and other out and about?? I have totally frameless ones that crack at the seams (they’re fragile),,because vanity won’t let me look like I am wearing glasses.
    Perfumes: “Stoned” by Solange,,,absolutely a powdery, ladbadum gorgeous scent. Who knew??!!

  • L says:

    Lee, you are rocking both pairs of those glasses, but I do think you look just ever so slightly more handsome in the first pair. Cheers!

  • tammy says:

    I prefer the first pair, but both are quite fetching. You rock that Hot Nerd look, gay or otherwise…I suspect you have disappointed many a lass!

  • Mary says:

    Wow! All this and he gardens too! Lee, you are very handsome in both pairs of frames, but I like the first better. If you are looking for something new under the sun perfume wise–if you haven’t checked out the Amouage Library collection, they might be fun to check out. I just got my sample set– Opus One sent me off into a dream world. The plum/incense of it is like something out of Tale of Genji– very rich, very tasteful, dark and mysterious. Now I have to check out LA Frames– I happen to need new glasses, too.

    • Lee says:

      I missed out on those Amouages. The perfumery hall in Harrods gives me the fear, even if Amouage is the quietest part of it. Still, it deserves better than being surrounded by all that mediocre blap.

      Thanks for the compliment – and good luck on the frame front – let us know what you go for!

  • Daisy says:

    oh, in the US, an optician goes through a two year program ( straight out of high school) and receives an Associates Degree. An Optometrist must attend at least 3 years of undergraduate study, (generally in chemistry, biology or biochem) and then enters an optometry program that takes generally 4 years and does clinical rotations in the last year. As of recently they can prescribe medications for eye infections and some are trained to do post-laser surgery care. Good Optometry programs are EXCEEDINGLY competitive to get into. An Ophthalmologist is a medical doctor who has specialized in ophthalmology and done residency in that area….I forget how long the residency generally is.

    • Lee says:

      Very similar here I think.

      I like all this carerr trajectory talk. All from me being silly about a word! x

  • Kitty says:

    You look great in both. As many have said before, different looks but both very nice.

    I came to glasses relatively late and don’t mind wearing them – face accessories! Currently have on my bronze rimmed pair with the green and blue dotted “arms.” fabulous.

    • Lee says:

      Wow – they sound marvellous.And yeah, they are face accessories, even more so when they’ve been essential for most of your goddamn life!

  • Daisy says:

    hmmm….both are pretty cute….but I prefer the top ones in the car. I was recently at the optometrists trying on new frames…nose two inches from the mirror so I can see what they look like. And it does seem as though the retro-vibe frames that are either “half-frames” or color up top like picture #2 are highly fashionable. I don’t know how you feel about this as you are clearly a bit younger than me—but as a girl who is taking the scenic route around er, middle age; I’ve become quite concerned about that which makes me look younger (good) or older (BAD) . I think the frames in the top picture make your face look younger than the ones in the bottom picture, so fashion aside: those are the ones I’d choose. (see vanity comment above)

    • Lee says:

      That’s wise Daisy. Actually, in my job, looking a little older sometimes is NO BAD THING. I can, when the light’s good, pass for a fair bit younger, and adding gravitas to the situation with personality rather than appearance can sometimes be more work than necessary. Maybe my rims will be the shortcut to middle aged wisdom – at least in appearance. The reality – silly boy.

  • minette says:

    they both have a vintage vibe, the lower pair more so than the top. i think i like the lower pair because they have a bit more personality.

    i, too, have the same trouble finding frames that work with my “oval” face. same issues as you, except i also look like my grandfather in some frames (he was a great-looking guy, but i’m a girl). this means i hang onto frames for far too long. i’m due a frame-shopping trip.

    also, i think opticians have more training than optometrists. they also do certain procedures that optometrists can’t.

    • Lee says:

      Go for it, Minette. I look like my grandpa too – less of an issue for me.

      I’m feeling the vintage! Maybe it’s my Mad Men addiction.

