MEN'S TRENDS
What eyewear guys want now
By Marcy Bruch

Men. No two are alike, and their preferences in eyewear can be as infinite as their vast array of personalities. Yet within each generation, some similarities do prevail. And though many guys are not attuned to fashion trends, they still appreciate the latest technical bells and whistles in eyewear that offer greater visibility and comfort. Technically savvy three-piece rimless mounts, titanium, AR coatings, progressives, and polarized lenses top the charts when it comes to what older men want. For younger guys, plastic frames, tints, flash mirror coatings, and shields rule because they make them look cool. Here follows a spot check on what eyewear guys are currently buying

H2Optix style Laguna for Bushnell Performance Products

METAL VERSUS PLASTIC

When it comes down to metal vs. plastic, metal rules over plastic by a huge margin among men who buy ophthalmic eyewear, according to many dispensers. If money is no object, titanium is often their metal of choice. "I sell nothing but high-end product with frames averaging from $300 to $400 at retail, and there's no question that titanium is my bestselling metal among men in both full-rim styles as well as three-piece mounts," says Chet Steinmetz, an optometrist for Visual Effects Optical in Chicago, Ill.

More price-conscious guys, who don't want to spend more than $200 a frame, find eyewear made of memory metal a good bet for their money. "We have a lot of fathers who come in who don't care about what's trendy, they just want good quality eyewear that will withstand their active lifestyles," says Tracy Richardson, an optician for Clayton Eye Center in Morrow, Ga. "That's why they tend to buy frames made of memory metal in a mainstream brand that retails for around $180."

Still, plastic frames do have their niche, especially among the under-30 male crowd. "I'll always sell more metal than plastic, but when I do sell plastic frames to a guy, it's generally to someone under 35 years old," notes Laura Baraz, an optician for Cohen's Fashion Optical in New York City. She adds that black rectangular plastics are particularly popular among young guys. "Plastic frames are bolder than metals, giving younger men an opportunity to make a stronger fashion statement with their eyewear. Celebrities such as Robert Downey, Jr., and Spike Lee wear these frames, which has helped the trend gain momentum in a city where fashion matters," she points out.

Similarly, on the West Coast, Anthony Garcia, general manager for City Optix in San Francisco, reports he also sells more plastics to his under-30 male clientele. "I'm selling rectangular frames in dark matte finishes to young guys. Of the men 35 and older who do buy plastic, it's usually in tortoise. Guys 40 and older generally want three-piece rimless mounts and titanium frames," he says.

FRAME SHAPES MEN WANT

For frame shapes, it's no surprise that most of the time guys want styles that are geometric with sharp angles so there's no question the frame was designed for a man. "My best-selling frame shapes for men are rectangles," says Steinmetz.

In Georgia, Richardson reports that squares and rectangles sell best in full-rim styles. With three-piece rimless mounts, however, she observes guys are more willing to sport lenses in softer, oval shapes.

What about the re-emergence of the round frame? "Men who are in artistic fields tend to like round-shaped frames, especially musicians, since Ozzy Osbourne has been seen wearing them of late, and of course they were part of John Lennon's signature look," notes Baraz.

"If you cater to men in creative fields, it's worth adding them to your assortment. Also, our former mayor, Rudy Guilliani, favors round tortoise frames, so it's definitely a frame shape to keep track of."

When it comes to frame size, Dianna Finisecy, owner of Wagner Opticians in Washington, D.C., has noticed men over 60 are finally coming around to buying smaller frames that aren't double-bar aviators. "The funny thing is, now that the older guys are finally accepting smaller-sized frames, younger guys are starting to gravitate more towards larger frames," she observes.

	Gant style Dow for Viva International Group

TREATMENTS IN DEMAND

With AR coatings, progressives, gradient tints, and flash mirror coatings on the rise, offering these lens treatments to your male clientele can do much to beef up sales while building customer loyalty. "Of my over-40 clientele, about 85 percent of them request AR coatings on their lenses," says Steinmetz. "And for those who are just beginning to experience presbyopia, they think progressives are a godsend, because they'll do whatever it takes to combat signs of aging."

Finisecy has noticed that older men aren't sucked in by all the designer eyewear ads and media hype. "They're simply looking to solve a problem--their poor eyesight--not establish a look. So offering them lens options like AR coatings, progressives, and polarized lenses enhances their visual acuity while also increasing your sale by 20 to 50 percent," she says.

Young men look for optional lens treatments as well, but for a different reason. "Guys under 30 are more heavily influenced by what's trendy. And right now that's flash mirror coatings, and gradient tints," Garcia says, adding that these lens options also give younger men a reason to buy a second pair of prescription eyewear to wear when they go out at night.

SUNWEAR CHOICES

When it comes to sunwear, most dispensers note that men over 40 are more focused on function, while men under 30 care more about fashion.

"Baby boomer men are very educated about the harmful effects of sun, and since they try to stay in shape by golfing or playing tennis, they are more than willing to pay a premium for high-quality polarized lenses," says Richardson. For that reason, she also sells a lot of polarized clip-ons to men middle-aged and older.

By contrast, Garcia in San Francisco says his clip-on business is practically obsolete. "Sunwear frames have gotten much bigger over the past year, and clip-ons simply don't fit in with that fashion direction," he notes.

Wraps and larger sunglasses afford more UV coverage, and this health factor supports joins the cutting edge style factor to explain its gains in popularity. And among young men especially, rimless shields in designer brands have been off the charts.

"Right now, younger guys generally own two pairs of sunglasses, one is geared more toward urban wear--such as a gradient flash rimless shield--and the other pair is worn during weekends while engaging in extreme sports--such as a nylon wrap with lenses that enhance performance," Garcia adds.

CW Bliss style CB44 for Lancer International, a division of Kenmark Group.	Hugo Boss style 15847 for Charmant Exclusive Division (CXD).

READERS AND ACCESSORIES

To give added-value service to guys over 40, readers may be worth carrying. This product attracts a voracious audience, says Jack Burns, owner of the specialty reader shop Cheaters, in Corte Madera, Calif.

Tommy Bahama ophthalmic collection for L'Amy.

In fact, some of the baby boomers have been known to come into his store at least once a month to buy yet another pair of readers at $60 each. "There's one customer of mine who must have at least 10 readers, by now," he notes.

Readers styles follow that of other eyewear that appeals to the over 35 set. Burns says rimless and half-eyes with no rim on top are his current bestsellers. "Since men have to look over the top of the reader a lot, rimless and those with no rims on top are the most comfortable," he notes.

Tiny folding readers that fit into tubes or pens also sell well, because they fit neatly into a jacket pocket.

Still, Burns says that manufacturers could fill some voids in the reader market for men. "I get a lot of requests for titanium readers, but so far, I haven't found any vendor that sells them," he says.

In terms of eyewear retainers, although men don't utilize them for their readers as much as women, younger guys tend to buy eyewear retainers to safeguard their sunwear while they're engaged in extreme sports.

Bottom line? If you remember to stress functionality to your middle-age and older customers, and fashion to the younger, selling eyewear to men will always be a breeze no matter how varied their preferences.

Izod style 711 for ClearVision Optical.	New York Yankees Manager Joe Torre wears style Ho'okipa from the Maui Jim Sport Collection