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Men's Eyeglasses
Frames and Lenses

By Erinn Morgan and Liz Segre

Comfort, fit and durability rank high with men when it comes to choosing their eyeglasses. While men are concerned with style, they won't forsake comfort and fit just to look good. Men have their own tastes, but it may be a wife, girlfriend or significant other who will influence the final style or color of the frame.

About 88 percent of the respondents to a survey by The Vision Council* indicated that the comfort and fit of the eyeglasses was the most important factor in choosing an eyeglass frame, while 59 percent said that the durability of the eyeglasses was most important to them.

When asked what adds value to their eyewear choice, 52 percent of the survey respondents said that spring hinges (which prevent you from stretching the fit of your eyeglasses) are most important. About half said frames that are flexible and bend so they won't break easily (such as those made of Marchon's Flexon material, for example) are most important.

Comfort and Fit

Here are some key areas to check out to make sure the eyeglass frames you choose will be comfortable and fit well.

News About Eyeglasses

Try-On Website Helps You Choose the Right Frame

April 2012 — Need help getting your look together?

Not only does Marc Ecko Cut & Sew offer great-looking, on-trend eyewear for men, but the brand has launched a website that goes all out to help you find the right frame or sunglass for your face.

It's so easy: Just visit marceckoeyewear.com, upload your photo and try on the eyewear. If you don't have a photo handy, you can also choose from one of the four model photos to see how the eyewear looks on a person.

The site lists retailers near you, and a "Style Tips" page has ideas for pairing the eyewear with various clothing pieces and accessories.

More new eyeglass frames >

To ensure that the temples don't dig into the side of your head, make sure the frames are wide enough for your face. The edge of the frames should protrude slightly beyond your face so that the temples don't touch your head as they extend back to your ears.

Next, make sure the temples are long enough. Opticians can order many styles in a variety of temple lengths.

The curve at the end of the temple should extend over the ear without pressing down upon it. The optician can reshape and adjust the curve at the end of the temple when your pick your eyeglasses up, but can't make the temples shorter or longer, so make sure you select the best length.

Also check the nosepiece for comfort and fit. Many glasses have adjustable silicone nose pads that allow your optician to fine-tune the fit. For frames without adjustable nose pads, make sure the fit is secure without pinching the bridge of your nose.

When you try on the frames, move your head up and down, bend over and pick up something from the floor and see how well your glasses stay in place. With the properly adjusted nose pads and temples, your glasses should stay in place without pressing on your face.

Durability

Men who want eyeglasses that are more durable than usual should consider frames made from titanium, stainless steel and flexible materials, such as Flexon.

Titanium and stainless steel are stronger and more durable than other metal frame materials, and Flexon, a titanium-based alloy, will go back into its original shape even if you twist, bend or crush it. [Read more about these and other eyeglass frame materials.]

Five Lasting Trends in Fashionable Men's Eyeglasses

Men's frame styling has become much more masculine, with older shapes and sizes being reborn with a modern twist.

1. Masculine shapes such as aviator glasses and double brow-bar styles have re-emerged. Made with newer and often more durable materials, the aviator is back.
2. Larger and bolder eye sizes and frame shapes are in. But be careful not to go too big if you have a small face. The small, "John Lennon" glasses are still around, and they still work well with smaller faces.
3. Rimless and semi-rimless styles, where the eyeglass lenses are held in place by a screws(rimless frames) or a transparent nylon wire (semi-rimless frames), are perfect for the man who wants a modern or minimalist look. Combine a pair of rimless glasses with anti-reflective lenses and the glasses practically disappear. Men will appreciate the lightweight comfort provided by this frame and lens combination, while women will appreciate the classy look.
4. Used in golf clubs, bicycles and space shuttles, titanium also is a big draw for men as an eyeglass frame material. Because the metal is super lightweight, non-corrosive, very durable and stylish as well, titanium frames rate high in both the function and the fashion categories. Other options such as stainless steel and aluminum also are popular and have lightweight and durable properties when formed into a frame. These materials often are used in designer eyeglass frames because of their high-quality finish.
5. For a younger, hip or retro look, men are turning to plastic. Lightweight and comfortable, plastic frames come in a wide variety of styles, including thin plastics, bold, black '50s-style frames and layers of colored plastics laminated together to create a unique effect. Classic shapes in tortoise patterns also are likely to remain in style forever.

Current Trends for Men's Eyeglasses: Spring/Summer 2012

If you want to know which eyeglass frames are the must-have look of the season, check out these trends. Also see the current eyeglass frame trends for women.

Note that most of the frames mentioned here come in several color choices, so if you don't see a color you like in the video, ask your eye care professional.

Click on the button for a video of new trends in men's frames for Spring/Summer 2012. Or, click here for the men's sunglass trend video.

Manly Colors. Blues, reds and greens are used as accents on both metal and plastic styles, often with black as the main color of the frame. Examples include frames by Dolabany, Geek Eyewear, NASCAR, 7 For All Mankind, ProDesign and Ted Baker.

Basic Black. Black is always in style, especially for chunky plastic frames with a retro vibe. Black frames appear in many collections, including Randy Jackson Eyewear and Manhattan Design Studio.

Temple Grand. Temple cutouts are a great way to lighten up a frame and provide an ultra-modern look. Konishi and OGA are two brands with lots of open-work in the temples.

The Tortoise Is Here. Tortoise patterns are always in style, and they're especially noteworthy when mixed with plain metals and earth-colored plastics. Genius Eyewear, Republica, Geek Eyewear, Ogi, Mario Galbatti and many other frame collections include tortoise as a color option.

Roundup. Original Penguin, Colors in Optics, Cinzia Designs and Hickey Freeman have all released rounded frames that convey a scholarly look and work best for angular faces.

The Rugged Outdoorsman. Frames in this trend look a bit rustic, with wood-look plastic materials, engraved-metal accents and strong shapes. Austin Reed, Caviar, Donald Trump, Evatik and Hackett London include ultra-masculine styles in this trend.

Translucent Tendency. These frames blend a strong color such as black or burgundy into clear or frosted plastic. Cole Haan, ICU and Genius Eyewear offer examples.

Special thanks to The Vision Council for their assistance with fashion updates.

Want more? See our section called What's New in Eyeglass Frames. Whatever your style may be, you'll find the right frame — or frame wardrobe — for your personality and lifestyle. [See also: Spring/Summer 2012 Trends in Sunglasses]

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*A recent study of Americans aged 35 to 64 by Vision Council of America, now named The Vision Council.

[Page updated April 2012]