  • Tara C says:

    With the top ones, we see the frames. With the bottom ones, we see your face. Depends on what you want people to notice more. :x

  • helenviolette says:

    I prefer the car-pic ones- but the other pair is also nice :)

    Go smell the new Jennifer Aniston at Harrods (hehe)

  • Jemi says:

    Goodness, what a cutie!

    Top pair. The bottom pair are very stylish, but the top pair is the more flattering.

  • Kym says:

    The second photo, hands down. Seems more flattering, more hip and seems to suit you very well.

  • Kate says:

    First ones are wonderful. Are they brown or black? I think you can do black given your hair. Hard to tell in non-moving car pic.

    Rimless age a person (please people!) yes the German look is cute but it can be OLD German look. Not sure in your second pic.

    I had no idea how young you are! Heh. I’m a minus ahem, ten so for me I will wear contacts until they rip them out of my formerly alive eye sockets. Oops that was gross.

    • Lee says:

      Brown tortoiseshell. Ish. Actually quite light.

      Yeah, some black looks good.

      I’m nearly 42. And I’m not surte rimless always age people. In fact, my buddy Lawrence always looks young as anything in his. And he isn’t Teutonic, as far as I know (Nordic, maybe).

      • carter says:

        You know, I’m looking at you and I think you need some warmth. I know you think you’re pink, but I’m wondering if a true neutral brown tortoiseshell with a fairly pronounced contrast of dark and light, um, tortoises (I have a pair of C&G sunglasses like this, so I understand what I’m talking about even if it’s as confusing as hell to everyone else). That’s a pretty conservative frame material without being too hard looking, but would also be retro and slightly funky. It would also be a second pair that works well with the pair in the top photo because would give you an edgy, fun look for when you want one, while the ones you’ve already purchased make for a very flattering, business-y sort of look. You’d have the warmth from the butterscotchy parts of the tortoise, but it would be balanced by the dark cool brown it’s mixed with.

        I dunno. Glasses are hard. I have an oval face, too and it’s supposed to be the easiest type to find frames for but that’s a steaming load bullcrackie IMHO. I look terrible in most frames. The frames I always end up looking best in are the ones that really stand out on my face, which in my case means deep black on a fair-complexioned blonde. It somehow actually has the opposite effect of hiding my features (I think it does, at any rate — those of you who know me and have seen me in eyeglasses can pipe up if I’m off-base here) but it took me a long time and many misses to finally figure that out.

        I guess what I’m saying is that sometimes the “rules” just don’t apply and the only thing to do is try everything — not just the obvious choices — and work your way toward the light from there.

        • Lee says:

          You’re right on the rules – learn em then ignore em. I’m gonna try for the contrast and hope for mellow yellow rather than sour lemon.

        • carter says:

          I just looked at my shades again and the light parts aren’t “butterscotchy” at all…more like lemon peel. They’re vintage C&G, but I’ve seen this type of tortoiseshell in modern frames by other makers and I’m sure you have too.

    • Musette says:

      Actually that was pretty funny!

      xo >-)

  • Tamara *J says:

    Ello poppet. I think the bottom ones are snazzehh but like everyone has so eloquetly said already, you look adorable handsome, F-able in both. I like how Carter suggested you need to try the ones like in your MadMen gravatar, I’m ashamed I didn’t think of it myself.
    I used to sport these crazy Coke bottle bi-focals when I was little (1st grade till 6th) cause my eyes CROSSED,
    I had to wear them what seemed forever and get ridiculed at school (ugly nerd kid there) and coddled over at home (cute nerd kid here). It was torture. I did get to pick tiny pictures for the corner of them, which no doubt ante’d up the nerd factor. What I chose over the years that I can recall was a horse galloping, roses, WonderWoman W with her shield..

    Aha.
    Have fun today! You look good!

    ~T

    • Lee says:

      You’re the sweetest, as always.

      I bet you were darling as a little one. We could have been the speccy twins. I had really bad chicken pox as a 4 year old that infected my eyes (my ma loves telling the green pus story) and had dodgy eyesight from then on.

