Essilor of America, the makers of Crizal® Alizé(tm), a new anti-reflective eyeglass lens with unsurpassed cleanability and durability, recently asked more than 3,000 men and women about their eyeglass perceptions. Covering everything from sexy, spectacle-sporting celebrities to eyeglass fashion, the survey reveals America’s stand on specs.

Can’t Keep My Eyes Off of You

When asked whether or not glasses affect attractiveness, 73 percent of respondents say it has no impact. 60 percent of men compared to 62 percent of women flatly disagree with the old expression “boys don’t make passes at girls who wear glasses.” 68 percent of Americans with partners who wear glasses say specs don’t get in the way of a romantic moment they enhance it.

The Eyes Have It

Most people, whether they wear glasses or not, share the same positive attitudes toward people wearing glasses. Most commonly, people who wear glasses are perceived to be smart (40 percent) and sophisticated (39 percent).

What You See is What You Get

For men and women, the profession most associated with wearing spectacles is librarians (74 percent), followed by teachers (71 percent), lawyers (56 percent), artists (27 percent) and actors/movie stars (20 percent).

Fashion Dos

The sexiest eyeglass frames, according to both wearers and non-wearers alike, are rimless lenses (49 percent), followed by metal frames (38 percent). Nearly half (46 percent) of the general population would consider wearing glasses as a fashion accessory, even if they didn’t need them.

Fashion Faux Pas

According to those surveyed, 40 percent felt neglecting to get a haircut can most ruin a person’s appearance, followed by wearing out-of-date clothing (25 percent), wearing out-of-date glasses (22 percent) or sporting unmanicured nails (13 percent). At the bottom of the sexiest frames list are big and bold plastic (7 percent) or sparkly and dramatic eyeglass frames (7 percent).

Know you be the judge – Do you look good in the glasses you have on? Look in the mirror what do your glasses say about you? Is it time to update your look? Ask yourself what people really think when they look at you? Do you want them to get a different impression? If you are honest with your self then maybe its time to go to ContactsandSpecs.com and make a change.

If you want to change your image and select eyeglasses that will flatter your face shape and current hairstyle ContactsandSpecs.com make it easy to try on glasses in the privacy of your home with our Personalized Service that is available on the Web.

If you want to do it yourself go ahead, you know what you like and at ContactsandSpecs.com you have a lot to choose from. Let us give you a few pointers and then off you go.
Remember that glasses, as well as any type of hair fringe will add a cover to the face. Bangs and hair partings need to be evaluated with their impact on the overall look. Super long or chunky bangs may overlap the top of the glasses giving a distorted or disheveled image.

The shape and size of the glasses adds an element of mystery and fun to the face. The color of frames and the lenses need to work well with your hair color and skin hues.

Always evaluate your face shape as a first consideration for selecting glasses. Keep in mind that you should select a frame that will compensate for your current facial shape.Round or fuller faces take newly defined shape and interesting form with sharper edged frames.

The reverse is true with angular faces that are instantly softened with oval or rounded frames.

When it comes to matching your glasses with your face shape, keep the following general guidelines in mind:

faces can wear almost any shape of frame depending on image designed. This is especially true when the hair is worn pulled back completely off the face.

Oval faces should consider narrow frames with more angular lines to add definition, length and interest to the face. Match the shape to the current hairstyle to flatter the face appropriately.

Diamond and heart shaped faces would generally fare best with narrow frames unless the face is narrow near the eyes which would call for wider frames.

Square faces do best with narrow frames that soften the facial lines and add the illusion of length.

Oblong face shapes benefit from added width or contrasting shapes.

Pear shaped faces are flattered by wide or angular shaped frames.

Select frames and glass tints that play off your current hair and eye colors as well as your skin tone. Don’t assume that the same color frames will automatically work well with the same colored hue. All hair color have a variety of blended hues that may or may not work well with a matching colored frame. Consider all the many eyeglass color options. Don’t assume that people with light hued tresses should only wear light colored frames or lenses. Although this is often a good combination it is not always the case. In fact, depending on the underlying blends and hues of the blonde, you may flatter your hair with a completely different color than say gold.
Light colored hair can look spectacular with boldly colored frames. Remember Sally Jessy Raphael and her signature red glasses?

