There are two types of glasses.
The ones you wear because you need them.
And the ones you put on and think:
“Oh. These are me.”
We’re much more interested in the second kind.
Because if you wear glasses every day, they’re arguably one of the most important things you own.
People see your glasses before they notice your shoes.
Before your watch.
Before your coat.
Possibly even before your hair.
They sit right in the middle of your face, sometimes for 12, 14 or 16 hours a day.
And yet the way most of us have traditionally bought them is slightly bonkers.
Walk up to a wall containing hundreds of frames.
Pick one up.
Put it on.
Look into a tiny mirror.
Take it off.
Repeat until enthusiasm leaves your body.
Eventually ask somebody:
“What do you think?”
There is a better way.
So, if you’re looking for new glasses in Halifax, here’s our guide to finding a pair you’ll genuinely love wearing.
1. Forget about your face shape for a moment
This may be mildly controversial.
Search online for “what glasses suit me?” and you’ll very quickly be encouraged to decide whether your face is:
Round.
Square.
Oval.
Heart-shaped.
Oblong.
Or, presumably, some troubling combination that isn’t on the diagram.
Face shape can be useful.
But it is only one part of choosing eyewear.
Two people can have similarly shaped faces and look completely different in the same frame.
Why?
Because there are eyebrows.
Eyes.
Noses.
Cheekbones.
Hair.
Colouring.
Proportions.
Personal style.
And that rather important ingredient:
personality.
We don’t style a circle, square or oval.
We style a person.
2. Look at your eyebrows
This is one of those things you may never have considered until somebody points it out.
Then you’ll notice it forever.
The relationship between the top of a spectacle frame and your eyebrows can have an enormous effect on how natural the frame looks on your face.
The frame doesn’t necessarily need to copy the eyebrow exactly.
But the two need to have some sort of conversation.
A frame can lift your features.
It can open the face.
Or it can sit awkwardly across the brow and somehow make everything look slightly wrong.
You may not be able to explain why you don’t like it.
You just know you don’t.
Often, there’s a reason.
3. Fit matters more than the name on the side
A beautiful frame that doesn’t fit you properly isn’t a beautiful frame for you.
The bridge needs to work.
The width needs to work.
Your eyes need to sit appropriately within the lenses.
The sides need to fit properly.
And the frame needs to stay where it belongs rather than slowly migrating down your nose during dinner.
This becomes even more important when you’re wearing more sophisticated lenses such as varifocals.
Good eyewear styling isn’t just:
“That colour looks nice.”
There’s quite a lot of geometry involved.
We just try not to make it feel like a maths lesson.
4. Stop automatically choosing the same glasses you’ve worn for 15 years
We humans are creatures of habit.
If you’ve spent years wearing thin rectangular frames, guess what you’re likely to pick from a wall containing 300 frames?
Another thin rectangular frame.
Perhaps this time in dark blue.
Wild.
There’s nothing wrong with knowing what you like.
But there’s a difference between personal style and simply repeating the last decision you made.
Eyewear design has changed enormously.
Shapes have changed.
Materials have changed.
Colours have changed.
Construction has changed.
Sometimes we’ll show somebody a frame and receive an immediate:
“No.”
Then they put it on.
Look again.
Turn their head slightly.
And…
“Oh.”
Those are good moments.
5. Colour can do extraordinary things
People often default to black, brown or tortoiseshell because they feel safe.
And all three can look fantastic.
But colour in eyewear doesn’t have to mean bright red glasses visible from Huddersfield.
Subtle colour can bring warmth to skin.
Bring out an eye colour.
Work beautifully with hair.
Or add just enough interest to make the glasses distinctive without allowing them to enter the room five minutes before you do.
Some independent eyewear designers are exceptionally good at this.
Theo, for example, has never been particularly frightened of colour.
Bellinger is another collection where combinations can become part of the personality of the frame.
Then there are frames where the colour is barely noticeable until you see them from the side.
That’s often where things get interesting.
6. Decide whether you want your glasses to whisper or talk
Not everyone wants statement eyewear.
And statement doesn’t automatically mean better.
Some of the most beautiful glasses we work with are incredibly understated.
Lindberg is a perfect example.
Light.
Clean.
Precise.
Beautifully engineered.
They’re the sort of glasses someone may notice without immediately knowing why they look so good.
At the other end of the spectrum, there are frames with much more personality.
Neither approach is right.
The question is:
Which one feels like you?
And perhaps:
Which version of you?
Because that can change too.
7. Your glasses don’t need a famous fashion logo
This is an interesting one.
Ask someone to name designer eyewear and they’ll probably start with fashion houses.
Gucci.
Prada.
Dior.
Tom Ford.
Those are enormously recognisable brands.
But there’s another world of eyewear that most people don’t encounter until somebody introduces them to it.
Companies that actually specialise in designing glasses.
That’s their thing.
They think about hinges.
Acetate.
Titanium.
Horn.
Colour.
Balance.
Weight.
Construction.
And tiny details that probably sound slightly obsessive until you put the finished frame on.
At Bottomleys in Halifax, we’ve deliberately built our collections around interesting eyewear designers rather than simply filling the practice with the biggest logos.