      I love the pictures on the corner. Esp. Wonder Woman. Totally geek-cool. Did you carry around a lasso of truth too? Best super ‘weapon’ ever (i.e. most ridiculous and wonderful).

  • Shelley says:

    1) I am a fan of an eyeglasses wardrobe, and if budget allowed, I would be WAAAY past Stephen’s distinction (above) between day and evening wear, and I’d have the cozy sweater pair, the pair that balances well with skin showing (warm weather, I mean), etc. etc. Not Elton John crazy, but hey, he does have quite the array.

    The reality is, I’d probably then hang out with one or two pair, mostly.

    2) Opinions, I have a few. But unless I am there, and can see how YOU truly like them (do you sparkle more), I’ma gonna just zip my lip. ‘Cause I know already you look good in anything you are considering; the question is, do you feel fine?

    Have fun, post results. :)

    • Lee says:

      Well, they both make me smile and glow. And I’ve decided that I’m gonna have to come visit your way seeing as Paris – quite rightly – prevented you from venturing elsewhere, the temptress.

      1) I’m there too. Though too much choice is often a V. BAD THING for me.

      2) Aaah, go on. Tell it how it is. Don’t hold back.

      • Shelley says:

        Fab! Ready any time. Just give a holler. Or simply knock on the door. :)

        1) Yeah, too much choice ends up being noise. But I often have to go through that phase before figuring out how to pare down.

        2) First pair have the awesome frames first effect, whereas second pair has the awesome guy in awesome frames effect, knowwhatImean? But such is my thought. No 3-D modeling, and no sparkle. ;)

  • Nava says:

    As a fellow blind-bat I can relate to your situation. But, for the past few decades, I’ve at least had the option of trying on new frames whilst wearing my contact lenses, so I can always be my own worst critic.

    I think you look gorgeous in both pairs. Here in NA (that’s North America), the “geek” look is what they’re calling it. There’s even a line of “Geek” frames available – popular with the hip and trendy young girls, as I witnessed yesterday when I went to a meeting at the IT firm I do work for.

    I hope you were able to sniff the Jennifer Aniston scent at Harrods. I’m most curious about it, and I wonder how much Mohammed al-Fayed plied her with to make it an exclusive at his store. That creepy Diana memorial in the basement still haunts me.

    • Lee says:

      See above for my contact lens issue explanation.

      Thanks darling. Yeah, geek is in here with the youngsters (which means it’s out with the hipsters!).

      Harrods is hell to me. Like that bit on Tower Bridge where you have to go round a bend and cross a queue of tourists who can’t work out that ‘I need to get by, people!’. Am a city boy when I’m in the city and go crazy with all the gawping dithering!

      Harrods has more gawpers and ditherers per square yard than anywhere else. Quietest place is the Bottega Veneta leather bag concession, as far as today’s experience tells.

      I didn’t get up clos and personal with JA but it was being wielded by SAs and the air hung thick with it. And a myriad of other messiness, so as yet, I can tell you v. little. Sorry for the FAIL.

      • Nava says:

        I will go to the grave wearing my contact lenses. I’ve started to have issues with vascular inflammation, but that’s ’cause I was abusing my daily disposables for longer than I should have. I was actually depriving my poor eyes of oxygen! I was spoken to sternly and vowed to be a good girl from now on.

        I forgot to mention that the decided frame shape here in Canada is square for some reason. I fit right in with the Oliver Peoples pair I’ve been sporting for the last few years, but I am desperate for a change. Between getting the lenses as thin as possible and my penchant for expensive frames, I can definitely relate to the $$$$$ dilemma.

        No worries about the JA. Just my morbid curiosity getting the better of me. I’m no big fan of hers, but there was a mention of salty ocean air as a note in her scent, and you know how much I love salt.

        I’ve always wanted to steamroll all the gawpers that gather on 5th Avenue to stare at Trump Tower. It’s a gold office building; let’s get some lives people!

        • Lee says:

          I’ve never liked cheap. Your specs sound lovely. Yeah – I’ve been looking at the Spectacle Loves You website, which is where I’d go if I lived near you. Muchas dolares.

