frame by frame
Turning the page on style
Eye glasses are essential to Wendy Nicholson ’ s work , but she also likes them to be fun . A librarian and high school teacher , she has been using reading glasses for about five years . She owns four different pairs .
In search of new eye glasses , she returned to Bracebridge Optical , in the heart of Muskoka cottage country , where she had bought eye glasses before . “ The service has been great ,” she says .
Optician Craig Searles and his wife , Gina Holmes own and operate the optical store , which has been in business for about 40 years . “ We ’ re casual , fun and friendly but we pride ourselves on being professional ,” says Holmes , a professional make-up artist by trade . While they enjoy pushing the boundaries of eye wear styles , they stay keenly attuned to customers ’ preferences . “ We let the client lead the sale ,” says Searles .
Nicholson also enjoys pushing the boundaries of style . “ Because I use glasses only for reading , I want them to be funky , sort of an accessory . I always like to say I want to be the funky librarian ,” she laughs . “ Glasses can represent a fashion accessory and your unique style .”
Nicholson knew the kind of eye glasses she wanted . “ They have to be durable . They have to be functional , but I also like them to be jazzy . I have several pairs and I like to wear them as accessories . It complements your outfit when you have a pair that are unique and interesting .”
As a reader who often pushes her glasses atop her head , Nicholson wanted to avoid frames with nose pads that would get stuck in her shoulder-length auburn hair . She prefers frames that rest on her cheek bones .
At Bracebridge Optical Nicholson tried on the Versace 3159 glasses in clear plastic frames with black and
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clear stripes . She liked the way the stripes seem to shift , depending on the angle from which they ’ re viewed . They were one of her favourites .
Next were a pair of Eden ED312 in a classic brown tortoiseshell frame with unusual “ funky ” arms that seemed to undulate alongside your face .
The dark pink vapour frames of the Oakley Downshift model afforded a very cool , fashionable look .
Nicholson also tried the Takumi 904 glasses , framed in black with very resilient Turboflex hinges that withstand the most rigourous reading , donning and doffing .
Her favourite pair was the Serpahin Virginia , in black with turquoise trim . “ They ’ re a little pinch of colour ,” Nicholson says . “ They look a little bit serious but the shape is vintage cat ’ s eye .”
“ She made a great choice ,” says Holmes , who hopes many people will admire Nicholson ’ s glasses and ask her where she got them .
-Walter Franczyk
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1 . Seraphin Virginia ; 2 . Takumi 904 ; 3 . Oakley Downshift ; 4 . Eden ED312 ; 5 . Versace 3159 .
44 OPTICAL PRISM | MAY / JUNE 2013