Focus on achieving a complimentary balance between the length, volume and style of your hair with the same elements in your glasses. Consider whether you wish to enhance your current hairstyle or divert attention away from it. Depending on the glasses and frames you select, either option is possible.

Short, sleek bobs paired with large, brightly colored glasses would definitely telegraph a different image than glasses that were small and sleek.

As a general rule smaller frames tend to be more unflattering for older faces, especially when the hairstyle is designed to be worn off the face. IT is a known fact that medium or larger sized frames help to camouflage crepey or wrinkled eye areas and erase wrinkles, bags and sags.

Although the majority of people limit themselves to just one or two pairs of glasses, celebrities are breaking the trend by appearing in a myriad of styles that act as accessories to their hair and clothing. When possible select strong trendy glasses along with more classic styles to mix and match appropriately according to your image, style or moods.

If budget is an issue and you must limit yourself to a finite number of specs, select a style that will look good with the majority, if not all of your fashion styles. Keep in mind that frames consisting of a simple square, rectangle, oval or round shapes are classics that can work with everything.So much to think about and you thought you just wanted a new pair of glasses.

Depending on the color, size and shape of the frames and the color of the lenses, anyone can instantly project a wide range of images ranging from sexy and saucy to quiet, studious and intelligent.

Wildly colored and crazy shaped frames can tell the world that you are a fun person.  Match the glasses and the frames to your current hair image and you can solidify your personal message. Or make a 180 degree turn and instantly banish your current hair and beauty image.

If you’re going to take our advice and add glasses to instantly alter your style, remember to wear the specs with the right attitude.

Sensuous & Sexy Image – Whether you desire regular specs of dark glasses, choose curved lenses with a smoky black or gray tint.  Go lighter for regular lenses and much darker for the sun versions. To channel uber sexiness, pair the lenses, regardless of how dark they are tinted, with a black plastic frames.

Self Confident Image – If you want to ooze confidence, try the classic aviator metal framed looks with either dark or mirrored lenses like worn by celebrities.
If you want to show aggressive intensity or serious brute strength go with a thicker, deep black plastic frame that adds power to your face. Turn the look up or down with the size of the frames and glasses.  Smaller means chilled and confident, larger denotes more of an in-your-face style.

Kind & Gentle Image – Try a gentle rimless frame in any shape.  This is the minimalist approach and will show off your hair, eyes and skin to advantage.

Intelligent Image – Select a vintage look in metal or plastic that has a rectangular or square look.  Go with black or darker colors and avoid any brightly playful glasses that will send a completely different image.

Friendly & Outgoing Image – Oversized frames can work.  Consider gold metal frames with mirror-tinted lenses.

So have fun with our glasses, and enjoy your new found looks. You should have a different look to go with your mood, outfit and style. At ContactsandSpecs.com you will find all that and more.

We are always asked about buying designer eyewear and sunglasses online is how can I try them on first? Well now you can. ContactsandSpecs.com have pioneering the way. Our fashion exports will do it for just go to Personalized Service section upload your photo tell us what you want, and sit back, let us take care of the rest. As if you have just walked into our boutique. The best part is we offer this new service to all our clients free of charge.
The new service is getting big press coverage – This will change the way people buy their Eyewear and sunglasses from now on.

Are you tired of the same old you? Do you want a new look, a new haircut maybe to change your style? Then let us help point you in the right direction. Instead of telling you to instantly change your hairstyle with a radical new cut, 6 feet of pink hair extensions or even new chunky bangs, we are going to propose something easier.Regardless of your age or sex, if you want to instantly change your hair-style slap a hot new fashion statement on your face with a pair of glasses. Huh? Did we actually say glasses? Yes indeed we did. Why? Glasses are the hottest new fashion pieces around. Anyone can instantly change their hairstyle look by simply popping on a pair of those vision enhancers. While shades and sunglasses never really go out of style, regular glasses have snuck up the list of fashionable.

Let us remind you that eyeglasses can actually enhance your “come hither” body language when appropriately deployed.