          Correction – it’s a fugly gold office building.

  • Musette says:

    I like them both and I agree with what Maggie said about your mouth – however, neither take away from that lovely orifice so I dunno….mine are similar to #1 – I’m actually thinking of getting a variation on your #2 choice as well – were we separated at birth?

    And I totally agree with the appeal of Hot Gay Nerd. BIG crossover appeal. Don’t underestimate it, baby 😉

    xo >-)

    • Lee says:

      I’ll gay the nerd up for you one day, my honey.

      We WERE separated at birth. I want pics in return (f’book, okay?)

  • pyramus says:

    I too am blind as a bat, and let me tell you: contact lenses all the way, baby.

    When I’m outside the house, anyway. At home I wear my glasses, and they are wire-rimmed so as to be as light as possible, because goddamn they’re heavy.

    • Lee says:

      Contact lenses – my tolerance to them started to wane about 8 years ago. Total allergic meltdown (for other reasons) didn’t help. Now I just have to steer clear, unfortunately.

      Those Mykitas I mentioned above weigh, like, minus grams. Seriously. And thin lenses, all the way.

      • Daisy says:

        Just a note about developing an intolerance for contact lenses —this may or may not be your experience: wore contacts for YEARS–no problem. Then they started to feel hot, dry, itchy. Turned out that it was the solutions I was using for disinfection. I am sensitive to the preservatives apparently. The solution for me was to begin using a product called Clear Care by Ciba Vision….it’s basically using peroxide to disinfect. Then I rinse the lenses with sterile, preservative free saline (from a non aerosol can) ….and voila! no more burning. Unfortunately as I , ahem, am navigating my 40’s, I’ve been forced to employ “mono-vision” (strong eye corrected for nearsightedness, weaker eye for the up close work) and since I’m intrinsically lazy–glasses at home. (I have loads of vanity thank you very much ) :-)

        • Lee says:

          We all have loads of vanity. Interestingly, I was a Clear Care boy almost from the get go. My eyes just didn’t want those fellas in em any more.

          • Lee says:

            Oh, and my eyes are nowadays drier than the average middle Eastern summer, which doesn’t help.

          • Daisy says:

            Yikes! drier than a middle eastern summer….hmm….imagining blowing sand and the burning heat of the sun…..

  • sybil says:

    I like them both, but I’m coming down on the side of the 2nd pair…the upper ones are vaguely Mr. Peabodyish. (see how old I am?)

    They’re both good. I’d start looking at features like springy temples (so when the inevitable dog-nose bash in the face happens, they’ll pop back into shape a bit better)

    and btw, that rose/pink color suits you well.

    • Lee says:

      His were totally round though, no? Wasn’t part of my inheritance, though I like the idea of being a canine know-it-all with a time machine.

      Sporingy temples. There are some now that are GLASSES OF THE FUTURE, like those Mykitas. Hinge-free, honey.

      Thanks for the colour comment. I’m a pinky skinned type. Cool colours all the way (though I’m a sucker for an autumnal look too).

  • Marsha says:

    Lee, I will never like the second pair because I remember a time when that was all you could get and you were teased mercilessly for wearing glasses. Those kind bring back bad memories. So I like the first ones. Also for women who wear cat’s eye rims, I don’t like those either.
    Plus I kinda like a hot gay nerd.

    • Lee says:

      So, that’s an American thing, I guess. Here, they were more like the first model – boxish frames in plastic. My first pair, age 8, were a faux-blue tortoiseshell (if that even makes sense) probably more rounded than I remember. Free from the NHS. Niiiiice.

    • Gretchen says:

      Agree! The second pair looks like a 50’s-era office drone. First pair, highly desirable.

      • Lee says:

        I need to cultivate an adenoidal voice, in that case, and make sure I’m deathly grey of skin…;)

  • Lisa says:

    I feel you look more approachable in the horn rims.

