Thursday, Aprils, 1934 Pago 10 Expressions Tl O jcsii-rrrirn Dromes save 63iimsme(Qi 9 By JANET STEFANSKI The four-eyes syndrome no longer abounds on the eyeglass scene. Stylish frames are here and both men and women are getting into the act. "I actually think a frame helps your appearance," said Philip Delaney, an eyeglass frame designer for Martin Copelind in East Providence, R.I. Women interested in a professional look should make eyeglasses part of their ensemble, Delaney said. "Rather than saying, 'She looks like a free woman, she looks like an airhead,' people will say, 'She looks intellectual.' People will take them more seriously," he said. Delaney said he thinks it's a good idea for women who don't need pre scription lenses to wear clear lenses in a modern stylish frame. Professionals in the eyeglass indus try agree that men have been showing an increased interest in stylish frames. "They're (men) a lot more conscious of what they're buying," said Julie Nel son, a manager at Pearle Vision Center, 1132 0 St. Men, especially those in the 20 to 30 year-old range, are willing to put more money into a good-looking style, she said. The classic, goggle shapes and intellectual-looking frames remain popular with older men, Delaney said. The Stetson brand, stylish and dura ble, is also popular among older men, Nelson said. The durability attracts this age group specifically because older men are interested in keeping their glasses longer, she said. Other brand names such as Ralph Lauren, Halston, Sophia Loren and Bill Blass are as prevalent in today's opti- X ... ; ... y - r ) ; J Ted KaufDally Nebrsskan A variety of spectacle styles at Pearle Vision Center downtown. cal centers as they are in clothing stores. "Even Jack Nicholas makes frames," noted Wally Carlson, a manager at the House of Eyewear, 810 N. 48th St. Martin-Copelind's design names include Nouvelle and Versailles. "You have to call it something, so you might as well pick something that embodies your design philosophies. The Palace of Versailles is quite a thing. It is one of the richest and most elegant places in the world," Delaney said. He said their Versailles designs try to convey these rich and elegant qualities. Lighter-weight frames, plastic and metal frames, preppy frames and frames that contour to the shape of a person's face are some of the new trends in eyeglass designs. Because of new technology, frames have grown in size, allowing more crea tive flexibility with frame shape to suit a person's face shape. "When you put these frames on, they stop becoming an eyeglass frame and become a geometric frame," Delaney said. Frames can take on a jewelry look with gold or silver temple pieces which Delaney said enhances a middle-aged woman's fashions. Conversely, Delaney advises younger women to wear a basic, thin frame with the appropriate style to match their skin tone. The downtown Pearle chain offers a wide variety of frames. The hornrim and round metal rims, which give the wearer a preppy look, were hard to keep in stock at first. Punk sunglasses, such as wayfarers, are another popular item, selling for $37. Another popular sunglass style, the Vuarnet brand, comes with a life time guarantee nnd a price tag of $84.95. Prices vary ir. the eyeglass market, depending on tne customer's prescrip tion, possible tinting and the chosen frames. One can probably spend less than $100 on a style such as the horn rims (about $30 for frames and about $40 for lenses). Despite the increased popularity of contact lenses, they are by no means phasing out glasses, Carlson of the House of Eyewear said. "In fact we're busier than ever with glasses," he said. Even though new types of contact lenses are available to suit a range of eyesight problems, not everyone has these options. Once a person reaches middle age, contacts can become too irritating, Delaney said. Colored contact lenses are becom ing a popular item, which the Pearle store is just beginning to offer. Nelson said that when these contacts first came out, they were hard to see with at night, but now truer, lighter colors are offered. They really intensify the color. The first thing you notice about the person is the color of their eyes," she said. Not everyone can wear colored lenses, however, because they are offered in only the standard hard lenses. Nelson says they try to shy away from selling the colored lenses to people who are only interested in changing the color of their eyes and don't really need contacts. Contact lenses range from $69 for conventional lenses to $79 for conven tional soft lenses. Some contacts such such as bifocal soft lenses, are priced up to $300. ' ? - V . -vV. . i j S'Tvr fid V J v t 0 K 77 ( v 1 V w