If you still think we are nuts consider the fact that an estimate 120 million people wear eyeglasses which explains why the lenses/frames industry is reported to be over a $14 billion annual industry. Yeah sure there is Lasik surgery and contact lenses but many savvy men and women understand that the human brain is quite sensitive to eye contact.

A pair of sizzling frames with the correctly shaded lenses can seductively veil your orbs adding instant mystery to your image. They can enhance your natural level of allure or sensuality. Think about it? What do all the celebrities wear to add that mysterious glam factor to their overall image? Dark glasses, of course.

So how do glasses work with to banish hairdo boredom? Quite simply the right pair of spectacles can instantly enhance any hairstyle giving the same old/same old style a fresh new look. Even better, depending on the shape of the specs you can instantly change your image and mood. And that when you turn to ContactsandSpecs.com to find the perfect look for you. Consider the various celebrities that have recently bucked the glasses-are-for-nerds trend. A good example is Nicole Kidman. Fashion plate Nicole Kidman has been known to accessorize her gorgeous gowns with glasses for reading at the awards podiums. In fact, a few years back she was a vision in Galliano and saucy tiny-framed glasses at the SAG awards. As the fashion media noted so well, Nicole looked downright naughty in her ensemble according to some of my male celebrity watchers.

So take your look, your style and your eyewear to the next level just like the celebrities and enjoy life.

TAG Heuer is going digital—and not just with its watches.
The nearly 150-year-old luxury sports watch manufacturer is introducing its first comprehensive online advertising campaign today.

The program, in which TAG Heuer is initially investing $1 million, makes it parent company Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessey’s greatest single-brand online presence to date. The luxury watch market represents about 18% of the market according to The NPD Group/Consumer Tracking Service, Port Washington, N.Y.

The launch is timed for the holiday selling season with more than 26 million impressions planned for November and December on Web sites such as NYTimes, Yahoo!, PGA, InStyle, CNNMoney and Style.com, ContactsandSpecs.com.

Jenna Fagnan, vp of marketing for TAG Heuer North America, Springfield, N.J., said the digital initiative adds the next layer on top of print ads and enables the brand to reach consumers where more and more of them are: online.

The interactive advertisements at TAG Heuer.com
feature TAG brand ambassadors Tiger Woods, Maria Sharapova and Jeff Gordon, who tout the brand’s philosophy, “What Are You Made Of?” Within their respective ads, the ambassadors describe the challenges they have overcome both personally and professionally and how these feats have shaped what they’re made of. They also discuss the “what are you made of” principles and why they chose to align themselves with TAG Heuer. Bagby & Co., Chicago, developed the online campaign.

The new site also details TAG Heuer’s product lines, with two banner ads on the site that direct visitors to an animated landing page. That page continues the “What Are You Made Of?” story and answers the question in the voice of the highlighted brand ambassador.

TAG Heuer spent $21 million on advertising in 2006, and $11 million between January and August of this year, per Nielsen Monitor-Plus.

Sunglasses used to be big and chunky, back in the late eighties. Madonna wore them in Desperately Seeking Susan. Plastic sunnies were the rage. Now, thanks to European fashion trends in eye-fashion, Big is Back.  Then thin wire frames a la Raybans of top Gun were in, and they came in again at the turn of the Millennium. While aviator styles are still hot, the larger Italian look revives the old movies, with appeal that is as sexy as Sophia Loren and as classy as Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast in Tiffanys in her big framed glasses and chignon.

Even in winter our eyes need to be protected from the suns harmful UV rays – giving you the perfect excuse to buy a new pair of sunglasses from winter collections. The wide arms are better for protecting the delicate skin at the sides of your eyes too, than thin wire frames.  A good winter sunglasses usually have lighter lens sometime called a fashion tint allowing you to see clearly on dull days while still reducing glare, and protecting eyes.
Frame styles for the new season will continue the trend of large round and square shapes in black plastic.  Large and black will remain popular, and in Europe they are moving towards bright colours such as lime and white.”

Visit ContactsandSpecs.com to find the hottest sunglasses for the session.