  • Stephen says:

    Quite frankly Lee, the second pair pictured are shite! There is a danish company, Lindberg, that make the simplest looking titanium frames I have seen. I have had two pairs from them, and they are the best I have come across in my 40 years of wearing glasses. Choosing the right frame is a wee bit like choosing scent, a good all purpose classic for day wear then a high impact funkier pair for evening. And remember on-trend frames are usually like sports fragrances, homogeneric!

    • Lee says:

      Ha! Tell it to me straight, buddy!

      I’ve also worn Lindbergs and they are great but I think I’m in a cycle of moving away from light titanium to heavier plastic, without going to full on wayfarer geek land.

      The only generic in my part of the world, homo or otherwise, if the rectangle. The sticks aren’t exactly fashion-forward. And I’m seeing horny rims as part of my Americana-obsessiveness, actually. Even if that’s a justification for on-trend silliness.

  • Fiordiligi says:

    Ah, glasses. I’ve been putting off getting new ones as they are so horribly expensive (I just have reading ones). I like the first pair, too! Most London opticians seem to sell fab frames but are a bit clueless. The Other Half bought some a few years ago and they made up the prescription completely the wrong way round!

    I was in the Haute Parfumerie on Monday. Some lovely new things for you to sniff including Roja’s new scent for the Ballets Russes exhibition coming up at the V&A , three new Mona di Orios , three new Xerjoffs etc. Have fun!

    • Lee says:

      I can only suggest going to small places – Adam Simmond in Primrose Hill has quite the reputation.

      The Xerjoffs – I didn’t get to them! I did sniff the others though…

      But I bought no perfume – only four catalytic burner oils from Nicolai. One of which in swoonworthy.

      • Kristen says:

        Tell me more about the Nicolai catalytic oils you got, please???

        • Lee says:

          I got 4 – Jasmin du Nil (heady floral, but with that petrolly/meaty quality too); Maharadjah (now discontinued as an oil – and discounted); two newbies – Un Soir en Sicile (like a Balle de Match grapefruity number – good for heat), and Miel Encens, which is exactly what it says it is. I also loved Bella Gardenia, another new one, which is pretty accurate but without the blue cheese. And there’s plenty more I could’ve got, if I had the wherewithal to carry them across town.

          • Kristen says:

            Thanks!

            I don’t know of anyplace here in Portland, OR that carries any catalytic burners and supplies, so I get mine online. At The Perfume House they have 2 Nicolai burners and one bottle of fuel, all at ruinous prices, so I can only imagine the delight of being able to shop in person for them.

          • Lee says:

            Sorry to hear that. I use Lampe Berger sometimes, but it never quite matches up…

  • Louise says:

    Oh, in the U.S. at least, the optometrist have a doctoral degree (though not MD), and can check for eye disease, etc, whereas the optician just do lenses. For genuine eye issues, I see an opthamologist-an MD with eye specialisation. But not sure how this all works over there…

    • Louise says:

      have you seen my plurals, dear?

    • Lee says:

      It’s the same over here, though for some reason they get called optometrist optician and dispensing optician.

      Huh. Wassat about?

      • Musette says:

        huh. here opticians, if I am recalling correctly, ONLY make glasses (as in do the lensing, etc as the prescription designates). Optoms is what Louise said, and opthamologists is what she said as well.

        Then you get into specialists, etc. My ex just had to see a specialist for a detached retina – his eyesight was saved, thank goodness; his opthamologist took one look at the eye and sent him to a retinal optham. I’m sure there are even more precise sub-specialties out there…hope I never have to know what they are.

        xo >-)

  • Louise says:

    I’m staring at you Hotness through my Cutler and Gross maroon-framed cats-eye specs. And thinking that I like #1 best.

    And wondering which photographer you ran into that had the presence of mind to snap pics of his assaulter through the windshield.

    I have to wear glasses now, after years of “perfect” vision. So, as in all things, I have a variety, gathered over time. My all time favs are the C&Gs, and an old pair of Robert Marcs. The Marcs are quite similar to view #1, and virtually indestructible. I may be rolling on them now. Next up for my wardrobe of frames-some California hip-purple thick frames.

