Eyewear Diaries... a Europtics blog

Oga Eyewear 6486O

Cassia — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 18:32:22 +0000

I want to mention one of my favored lines of male glasses today: Oga Eyewear and Oga Plus. Oga is a Scandinavian style and design, and one of the few we carry fashioned more exclusively towards men. The frames are angular, and have a vast appeal. Oga likes to use color, but it is a muted color, with navy and a touch of red in some of their glasses. Dark Neutrals are generally their go-to colours.

Oga Plus features a line of wooden eyeglass frames. This collection have fuller temple pieces, and are remarkably pleasant. Oga has worked out precisely how to contour the wooden temple pieces around a person’s head which means they stay there, but don’t press too hard. This is crucial for these kinds of eyeglass frames, as the temple pieces aren’t going to be adaptable. The frames should really fit well from the start, or the glasses never will.

The 6486O is one of my favorites, given that they fits a wide variety of men, and provides a distinct style to them. Many people will compliment you concerning these frames everywhere you go.

Lafont Eyeglasses and Sunglasses Trunk Show THIS WEEKEND!

admin — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 16:45:07 +0000

I wanted to let everyone know Europtics is having a Lafont Trunk show at our Greenwood Village store on Saturday, August 21st, 2010, from 10am to 5pm. Lafont will also be at our Park Meadows location Sunday, August 22nd, 2o1o between 12pm and 5pm. The entire line will be on display, with all the colors, as well. Come out and see these beautiful eyeglasses for yourself!

Lafont is an independent company based in France. They make both sunglasses and eyeglasses, and do both exquisitely. The quality is exceptional, and the styles and colors are stunning, as well. Lafont uses some of the best acetate for their plastic frames, so the material stands up to the rigors of life in Colorado, and doesn’t discolor from use. They also use titanium for many of their metal frames. As you know, titanium is both lightweight and extremely durable. The detailing they do on the metal-work of the frames has to be seen to be believed. When they use crystals, they are genuine Swarovski. Nothing else has that particular shine and brilliance. Their sunglasses are no less marvelous, and give great protection with tons of fashion! The styles are definitely chic, and perfect for back to school, or just a new look!

Check them out, or see many of their styles online here!

Maui Jim Makaha Reading Sunglasses

admin — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 21:12:58 +0000

Since I just wrote about Maui Jim’s other Reading Sunglasses, the Ho’okipa, I felt it only fair that I should talk about the smaller Reading Sunglasses, the Makaha sunglasses. The Maui Jim Makaha reading sunglasses fit smaller faces, and work well on more petite women. They still have full polarization and are fully UVA and UVB protected, as are all Maui Jim sunglasses. They also have the bifocal in the bottom of the lenses, so you can read outside, and perform all of the other daily duties you forget you need bifocals for. You know how it goes: Your regular sunglasses are great…until you need to read something.

Like the Maui Jim Ho’okipa, the Makaha sunglasses come in 3 different lens colors: HCL Bronze, which is a high contrast lens, good in any light; Neutral Grey, which is great in very bright light, and a new color: HT. This is Maui Jim’s newest color, and it is a medium green. It’s very high contrast, and beautiful on overcast days with flat light. Maui Jim is using the HT in a few of their frames, and it’s definitely something to check out.

Maui Jim Ho’okipa Reading Sunglasses

admin — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 15:49:57 +0000

Since summer is still here in Colorado, and probably will be for a while, and it’s still awfully bright out, I thought it would be a good time to talk about Maui Jim’s line of reading sunglasses. The Ho’okipa is the larger of the 2 styles Maui Jim uses for their reading sunglasses. They’re also (of course) polarized, as is everything in Maui Jim’s line-up. The Ho’okipa is now available in 3 colors: HCL Brown, Neutral Grey and Maui Jim’s newest HT, which is a lighter green lens, great for contrast and days with more flat light. It comes in 3 powers: +1.50, +2.00 and +2.50, and these will fit most needs. They’re great for reading by the pool, hiking, golfing, or even driving in your car. The small bifocal towards the bottom of the frame doesn’t interfere with your distance vision, but comes in quite handy. You can read books and maps, and write on your golf scorecard, all without having to remove your glasses.

The polarization is essential if you’re on or near the water, and it’s pretty helpful everywhere else, as well. It really cuts down on the surface glare, and makes things more comfortable for your eyes. These glasses are wonderful, and everyone who needs reading glasses should have a pair of these Maui Jim sunglasses, too.

Lafont Jamaique Sunglasses

admin — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 15:19:44 +0000

One of my favorite fashion sunglasses is the Lafont Jamaique. These sunglasses are super chic, and they do a great job of protection, too. The lenses are large enough to protect your eyes and give a wide angle of vision. They’ll fit a progressive with ease. The sculpted temples are exquisite, and give good protection from the side, as well; without being overpowering. The shape of the Jamaique is very stylish and modern-retro. You can imagine Marilyn Monroe in a pair of these. Jackie O would have enjoyed them, as well. They’re great for being seen around town, and at the coolest restaurants, and they’re great for the pool or beach, too. They also come in many colors, with my favorite being Lafont’s signature Panther. This color is perfect for sunglasses and works great with blondes, brunettes and redheads! It stands out, and gets so many compliments. It’s so fun! The acetate is great for sunglasses, because it tends to be thicker, and better for protection. Acetate sunglasses also usually sit a little closer to your eyes, so they leave less room for the sunlight and UV to get through. Check them out in our stores!

