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FOUR-EYED FASHION
Bringing the latest eyewear trends into focus
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Not so long ago, eyeglasses were the ultimate symbol of brainy geekdom. But if Revenge of the Nerds taught us anything, it's that Louis and Gilbert were probably cooler than the rest of us. Decades after the nerds showed those jocks a thing or two, specs have become the accessory du jour. While
nerding out
in traditional Lambda Lambda Lambda styles is definitely in vogue, a number of new trends in eyewear guarantee that those with less conventional tastes may never want to use their contact lenses again:
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Bespoke Frames:
With the exception of personal shoppers (and possibly your mother), expert style advice based on both physical attributes and individual taste is hard to come by. Enter
Indivijual
, a bespoke eyewear company that takes personalization beyond the monogram. While the cost of the frames (up to $600) will probably make a bigger dent in your savings account than would hitting up LensCrafters, these one-of-a-kind glasses are tailor made for you only. Customers must complete a survey of questions pertaining to interests, hobbies, and profession, as well as provide frame preferences, facial measurements, skin tone, hair and eye colors, photos of oneself, and even a mold of one's nose. In return, Indivijual sends back an assortment of frame concepts superimposed on your mug. After you've selected your favorite, the newly minted frames arrive about eight weeks later.
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Wood Frames:
Bringing a little bit of Mother Nature into our oh-so-sleek modern lives, wood continues to have a home in the design scene. Now you can not only
nestle your iPhone in trees
, but also your peepers. Chicago's
Urban Spectacles of Wood
hand-carves 11 different types of wood, from solid blocks, into frames. German company
Herrlicht
also features hand-carved wood frames with no unsightly metal or plastic parts, although detailing like inlaid antique ebony is available. Those blessed with 20/20 vision who still want to flaunt the trend may want to check out
iWood
's reclaimed industrial wood veneer sunglasses. How long before Ray-Ban introduces a line of Enchanted Forest Wayfarers?
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Eco Lenses:
Environmentally-friendly eyewear options are scarce as it is, and the eco-angle tends to focus solely on the frames. With
Essilor's Airwear lenses
, even the most myopic can see the world through "green-colored" glasses. The company prioritizes responsible manufacturing processes, using 100% recycled water and 100% recyclable cardboard packaging made from 100% recyclable wood fibers, while also repurposing excess materials for use in other industries. Clumsy consumers burdened by Coke-bottle lenses take note: While the treehugger factor is the real draw, the 100% UV protected lenses are 43% lighter and 10 times more impact-resistant than regular plastic lenses.
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* trendcentral articles are designed to be trend reports, not endorsements * The Intelligence Group is a trend-forecasting and marketing Consultancy focused on Gen X, Gen Y and Tweens. For more information on our services, or to subscribe to our syndicated studies, The Cassandra Report, Tween Intelligence, Latino Intelligence, and Mom Intelligence, contact Alina Goncalves at 212-277-5299 or via email at agoncalves@intelg.com.
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