    If you do go to Cutler & Gross, check out the half-frame tortoiseshells (0755)-they have the look of #2, but a tad gentler.

    You’re super-short hair looks fab, btw.

    • Lee says:

      Some cute yound cyclist got mowed down by me. I did go and, ahem, pick him up though and ahem, dust him down, check him over for bruises and so forth.

      Actually, it was me, silly! As you know.

      You look HAWT in specs. The 755s were all wrong on me – I need the Johnny Depp cheekbone for that roundness. I don’t have it. I like the angles. Makes me look ‘ARD.

      The short hair is a bald-spot coping necessity, my sweet, but ta.

  • Maggie says:

    I prefer the top pair, and you have a beautiful mouth, so you don’t want to take attention away from that too much anyway…

    • Lee says:

      Thanks. You’re sweet. Big lips, they called me at school.They’ve shrunk a bit now. Ageing, eh?

  • Hester says:

    I wear glasses. I know your pain. Why do perfectly attractive frames often make one look insane/scary/really butt ugly?
    Anyway, I think the car ones are cuter, too. I think it’s the frameless bottoms of the other ones that I don’t love as much – I like glasses to be firm and present, you know, as the top ones are. So if the bottom ones are insanely expensive – rather buy perfume with that money, maybe?

    • Lee says:

      Actually, they’re not frameless at the bottom – the photo does them a disservice. They have metal frames running round em.. Tidy.

      And I’ve found them for ££ rather than ££££. We’ll see.

  • Madea says:

    Second pair. They have kind of a retro 50’s vibe that suits you, and reminds me of Buddy Holly. That’s a good thing:)

    • Lee says:

      Thanks honey. They make me look gonky in the right way.

    • Dina C says:

      Yes, they do have a bit of that classic Ray Ban Wayfarer shape to them. My father, who had the same general bone structure and coloring as Lee, wore glasses very similar to both of the ones in the photos above back in the 1960s, so to me they seem “right” on your face, Lee.

  • tmp00 says:

    I think the car pic are slightly cuter ones. (You would go berserk in LA Eyeworks.)

    Oh and don’t underestimate the allure of the Hot Gay Nerd. Anderson Cooper fits in that category…

    • Lee says:

      I’ve tried on lots of LA Eyeworks but the variety was almost too much. It’s like when my perfume collection headed over 100 – I had choice blindness. Now I’m back under 50, so much easier. I love at least 10 LA Eyeworks frames. Maybe I should visit (we do have them here, but I should experience them in context…)

    • March says:

      …. wait, did he ever COME OUT? Of the worst-kept secret closet in the world?

  • carter says:

    These are both very smart…the second ones are definitely flashier, but you look great in both. I want to hear how it goes at C&G…I think you should try on some like the ones in your Mad Men gravatar, too.

    • Lee says:

      I did. The results were … interesting….

      Actually, C&G was a bit of a miss, surprisingly. The frames that worked best on me were the totally over-the-top numbers, which would be fine if my work life was urban fashion rather than national education, and Shoreditch rather than sheep was just round the corner. Liked 692 in grain black on me though… Though my photo looks cross-eyed so I won’t be sharing!

      • carter says:

        Yeah, I was afraid that might happen. C&G can be difficult to wear; they definitely have a strong point of view, heh-heh. But if you find the right C&G (which can involve a great deal of trial and error) they can spoil you for life. All things considered, it could be a blessing in disguise.

        • Lee says:

          Well, I like 692 in black grain and well, it could be the one. I’ll need a retry and soon. Part of me would love the enormo black frames I tried on, but I’d forever look like an acid casualty rather than a fashionista in this neck of the woods.

          I think the Barton Perreira horn rims also have a strong PoV – it just works for me better (in fact, Patty Perreira, the designer, worked on some of my fave Oliver Peoples frames, before they were swallowed by the MAN – optically speaking).

          • Lee says:

            But looking at the pics some more, I think not. Waaah! I’ll look forever cross-eyed in those.:((