Most people steer clear of heavy, clunky frames. This is something that
eyewear companies, eyecare professionals and consumers know all too
well. As a result, frame designers and manufacturers are continually
developing eyewear in materials and with construction features that
make them lighter than ever before. Zeiss, which produces both lenses and
frames, puts it perfectly - “The lighter spectacles are, the more comfort-
able they are to wear. Optimum comfort is achieved by making the frame
and lenses as lightweight as possible.”
Staag Fife
The promise of lightweight, forget-
they’re-even-there frames is definitely
a big selling feature.
The collections available to Canadian
ECPs by Alternative/Plan “B” Eyewear
include many lightweight frames. The
Staag men’s collection, for example,
features styles made from titanium
that are “extremely lightweight yet
durable,” according to Alternative/
Plan “B” Eyewear’s Cassandra Slepian.
Staag models Ike, Elliott and Fife
boast classic aviator or round shapes
that are exaggerated with slight
modern twists to elevate the look.
Alternative/Plan “B” has also recently
begun distributing iGreen custom
frames in Canada.
Staag Elliot
Toronto-based Specsy, meanwhile,
says its Digital Concrete custom
frames, which the company officially
launched in the fall, weight an average
of just six grams each.
They will be “one of the most light-
weight frames you’ve ever worn,”
Specsy says.
Specsy
“These frames are exceptionally light-
weight to the point where it almost
feels like you’re wearing nothing,”
Slepian says.
“They are made with a mix of light-
weight polyamide and acetate. This
collection offers a variety of ready-
made styles but it is also completely
customizable meaning patients can
choose their temple and front colours,
eye shape, size, et cetera. Completely
unique to the person designing it.”
“Specsy will change the way that
consumers approach frame design and
comfort by creating a customone-of-
a-kind frame that not only possess
superior durability capabilities, but also
weighs significantly less than a typical
acetate frame,” says Milan Madhavji,
Specsy's chief technology officer.
OPTICAL PRISM | January 2019 21