Oakley Flak Jacket XLJ Sunglasses

admin — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 15:38:35 +0000

I’ve been speaking about sunglasses with Dan Westmoreland at our Europtics Greenwood Village store, and his favorites for the summer are the Oakley Flak Jacket XLJ sports sunglasses. He likes the snug fit and loves Oakley’s lenses. Dan says the Flak Jacket XLJ offers great coverage and he enjoys the lightweight feel. They’re great for most sports, from hiking and biking in the warmer months, to skiing in the winter. He likes the lenses in the Flak Jacket XLJ, because they’re deeper than the regular lenses, and give even more protection. They come down just over your cheeks, and block sun bouncing up from the ground.

Oakley has long been known for high quality materials in their frames. They started as a sports company, and their glasses and sunglasses reflect that. Durability is the name of the game, for Oakley. The acetate they use is quite flexible, and really takes a beating. They only use polycarbonate lenses in their sunglasses, and only top of the line, at that. They have some of the clearest optics in polycarbonate sunglasses. Oakley opted for polycarbonate, because it’s one of the safest materials for lenses. It’s one of the most shatter resistant materials out there, and will protect your eyes from just about anything that comes at them (don’t aim for objects, though!).

As you know, Oakley sponsors Lance Armstrong, and they have a few frames designed with him, in the Livestrong Line. The colors are black and the same yellow as his wristbands.

If you’re interested in the Flak Jackets, or any of Oakley’s other products, all of our stores carry them, and you can always contact us for more information.

Oliver Peoples Nitro 64 Sunglasses

admin — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 19:30:59 +0000

Since it’s the first day of summer, I think it’s time to speak about sunglasses. We all know how important it is to protect our eyes from the harmful rays of the sun (which I will likely expand on in a future post), but we also want to look good while doing it. I spoke with Bill at our Park Meadows location, and his suggestion for men’s sunglasses is the Oliver Peoples Nitro 64. He likes them because they’re large enough to fit most men very well, and they’re a “rock star” shape. He says they’re big and cool, and make you look like a rock star. And, everyone knows, if you LOOK like a rock star, then you FEEL like a rock star. It’s the next best thing!

The Nitro 64 is a full titanium frame, making it very durable. It’s not as lightweight as it might have been, because it comes with polarized glass lenses; which give the frame a nice heft. Polarized lenses tend to be the most comfortable on your eyes (unless you’re a pilot!), and the glass is the most scratch resistant material out there.

The Nitro 64 is one of Oliver Peoples’ classic frames, and it’s still one of their most popular sunglasses. If you’re looking for a sexy pair of sunglasses for your man (or yourself), definitely give these a chance.

Rudy Project Zyon- Frame of the Month 15% Off

Cassia — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 20:14:37 +0000

This month we are Featuring Rudy Project’s frame of the month, the Zyon, at 15%. The Zyon is the perfect frame for extreme sport enthusiasts.

The amazing wrap around styling features many things that seem almost standard for the sport sunglasses company.There is a lightweight yet durable hi tech frame, adjustable nose pieces and temples, hypoallergenic materials, and pristine optics. In addition this frame features clip on side panels to amp up your protection from sun, wind and debris even more.

Available in 15 color and lens combinations you can choose from numerous matte black options, white, graphite, crystal and streaked brown options. Lenses range from laser and racing red varieties to Rudy’s premium choices featuring impactx material, photochromic coatings or polarization. The frame is completely RX-able.

The Zyon was chosen by outdoor buying guide in the summer of 2008 as one of it’s top sunglass pics. Read the review here:

http://outside.away.com/outside/gear/gear.tcl?gear=Rudy-Project-Zyon-Sailing&gear_id=6761&action=showgear

New Face a Face Heading to Europtics

Cassia — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 20:08:08 +0000

Just a quick post to let you know there is a new Face a Face order heading to Europtics. As well as replenishing some favorites new styles will be presented. One of which is an edgy acetate named the Bliss. Available in numerous colors the bliss is a multi layered zyl with strong lines and a groove to fully display all of the gorgeous material from which it is crafted.

Keep your eyes on the lookout. I’ll post when these arrive.

Meet our Staff- Azra

Cassia — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 22:23:57 +0000

Azra

Today I would like to introduce you to one of our ABO certified opticians located at Cherry Creek, Azra. Azra hails from Slovenia and her European sense of style is evident in her edgy eyewear choices. She is almost always wearing a different frame and happy to chat about it. If you’ve ever worked with Azra before you know she isn’t afraid to help you choose a frame that looks great on you, and isn’t afraid to tell you if something you’re looking at doesn’t. Azra really loves being an optician and this is evident in the service she offers each and every client. I just did a quick interview with her and here’s what she had to say:

Length of time you have been an optician: 9 years

With Europtics since: 2004

Favorite Eyewear Lines: Lindberg, Face a Face, Anne et Valentin, Lafont and Gold & Wood. Anything with bling-bling. Bling is this girl’s best friend.

What do you like about being an optician at Europtics? It is fun and at the same time challenging. I have a love of fashion and a love of jewelry. Working at Europtics allows me to present glasses that are really a fusion of both, fashionable jewelry for your face.

How many glasses do you have? Since starting as an optician 9 years ago I have probably had about 100 pairs. As my collection grows I donate certain glasses to Red Cross or Women’s and Children’s shelters.