If The Frame Fits

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NEW YORK—By its nature, the optical industry has something to offer everyone. More people need corrective eyewear than not, and everyone can benefit from wearing sunglasses or safety goggles in certain scenarios. But while the benefits of eyewear are universal, the way eyewear fits is not. No two people are the same—even identical twins have their own quirks and differences—and eyewear is not a one size fits all scenario.

Making sure everyone’s eyewear fits them properly has been the mission of opticians, eyewear designers and optometrists for decades now—but there has been a change in the past few years, especially as we continue to strive to make our industry more accessible and equitable for all. Eyewear is changing along with the rest of the world, evolving and growing to make space for everyone.

“I have seen a change in the market via customers wanting more of a personalized fit,” Stacy Daniel, LDO and owner of Frameology Optical in Syracuse, New York, told Vision Monday. “Clients come in for a few reasons, but fit is definitely one. I don’t think they realize there may be a frame ‘just for them’ but they come in knowing we can fit a specific frame for their face and style. They are quite happy when they put on a frame and surprised when they finally have one that fits.”

Daniel specifically stocks independent, harder to find frame brands, and has seen brands like Swissflex, Mykita and Y Concept work extremely well for customers who need a specialized fit. She’s also found that many of the collections she stocks are beginning to add more fits for people of color. She finds clients love brands like Theo Eyewear, Matsuda and Sabine Be. In house, Frameology is working to make frames fit perfectly, too. Alex Marrone, licensed optician and Frameology employee, is “fine-tuning his skills in acetate buildups,” Daniel said. “It is a process that you adhere little pieces of acetate to a zyl frame and it makes the bridge smaller which in turn will fit a small bridge.” With this as an added service, Frameology will be able to offer more styles to more clients.

Marjorie Toney, owner of Style Eyes Optical in Brooklyn, New York, specifically curates frames with larger bridges and longer temples, which she finds is a better fit for her client base, mostly people of color. “I have a lot of luck with Valley Eyewear, Sabine Be and Karen Walker, because their frames fall on the larger end of the industry standard,” she told VM. “It’s a pleasant surprise to find frames that fit that criteria.”

Toney has specifically found that it can be troubling to find a perfect fit for some men of color. She told VM, “I think there is a rise in new collections attempting to address the needs of communities of color, but what is not included are the issues that men of color face when trying to find a longer temple. It’s challenging to find frames with a temple of at least 150mm that also looks good, is modern and appeals to all age groups.”

Although Toney has seen some improvement, she’d like to see more change when it comes to style that fits all. “I think the thought is there, but I don’t feel it’s executed well… I feel it is the stylist’s responsibility to source and buy frames that not only fits your clientele’s style but also their actual face.”

Ruth Domber, owner of 10/10 Optics in New York City showcases Say-oH, Ethnicity Eyewear, TC Charton, Bevel and Rigards as its Asian fit collections. In addition, 10/10 Optics is able to install custom adjustable nosepads to most cotton acetate, horn and wood frames to perfect fit—but Domber finds that patients often don’t know these options are available.

“Patient awareness is still so limited that I have almost never seen a proactive patient who was not promoted to first,” she told VM. But once patients find out, “they are 100 percent thrilled to know that finally they will have choices for a perfect fit based on their facial features. In all my years of featuring Asian Fit eyewear I have never received any negative feedback.” 10/10 Optics has a dedicated Asian fit page on its website, too.

Domber also ensures that 10/10 Optics offers something flattering for everyone. “We are very aware of the need to feature colors and shapes that will stand out and not fade away,” she told VM. “Most especially having options that are flattering to darker skin tones and not blend in. We use color wheel theory when showing patients frames. This technique will save time for the optician and bring successful choices to the patient almost immediately.”

This month, we take a deeper dive into how eyewear companies and designers are thinking about fit—and what has changed (or not) over the past few years. From some of the largest eyewear companies in the world to smaller, local brands, everyone is thinking about how to achieve perfect, individualized fits—here’s how a few optical players are going about it.

ClearVision: Finding the Perfect Fit
Specialty fit collections are a cornerstone of ClearVision’s offerings. The company boats significant numbers in its petite, XL and Style’N Fit collections, and in its brands including BCBG, Aspire, Ellen Tracy, Jessica McClintock, Steve Madden, IZOD and more.

“We need to look at each differently and specifically. It is not just scaling, we need to consider the facial morphology for each fit type,” Stephen Tripi, ClearVision’s head of marketing, told VM. “Some have a narrower bridge, some need larger eye shapes and longer temples, or wider end to end measurements. Each presents its unique fit and we consider those when designing the frames. It all comes down to comfort. Most of us wear our eyewear all day, everyday. It needs to be perfect.”

Tripi says ClearVision has continued to see a rise in demand for and production of specialized fit over the past few years, “especially for patients that are wearing the same pair for extended periods.” It is vital to continue to educate patients that they have options when it comes to fit, Tripi said. “They should not sacrifice.”

