Friday, February 4, 2011

To help me see better, my dear !

I've been mulling over a pair of Warby Parkers since I first caught wind of them in March of last year.

I was able to get a quick glimpse of them at the Pop Up Flea here in NYC last November, but the joint was so packed that I didn't get a chance to really concentrate on them. I took their business card, knowing I'd be back.

In the meantime, I added a pair of Shuron frames to my arsenal this winter to replace my Moscot Hyman frames which were two years old and showing signs of age. Even so, I was still intrigued by the Light Sandalwood color of some of the WP frames. I usually wear dark brown or black, so this lighter color was a welcomed change.

Just my luck, I found out in November that the Light Sandalwood color was on back-order. So the wait continued...

Finally, in January, I was able to get up to the WP showroom on 16th St in NYC for a view of all the frames. The space was airy & bright with a lot of energy. The frames were easily accessible for trying on and the staff ulta-helpful. They had some new offerings that weren't even on-line yet. (They even gave me $5 off for making the trek there to visit them!)

I was in and out in 20 mins, since I had my current Rx in hand. I went for the Fillmore in Light Sandalwood. I was promised the frames in 10 working days.

All in all, a great purchasing experience thus far.

My frames ended up arriving at my house in around 5 days! When I got them I was disappointed to find that one of the lenses seemed loose. I called the WP 1-800 number and they apologized and promised to ship me a new pair right away. And that they did, no questions asked. I sent the first frames back, being extremely satisfied with their customer service.

The frames are aesthetically wonderful, IMO. The size is perfect for my face. The color is light, but not too light to conflict with my olive-toned skin. They're probably not as hefty feeling as my Moscot Lemtosh, but I do like the color and fit better, to be honest. And at $95...how can you argue? Even better, a pair of glasses was donated to someone in need as a result of my purchase.

Two days later someone stopped me and said, " wow, those are great frames! I'd love to get a pair like that but I don't have $400-500 to spend. Those are Oliver People's right?".

Nope, I said, grinning from ear to ear. Needless to say, the dude was scratching down the Warby Parker name faster that I could get it out.

Looking for frames? A second pair? A weekend only pair? Do yourself a great favor and check out WP. Don't forget, they'll also send you up to 5 pairs to try on so you can stare at yourself in the mirror for a long time without feeling self-conscious around the sales staff (or maybe that's just me)!

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Those are nice, but damn, you go through glasses fast! I've had my current frames for 12 years, though I've been wearing contacts for the last 5.

Have you had any experience with Anglo American Optical? I've come across them on the internet but never seen their stuff in person. They're a bit more than Warbys but I think they're made in England.

Some Assembly Required said...

I really like what WP is doing, in terms of both style and price, but I would like to see some new styles and colorways from them at this point. Most of their frame styles are on the heavier side aesthetically, and I prefer something just a touch less nerdtastic. For example, the classic round Anglo-American Optical 406--if the Warbys could approximate that, I'd probably get two pairs.

JB said...

US: 12 years! Wow, I don't think i've had anything for 12 years...except this damn rash...

Not familiar with Anglo but will check them out for sure.

Unknown said...

What did you do with your old glasses