We like glasses that make somebody ask:
“Where did you get those?”
rather than:
“What brand are those?”
There’s a subtle difference.
8. Think about your wardrobe
Not just your clothes.
Your eyewear wardrobe.
If you wear glasses every day, why should one pair have to do absolutely everything?
We don’t expect one pair of shoes to work for walking the dog, a wedding, work, the gym and dinner.
Yet lots of people own one pair of glasses.
They wear them with everything.
Every day.
For two or three years.
An alternative pair can completely change how you look without changing anything else.
You might have something beautifully understated for certain days and something with more personality for others.
Then there’s prescription sunwear.
Office glasses.
Sports eyewear.
Different glasses can have different jobs.
You don’t necessarily need all of them.
But it’s worth knowing what’s possible.
9. Don’t forget that the lenses are rather important
We adore frames.
But ultimately you have to see through the things.
A wonderful frame with the wrong lens isn’t a wonderful pair of glasses.
This is especially important with varifocals.
Different varifocal designs can provide quite different visual experiences.
The measurements matter.
How the frame sits matters.
Your prescription matters.
What you actually spend your day doing matters.
At Bottomleys, we predominantly use ZEISS lenses and recommend the lens according to the individual rather than assuming everybody needs the same thing.
Someone sitting at multiple computer screens all day may have very different requirements from someone spending hours driving.
The right answer isn’t always the most expensive lens.
It’s the most appropriate one.
10. Take somebody’s opinion. But choose the right somebody.
Bringing your partner to choose glasses can be excellent.
It can also be…
interesting.
Particularly when they have very definite ideas about what you’ve always worn.
A good eyewear stylist should be prepared to give you an opinion.
A proper one.
Not:
“Ooh yes, they’re lovely.”
Followed by:
“Ooh yes, they’re lovely too.”
And:
“Ooh yes, I like those as well.”
That’s not terribly useful.
If something doesn’t work, we’d rather tell you.
Nicely.
Usually.
Equally, if we think something looks fantastic and you’re unsure, we’ll explain why we think it works.
You still make the decision.
It’s your face.
11. Give yourself permission to choose something brilliant
This might be the biggest one.
People sometimes find a pair they absolutely love…
…then retreat.
“Are they a bit much?”
“Am I too old for these?”
“Will people notice them?”
“Can I get away with them?”
If they genuinely suit you, perhaps those are the wrong questions.
Try:
Do I feel fantastic in them?
Because you’re going to wear them a lot.
And life is really too short for glasses you merely tolerate.
Where can I find interesting glasses in Halifax?
Halifax is increasingly a place where independent businesses and individual ideas can flourish.
The Piece Hall has helped put the town firmly back on the map, while Halifax Borough Market, Dean Clough and the town’s extraordinary architecture give Halifax a character that’s difficult to reproduce.
We think independent eyewear fits rather nicely into that.
Bottomley Opticians has been in Halifax since 1948.
Today you’ll find us in The Old Town Hall on Union Street.
We don’t have hundreds of frames displayed on walls.
Instead, we’ll sit down with you, get to know you and start selecting.
Some you’ll love.
Some you’ll hate.
One or two may surprise you.
And somewhere amongst them, hopefully, we’ll find the ones that make you look in the mirror and smile.
That’s the pair we’re after.
Frequently asked questions about choosing glasses in Halifax
How do I know which glasses suit my face?
Face shape is only one factor. The best frame also takes account of your eyebrows, eye position, bridge, colouring, proportions, hairstyle and personal style. Fit is just as important as appearance.
What colour glasses should I choose?
Look at how colours interact with your skin tone, hair and eyes rather than simply choosing your favourite colour. Sometimes a colour you’d never choose on its own looks extraordinary when it’s actually on your face.
Are expensive glasses worth it?
Sometimes, but price alone doesn’t guarantee that a frame will suit you or that the lenses will be appropriate. Better materials, construction, design and lens technology can justify a higher price, but the most important thing is choosing the right product for the individual.
Where can I buy independent designer glasses in Halifax?
Bottomley Opticians in The Old Town Hall, Halifax specialises in eyewear from independent and specialist designers, including collections you won’t commonly find in mainstream optical chains.
Does Bottomleys offer eyewear styling in Halifax?
Yes. Eyewear styling is a central part of what we do. Rather than asking you to choose unaided from a wall, we select frames based on your appearance, fit, personality and preferences.
Do I need an eye test before choosing new glasses?
Not necessarily if you already have a valid prescription, although regular eye examinations are important for both your vision and eye health. If you’re due an examination, you can have this done at Bottomleys too.
Can you help me if I have no idea what glasses suit me?
Absolutely.
In fact, you’re probably our favourite kind of appointment.
Come and discover what suits you
You don’t need to know your face shape.
You don’t need to know which brands you like.
You don’t even need to know what you’re looking for.
That’s our job.
You just need to bring your face.
We’ll take it from there.
Bottomley Opticians Halifax
The Old Town Hall
22 Union Street
Halifax
Telephone: 01422 331031
Private eye examinations and one-to-one eyewear styling consultations are available by appointment.