ClearVision has made a presence within the 3D printed eyewear world as well through its Clear3D collection, and there is a connection between specialized fit and the ability to 3D print. Tripi explained, “With different levels of 3D printed eyewear it is very easy to order a different temple length, but when you get to bespoke in the future, eyewear that is completely custom to the individuals facial features, is where the technology really separates itself.”

As the technology evolves, ClearVision continues to dedicate itself to traditional and cutting edge methods of designing and creating specialty fit eyewear. “We will continue to offer a wide range of specialty fit,” Tripi said. “It is something ClearVision wants to continue to be known for. We are all different and we should celebrate that.”

ESE: Fitting Into the Brand DNA

Three of ESE’s most popular collections—Jaguar, Coco and Breezy and Diva—prioritize specialized fits. Jaguar has long offered a large selection of men’s optical styles in larger sizes, Jason Shyer company president, told VM, and “it is one of the aspects of the collections our customers are aware of when making their selections.” For women, ESE has extended the size range for the popular 5535 style from Diva, and plans to add extended sizing for additional styles in the future, too. ESE is also home to Coco and Breezy, which is fully unisex. Because of that, Shyer explained, “our approach is a bit different… it is very important for Coco and Breezy to be about diversity and inclusion so the collection features a pretty wide array of sizes with a lean to larger sizes.”

When it comes to specialized sizing, Shyer says ensuring that a frame still fits the brand DNA is of utmost importance. “Whether the frame is small, average, or large it must have a great shape and cool details,” he said. “It must fit the brand DNA and be an excellent experience to wear. The only difference is making sure the smaller or larger size vibes right.”

ESE sees specialized sizing as essential for opticals and buyers, and Shyer has seen a rising demand for frames that fit different categories in the past few years. He told VM, “The goal for smart buyers has long been to ensure that their frame selection has a good supply of frames that fit all face sizes, from small to large. I would say that we’ve gotten more and more requests for larger ladies’ frames in our collections in recent years—something we’ve addressed very specifically within Diva and something we always pay attention to when working with Breezy on new Coco and Breezy styles.”

EssilorLuxottica: Fit Around the World
“Pursuing the perfect fit and comfort is one of the founding pillars of EssilorLuxottica,” Matteo Battiston, the company’s head of design and trends told VM. There are a number of brands within EssilorLuxottica’s portfolio that provide specialized fits across a variety of price points and trend focuses, including house brands Ray-Ban, Oakley, Vogue Eyewear and Oliver Peoples as well as fashion and luxury licensed brands Prada, Burberry, Tiffany, Michael Kors and more. Battiston sees EssilorLuxottica’s global reach as part of what makes this large offering possible. He explained, “The richness that comes from being globally accessible provides both inspiration and a wide territory for our research programs. People are different, faces are different, attitudes are different—this is what our wide offering stands for.”

EssilorLuxottica’s brands are able to approach creating specialized fit eyewear in the ways that work best for their specific customers, and share the same research potential among the company’s R&D laboratories around the world. Because eyewear is designed to be worn for an extended period throughout a day, Battiston said, “if we don’t consider the reality [customers] live within, the risk is generating discomfort.” EssilorLuxottica considers variable facial elements such as temple curvature, pantoscopic angle and nose shape to “develop solutions that allow the frame temples to perform at the correct length, different nose pad geometries to perfectly match the skin without overstressing the area, and different frame sizes and curvature to host the right lenses,” he explained.

The EssilorLuxottica team stretches worldwide, so making frames to fit people all around the world is in the company’s DNA. “Members of our product development team are strategically located throughout the world for this reason. The closer we are to where the needs are born, the quicker we can be in offering the right solutions,” said Battiston. “We’ve had locations in the United States, Europe, and China for decades, and have learned a lot. We recently opened a new site in Fukui, Japan and are extending our distribution in South America. We’re taking these actions to shorten the distance between specialized fitting needs and targeted product development. Brands are embracing this vision with a strong commitment, which will translate into better products for a wider variety of consumers.”

Ethnicity Eyewear: Designed for Fit

Christopher Esposito, creator of and primary designer at Ethnicity Eyewear started his career in Japan. When he came to the U.S., he was shocked at how few options he found for Asian fit eyewear. He told VM he “had a real ‘a-ha’ moment while doing sales and realized there was nothing available for those of the African community as well.” From there, he developed the idea for Ethnicity Eyewear.

Ethnicity Eyewear specifically designs and produces eyewear for people who fall into two larger ethnicity categories: Asian and African, Esposito said. E & E also houses the Say-oH brand, and modifies all of those frames to be Asian fit.

“It is not only fit though,” Esposito said. “Of course bridge shape, frame width, temple length are important but optical needs as well as frame coloring” are important pillars of Ethnicity Eyewear’s designs too. He’s noticed many clients with African heritage prefer to wear their frames a little lower down. “I am told it was because it was more comfortable. I believe that is due to the fact that nobody made properly fit frames.” That style of wear also accommodates trends and important cultural moments, though—it emulates people like Oprah and Whoopi Goldberg, who wear their frames lower, and allows space for things like eyelash extensions.

