Rose Denney, Certified Optician and Office Manager at Rx Optical in Grandville, might well be considered a personal stylist when it comes to glasses.
Her training and education combine both the medical and fashion sides of frames to ensure you feel your most confident. Her instantly transformative frame secret? Pay attention to that angle on the cheekbone.
Is there any truth to this face shape business?
As an optician of 25 years, it does play into fitting glasses. There are some general tips such as going for the opposite of your face shape. Meaning, you'd never pair round glasses with a rounder face. Also, your glasses should follow your brow line and a frame with a good upward angle on the cheekbone gives an instant lift to the face—and we could all use that.
How does a one-on-one consultation work?
We really dig deeper to get to know the patient. What are they looking for in frames—something trendy, or conservative? What were their likes and dislikes about their last pair? We boil it down to their needs and creating solutions. What are they wearing glasses for? For crisper night vision or to combat fatigue from the computer? We want that fashion aspect where we look good but also want to have it based off their visual needs. We can't look at frames until we get to know the person. I suggest guests come in ready to play and try frames on, but make sure you're sporting your normal, everyday look. If you come in without makeup and without your hair done, you might find nothing looks best because you don't look your best.
Now that we know a bit more about face shape, how does coloring play into selecting frames?
I base it to skin tone and hair color. And also, is the guest looking for a pop of color to stand out or something more conservative that blends in? Someone who wears a lot of black and doesn't have a darker, olive skin tone might find black frames have too harsh an appearance. To combat that, select frames with a fade—lighter on the bottom than the top so it's a more gradual color pairing. I've got a trick using a black or white cloth on the guest, so we can really focus on how a certain color works with their natural coloring.
What are some designer brands you offer?
People love brands! We offer Paris designers Alain Mikli and Lafont as well as Prada, Ralph Lauren, Tory Burch and the Oliver Peoples line featuring vintage and retro shapes. We've got sunglasses from Ray-Ban to Maui Jim to protect your eyes from the harmful UV rays.
Let's talk trends...
This fall, I'm taking a trip to Paris to the SILMO optical fair where I'll see the latest and greatest frames in terms of textures, color and craftsmanship. People are owning their own personality, so styles we're seeing are the geek, chic look of bigger frames—and in New York, clear, transparent tones are big. Vintage and retro styles are still popular, probably why cat-eye is always in.
Rx Optical products and services include glasses, contact lenses, sunglasses, eye exams, laser correction, eye care and optometry. Your style consultation begins at the Grandville location at 4555 Wilson Ave. SW, 616.249.8490.
Written by Missy Black, a footwear fanatic, style child and contributing writer for West Michigan Woman.
