That Dapper Chap: glasses

Saturday, 27 May 2017

New Glasses from Glasses Direct

Craig of That Dapper Chap shares his new London Retro Fitzroy glasses

As a bespectacled bloke it's good to see so many styles available for us visually challenged folk. Most of the week I do wear contact lenses, but they tend to feel dry in hot weather so I sometimes switch to glasses, and anyone who wears glasses knows it can be so difficult to find that perfect pair.

Product Review: Glasses from GlassesShop.com

That Dapper Chap reviews glasses from GlassesShop.com and tells us how we can get our first pair free and a 50% discount

Wearing my new 'Fresno' glasses by GlassesShop.com

Product

Today’s product review focusses on prescription eye glasses from GlassesShop.com. While they offer a range eye gasses and prescription sunglasses I opted for a pair of glasses with a removable sunshield. I personally hate those glasses that change colour depending if you’re in the sun or the shade and think they’re a little out dated. If you like them, great. I don’t.

This particular pair are called ‘Fresno’ in the tortoiseshell option but they are also available in burgundy, blue and black with contrasting sun shield.

The Fresno Round eye glasses are made from high quality TR material and have removable polarized, magnetic clip-on sun glasses with a silver mirrored-coating. Of course the glasses can be used as you would any glasses and you simply pop on the sunglasses when you go outside or wake up with a Jaeger-Bomb hangover (yes, that was me)

The shape is very fashionable right now and the fact that you don’t need to keep switching glasses is a bonus, plus they’re very cool.

The 'Fresno' glasses without the sunglasses attached

Suitable for men or women the Fresno glasses are a full frame spectacle and measure 138mm across and are 45mm deep at the lenses.

They are not too big to be intrusive but big enough to satisfy the current trend for a larger frame. They can be bought in single vision, bifocal or varifocal/progressive and you can choose to have an anti-scratch coating too, as I did.

If you like the frames and the concept but don’t need a prescription you can also order the glasses with clear lenses.

The tortoiseshell option that I have

Price

With a starting price for single vision lenses with no extras at just £30 ($46) these are cheap glasses and incredible value for money. Even at £65 ($100) for varifocal/progressive lenses they are still a bargain.

Packaging & Presentation

The glasses arrived safely and were well packed in a cardboard box. Inside was a clear case containing the glasses and a cleaning cloth. There’s no fancy packaging, no bells and whistles and no paperwork or product information. This is a budget product and this is reflected in the functional but adequate packaging.

The 'Fresno' glasses are lightweight with thin arms

Performance

The glasses fit me very well and they feel secure on my face. They don’t slide continually down my nose like other glasses do, and they are lightweight and comfortable to wear.

The arms are very thin indeed but the frames feel sturdy and they don’t creak and crack like another pair of my glasses does when I clean them. The prescription is good but does feel a tad different to the ones I have had made here in the UK. I can see clearly however but have to get used to where the best vision is on the lenses for whatever it is I’m doing. Ordering is easy so long as you have a copy of your latest prescription handy. Just be sure to check and double check that you’ve added the right numbers in to the correct sections before you press save!

The sunglasses are held on by small magnets and a clip on the nose bridge. Getting them on and off is very easy after a minutes practice and I can now get the on and off in a second

Pertinency

If, like me, you’re not a fan of ‘reactor light’ lenses and don’t want the bother of prescription sunglasses, these are a great option.

Magnets (near the hinges) hold the sunglasses securely in place

Pro’s and Cons

I really like the shape and they are very on trend. The lightweight and comfortable feel is also a plus as is the ease with which you can clip on the sunglasses.The only downside that I can think of would be the need to remember to take the sunglasses with you but if you make sure that you keep them clipped to the glasses whenever you take them off they will always be together, and you can simply pop them in the case and put them in your bag, ready for the sunshine.

The frames in black with yellow sunglasses

People

The team also liked the shape and thought that the clip on sunglasses were a quirky but practical and sensible addition. They liked the dual functionality and also thought the price was very good.

A closer look at me wearing my glasses

Précis

Overall these are great glasses at an incredible price. For those of us that wear glasses but want to have a few pairs to mix and match with different looks, these are a great addition to your collection With the price as low as it is, you can easily add to your collection without breaking the bank.

The blue option with tortoiseshell sunglasses

First Pair Free

GlassesShop.com are currently running a big campaign called

First Pair of Glasses Free which means all the new customers can have a pair of free glasses including both optical glasses and sunglasses(excludes shipping and handling fee)

Fancy a whopping discount? Just use code GSHOT50 at checkout and get a massive 50% off any eyeglasses or sunglasses with free lenses!
(Excludes sale frames)

THANKS FOR READING!

What I Wore Today - A Sunny Wednesday

That Dapper Chap takes us through his look for Wednesday.

Enjoying the spring sunshine

The outfit laid out and ready to wear

Wednesday started like any other average Wednesday but I was pleased to see that the sun was shining. I wast pleased however with how my hair decided to collapse in the light spring breeze the second that I left the house!

The stroll to work, bags packed with goodies

I was styling a photo shoot on Wednesday afternoon so I had a couple of bags with me, filled with various shirts, blazers, ties and accessories. It's a project that I've been working on with a local hair stylish and a local award winning photographer so I was excited that we were finally getting around to the shoot, after a few delays. You can expect the first blog story on that very soon.

