It's A Guy Thing
What's trending in men's eyewear now
By Marcy Bruch

Plastics, please: Ferragamo Men's style FE 2565 for Luxottica

Let a guy get behind the wheel of the latest and greatest sports car, navigate the remote for a flat-screen TV, or drive a golf ball across the green with a top-of-the line club, and you've got a happy man, indeed. The fact is, mentioning the phrases high-tech or state-of-the-art often gets many men reaching for their wallets. So, it stands to reason that when a dispenser presents eyewear to a guy with a high-performance angle, it's a powerful pitch.

Then again, a lot depends on the man's age. For example, many opticians report that the older the man, the more tightly he clings to his wallet. Showing a 65-plus gentleman eyewear with bells and whistles before mentioning the cost may only give him a bad case of sticker shock. Still, even silver-haired males respond to product that yields optimal performance--as long as the price is right. In fact, many dispensers say their frame and magnetic clip packages are blowing out the door, and it's the older guys leading the trend wave. That said, here's what's trending in men's eyewear today.

BOND, JAMES BOND

"Men will always go for something gadgety, making them feel a little bit like James Bond in action," says Seattle-based optician Jeffery Chase. "They like magnetic clips and readers that fold up and can be stored in tiny cases. They perk up when I start telling them about new, ultra-light frame materials like magnesium. Men want the whole story behind a frame's benefits--they want to hear about the history, the technology, the works."

It's that kind of story telling that has helped Chase make screwless, three-piece rimless mounts in beta titanium one of the best-selling frame looks for the dispensary--especially among mature men. "Right now I'm finding that men over 40 want two pairs of eyewear: An everyday pair that looks totally unobtrusive, such as a three-piece rimless mount with AR coating, and a more dressy pair that may have gold plating or tinted lenses to wear for special occasions," Chase observes.

When it comes to what the over-40 man wants in sunwear, Chase says protection is key. "We have a lot of boaters here, so they usually look for a wrap with polarized lenses."

Clockwise from top left: GANT Eyewear style GS Eclipse for Viva International Group; the new Fendi men's collection from Marchon, style 291ML; United Colors of Benetton style UCB453 for Altair Eyewear; Robert LaRoche style RLR 638 for Uniopt

MAGNETIC ATTRACTION

With knowledge of the benefits of polarized sunwear growing, the challenge has been to present this tech angle to men in new and fresh ways.

That's why magnetic clip and frame combo packages have become a big hit, even in parts of the country known more for cold weather than sunny summers, such as Fargo, N.D. Tim Bonnet, an optician and general manager for Sterling Optical there, notes the long winter's precipitation creates lots of glare, making polarized sunwear a necessity.

"In the summer months, everyone frolics around the lakes where the water reflects bright light, so polarized sunglasses have pretty much become a year-round staple for us," he adds.

Because Bonnet's dispensary caters to an agricultural community where function far outweighs fashion, he says many of his male customers have embraced frame and magnetic clip packages and recognize their inherent value.

"We sell a frame and magnetic clip package for around $229. Compare that to two pairs of prescription eyewear, one ophthalmic and one sun that would retail around $150 a piece, and they realize they are saving significantly," Bonnet adds.

Giorgio Armani style GA31 for Sàfilo

DURABILITY COUNTS

Similarly, in West Palm Beach, Fla., Jean Assuied, owner of Advanced Vision, also caters to a more mature crowd. And, like Bonnet, he says his magnetic clip and frame packages have sold extremely well among this audience. One of the ways he has gotten his older customers to upgrade and spend as much as $350 for a frame is by offering frames in memory metal or beta titanium. "Men over 40 don't mind spending extra for a frame, as long as they know it will withstand a lot of wear and tear," says Assuied.

Another way Assuied encourages his customers to upgrade in eyewear is by placing a luxury boutique inside his 3,000 square-foot dispensary.

"The décor and furnishings inside the boutique reflect the upscale image of the product," says Assuied. By having more high-priced eyewear just a few steps away from more mainstream styles, my customers notice the difference in quality immediately."

Most of his male customers under 35 are willing to spend more for eyewear, as long as it's fashion forward, and the boutique has created an area that appeals to them. "I try to have something for everyone. By distinguishing the two spaces for each eyewear segment, I've got all my bases covered."

URBANE PLASTICS

While metals still sell better by a long shot among guys in most parts of the country, in urban areas such as New York City, that's not the case--especially among men under 35.

There can never be enough black rectangular plastics on the frame boards at For Eyes Optical in New York City, observes optician Marisol Montero. "That's the hottest look now for younger guys," she says. "And if the frames are in a highly-recognizable designer name, so much the better."

	Clips in Demand: Easy Flip style FL501 by Easy Clip, a division of Aspex Group

While younger men want their ophthalmic frames to be bold and chunky, Montero says they prefer sunglasses that are far less obtrusive, such as rimless looks with lightly tinted gradient lenses. "We get a lot of guys coming in here asking for the same sunglasses Brad Pitt wears," she notes.

Seconding Montero's viewpoint, Teri Marquez, an optician at 20/20 Optometric of Fresno, in Fresno, Calif., says her rectangular plastic ophthalmic frames in black or brown also sell well among younger men.

SPORT-SPECIFIC SUNWEAR

Still, even younger guys are drawn to the high-tech, especially when it comes to sunwear geared toward specific sports. The younger male customers at 20/20 Optometric of Fresno tend to be active weekend warriors engaged in skiing, mountain biking, and surfing throughout the year.

As a result, Montero makes sure she has sport-specific sunwear on hand to meet the demand. "They like frames with interchangeable lenses and lightweight wraps. These guys recognize how eyewear can impact their sports performance," she says.

As far as shapes go, the consensus is that rectangular or square shapes are always bestsellers, whether it's younger or older men.

Bonnet says he has gotten his older male customers out of double-bar aviators by offering them single-bar rectangular frames. "It's a happy medium that will hopefully get them to let go of the aviator look in ophthalmic wear completely down the pike," he says.

So whether you cater to men who are young, old, or somewhere in between, put a state-of-the-art spin on discussing frame materials and lens technology and you're sure to see business build.