Eyewear Diaries… a Europtics blog

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.

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.

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 Read the rest of this entry »

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.

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.