KIDS FRAMES
What's Cool in School
Young children look to teens for trends, but express their individuality through color
By Marcy Bruch

photography by anna palma, stylist: suzette lavalle, makeup: amanda pratt, models: cassie foxx/generation, nicole davis/product, griffin noake/wilhelmina, dylan palacio/product, art direction by tracie haner; shot on location at the long ridge school in stamford, ct.

	on nicole: Save the Children style SCF928 for ClearVision Optical.  Sweater and pants by Mika Vero.

Want to know what frames kids crave? Hit the mall and check out what teens are wearing. According to many dispensers, children view teenagers as the reference point for what�s cool.

�Kids want whatever teenagers are wearing and that means metals so small, they�re almost like half-eye readers,� says Barbara Jean, owner and optician of Strickland Optical in Jamestown, N.Y.

June Renfer, optometric technician for Eyewear at Willow in Westport, Conn., agrees. �Metals sell far better than zyls. Although I am starting to see interest in plastics since more celebrities are wearing them and teens are tuning into that. That trend has a trickle-down effect on kids. So I predict we�re going to see more kids asking for plastics.�

Robert Silva, pediatric optician and manager for A Child�s View, in Mission Viejo, Calif., has already observed just that. �Manufacturers have come a long way designing plastic frames for children. They�ve shifted the focus from the orthopedic-looking glasses of yesteryear to fun, double and triple laminates that are very fashion forward.�

He adds that for the most part, young boys gravitate toward metals and the girls are loving the new plastics�especially the laminates.

on griffin: NBA Scholastic style Turn & Burn for Creative Optics, a division of Marcolin. T-shirt by French Toast, vest by Diesel.

Kids Want Color

While the preference for frame finishes might be divided between boys and girls, many opticians note that kids of both genders want frames that make a statement in color.

Jean Poppinga, manager of Purdy Opticians in New York City, says that when it comes to frame styles, kids usually ask for something they�ve seen on a celebrity. The frame color they choose however, is a total expression of their own individuality.

Adds Silva, �Since the parent wants the eyeglasses to look good on their child, they�ll choose the frame style. But by letting the kids pick which color they want in a frame, the selection process becomes a fair compromise.�

In terms of what�s trending in color, Renfer has noticed a move away from tortoise, gold, and silver in favor of blues, greens, and reds. �Boys are interested in coffee browns and blues. Girls like violet, mint green, and red.�

	on dylan: Tommy Hilfiger style TK11244 for Lantis. Shirt and pants by Diesel. on nicole: Disney Eyewear style 73 for Marchon. Jacket by Diesel; pants by Mika Vero; shirt by DKNY

In Sherman, Texas, however, Andy Morris, optician for Eyemart Express, notes kids� frames in gold and silver metal are selling better than ever. �Our kids� frames retail for $39.95. The parents want something practical that their kids will wear,� Morris says.

At the other end of the price spectrum, Brad Childs, regional manager of

Eyetique in Pittsburgh, Penn., says he does well with Grant Junior, which are handcrafted, multi-colored frames made in Switzerland that retail for $165.

�We are a high-end store, so we want to offer something exclusive in kid�s eyewear,� Childs reports. �These frames have a lot of pizzazz. We even have a little girl who models, and the frames have actually become part of her signature look.�

Geometric shapes in demand

Another trend opticians have noticed is the growing demand for geometric shapes in kids� frames. �The rectangular styles are the most popular,� says Jean of Strickland Optical. Renfer of Eyewear at Willow notes that square shapes and modified ovals are currently trending at her dispensary.

on dylan: Joe Boxer Eyewear style 17011 with clip #056 for Charmant.  Sweater and pants by Diesel.

Silva of A Child�s View says that girls like sassy cateyes while boys prefer rectangles and pillow-shaped frames. With the Harry Potter books all the rage among kids, some manufacturers are offering Harry Potter-inspired round frames, but how well they will sell remains to be seen.

Other manufacturers are offering sun sunclips to kids. Silva observes, �Eyewear with magnetic clips have a cleaner look and the magnets make it fun for the kids to use,� he says.

The importance of fit

Silva adds that since children have undeveloped bridges, proper fit can be a challenge. �There�s a huge void in the market for really cute children�s frames in sizes 36 to 40 and 44 to 47,� he says. �We�ve found some great German-made frames in these sizes, but the distribution channels have not been worked out, so it�s difficult to keep them in stock.�

Morris of Eyemart Express also stresses the importance of fit. �I only carry children�s frames that fit well and have a one-year warranty.�

Warranties and packages

	on cassie: Dadais 38 for Lafont. Shirt by Varci; vest and jeans by DKNY.

Since children tend to be hard on eyewear, one-year warranties are high on many opticians� priority lists. �Polycarbonate lenses and one-year warranties are musts,� says Renfer. �Because all of the lenses are polycarbonate, we offer two price packages that include both the lenses and frames,� she says. �One package is for $199 and the other is $229, which is basically Flexon frames with polycarbonate lenses. The bulk pricing has been so successful, we�re creating a package that would include two pairs of glasses with lenses. Because if anyone needs a second pair of glasses, it�s kids.�

At A Child�s View, where there�s some 500 to 700 children�s frames offered on any given day, Silva takes a different approach. �We try to make the second pair of eyewear for kids a pair of sunglasses,� he says.

Why? �Because if you get kids to understand the value of prescription sunwear today,� he says, �just think what it will do for our business at large in the future.