A closer look at the handmade lapel pins

So, to the outfit. As you know chinos are a staple items for me and I haven't worn theses camel coloured ones for a while. I like blue and brown as a colour combination so chose a denim shirt and blazer. I've hopefully avoided that 'double denim' look here!

To give the look a bit of a vintage twist I opted for some button on braces and some two tone brogues. The vintage paisley scarf also goes to maintain this look and also keeps in with the colour theme.

Floppy hair, not the look I was going for

Time to get to the office!

As for accessories, I went for a striped knitted tie and added some home made lapel pins to the denim blazer, throw in a pocket square and you've added enough personality to ensure the look come across as considered.

The full look, complete with scarf to keep out the chill

A close up of the tie and tie clip

Yes, those bags were as heavy as they look

The red and blue paisley pocket square

The two tone brogues give a vintage look

Where it's all from

Two Tone Brogues: London Brogues

Navy Ribbed Socks - CNYTTAN

Beige Chinos: Next

Button On Braces: Next

Denim Shirt: Topman

Denim Blazer: Ebay

Knitted Tie: Ebay

Vintage Tie Clip: Ebay

Vintage Scarf: Thrifted

Lapel Pins: Home Made

Pocket Square: Primark

Vintage Suit Carrier: Thrifted

Brown Holdall: River Island

THANKS FOR READING!

Autumn leaves

At last! The summer has finally said it's fair well and allowed those chilly mornings and cold evenings to grace us with their prescience. I know! I shouldn't wish for cold weather but it gives me such a great opportunity to layer up and pull out those wool blazers that I've been wanting to wear, not to mention, hats, scarves and gloves!

Just because it's the weekend it doesn't automatically mean you need to dress down! Why wouldn't you wear a tweed blazer and a bow tie on a Saturday to pop into town to buy a new SIM card? That's what I did, yes some people looked at me as if I was off to a winter wedding while others gave admiring glances.

With the leather side zipped boots I added a pair of dark plum cordoury trousers and a blue chambray shirt. As the trousers are a little on the big side I opted for braces rather than a belt to continue that vintage heritage feel.

The brown herringbone blazer and bow tie are a good match and give a very autumn feel with the robust wool fabrics in brown tones. It was somewhat chilly when I left the comfort and warmth of my home so as I left I reached for my new burgundy scarf.

I accessories with one of my own range of lapel pins and a spotted pocket square. Nothing too much as I felt the outfit had enough going on without unwanted adornments that could make it look cluttered and more like I'd had fun in the dressing up box!

Where is it all from?

Brown leather boots: River Island

Fairisle socks: ASOS

Cordoury trousers: Next

Chambray shirt: Primark

Brown herringbone blazer: Primark

Brown herringbone bow tie: Primark

Pocket square: EBay

Lapel pin: home made

Glasses: Specsavers

Scarf: Next

Braces: Next

THANKS FOR READING!

Meet Oscar Wylee

That Dapper Chap introduces us to one of Australia's leading eyewear brands

WHO ARE OSCAR WYLEE?

Founded in 2012, Oscar Wylee are an Australian eyewear brand based in Sydney and run by two savvy gents called John and Mike who, according to their web site supply glasses to the curious.

Yours truly wearing Oscar Wylee

Model wears Xander in Tortoise

Being a curious kind of chap I popped over to their site to have a look at their range after we struck up an online conversation.

I was immediately impressed by their vintage style range. The shapes and colours available are not the run of the mill stuff and there really is something there for all tastes. If you're more of the quirky type, maybe you fancy trying Leo in a peach fade. Maybe you're a vintage style gent who would suit Merriweather in the Auburn Tortoise colourway. Whatever your style, there will be something you like here.

Model wears Winston in black

WHAT ARE OSCAR WYLEE ALL ABOUT?

The idea behind Oscar Wylee is simple: to provide high-quality, affordable eyeglasses with a vintage feel. They say that they're not doing anything too complicated, but they are cutting out the middleman, thereby giving you the same glasses direct from the factory, minus the price tag.

From top to bottom: Merriweather, Zann and Winston

Until recently Oscar Wylee were based out of John's garage. They say that it's been "fun" but a lot of the work was carried out in a stairwell so they've now moved in to smart new space and are doing very well, even having their own showroom where you can see all of the frames and meet the team.

From top to bottom: Harper, Leo in peach fade and Leo in Tabby Tortoise

I CARE FOR EYECARE

One thing that sets Oscar Wylee apart from other eyewear brands is their commitment to Cambodia's continuing problem with eyecare. For every single pair of glasses that you buy they donate to this incredible cause, making a real difference to peoples lives by helping to save their sight.

Please take a minute to watch this video to learn more about the campaign.

MY OSCAR WYLEE SUNGLASSES

So after building a relationship with Oscar Wylee they kindly sent me a sample from their range of sunglasses to wear and test out. I wanted something a little different and was spoiled for choice here.

After a whittling down my choice I opted for Perry in the Aged Bourbon colourway and before long a beautiful box arrived on my door mat with a lovely note from the guys at Oscar Wylee.

The presentation box with personal hand written note

Cool, clean and well presented

Wearing my Perry sunglasses

The glasses are great, they fit well are are well made. Not only that but I chose a great design. My friends are already jealous and they did a tour of the office being tried on by my colleagues when I wore them to work. In short I'm impressed. Impressed by the range, impressed by the service and very impressed by their dedication to such a great cause.