Esposito often sees stronger prescription needs in Japan, where he continues to work, and said, “frames should be designed to handle them without adding too much weight to the front… I am constantly asked for Asian fit frames. I get contacts regularly here in Japan from U.S. end users looking for solutions. I was just talking to one of our retailers in Philly and he was saying that at first it was kind of a hard conversation, but once people realize there is something designed for them they are thrilled.”

L’Amy America: Fit and Style

Some of L’Amy America’s most popular collections are also its most diverse in terms of fit. Under the Nicole Miller umbrella, L’Amy offers Nicole Miller YourFit, which extends the Nicole Miller line to larger sizes. Ann Taylor covers petite women, with an entire sunglass collection and large optical collection sized for women with smaller, narrower faces who fall below the average PD. Most notably, many Ann Taylor frames are offered in “Made Green” plant-based acetate, allowing customers to find their perfect fit and be kinder toward the planet.

Champion also offers a complete assortment of extended size frames for men, Cheryl Canning, L’Amy America’s vice president, marketing and brand development, fashion told VM. “By ‘complete assortment’ we mean multitudes of frame types in a variety of styles, shapes and colors. It is truly a full offering for larger-than-average cranial fit.” There are plans to extend Champion’s offerings too, Canning said—by February, three new styles will join the collection.

Marchon Eyewear: A Fit for All

All of the brands across Marchon Eyewear’s portfolio offer a variety of sizing options, Susan Moniello, vice president, design and product for Marchon Eyewear, Inc, told VM. This means sizing options are offered across the luxury, fashion and sports worlds under Marchon’s umbrella, “helping eyewear wearers that historically had a difficult time finding variety and designs that fit their style preferences in the sizes they need,” said Moniello. Marchon NYC offers a Fit for All collection that encompasses men women and children, Nine West offers Petite and Extended Fit for women, Columbia offers XL and XXL for men and Ferragamo offers standard, low bridge and universal styles. To achieve this, Marchon has conducted extensive research to identify its four areas of fit: eye size, bridge size, hinge to hinge and temple length. When all are fitted properly, this ensures maximum comfort for a variety of face shapes and sizes.

To ensure that there is a frame for every fit, Marchon first makes sure they offer designs that work with all face shapes, then adjusting width, bridge and temple length to accommodate eye size and overall head space. Nose pads are the final piece in the puzzle, and many Marchon styles have adjustable or universal fit nosepads. Moniello said, “The combination of all these details allows us to offer consumers a truly individualized fit experience.”

Most recently, Marchon has seen an excellent reaction to the expansion of its low bridge offerings within the United States. Moniello explained, “Listening to consumers that in the past may have bought frames when traveling to Asia, we increased our availability of Low Bridge styles in our home market. For example, brands like Salvatore Ferragamo saw an increased share of business coming from styles with adjustable nose pads or extended bridge section.”

Understanding what works for customers—and what doesn’t—is how the team at Marchon is able to ensure fit for all. Moniello explained, “As consumers’ purchasing decisions evolve, we are constantly exploring ways to offer our current and potential customers plenty of options in eyewear— whether it be price, sizing or sustainability.”

Safilo Group: Global Fit
With a global reach and a roster of house and licensed brands that appeal to every customer, Safilo understands both the importance and mechanisms of global fit. A variety of Safilo’s brands offer specialized sizing: Chesterfield XL is designed specifically for men who require a wide fit, David Beckham just launched XL sizing and Carrera and Elasta by Safilo also cater to larger sizes. For women, there’s Liz Claiborne Petite (Liz Claiborne will also launch larger sizes later this year, in response to customer feedback) and kate spade new york, one of the most widely recognized brands for petite women’s eyewear. In addition, Janet Unger, vice president of brand management for Safilo North America told VM, Safilo plans to introduce smaller men’s optical styles from Fossil, based on market feedback.

Then there’s BOSS, which boasts Safilo’s largest Asian Fit assortment. Asian Fit frames “make up a substantial percentage of the overall collection,” for BOSS Unger said, with Asian Fit styles also available from kate spade and Jimmy Choo. To create Asian Fit collections, Safilo’s local design team works closely with its team in Hong Kong. Unger explained, “We share our upcoming designs, from which they propose shapes derived from ours.” Those proposed shapes “are tailored to the Asian market and harmonized at a pantoscopic angle for maximum comfort with either adjustable nose bridges for metal styles or larger nose pads on plastic styles.” This collaborative effort ensures that the new styles meet the highest standards in terms of both fit and fashion.

Safilo is continuing to expand its Global Fit collection as well: Carrera, Eyewear by David Beckham, Fossil, Juicy Couture, rag & bone, kate spade new york and Under Armour all include Global Fit styles, which “offer minor adjustments to the bridge and temple fitting aimed to deliver comfort to all consumers, globally,” explained Unger.

The team also keeps a constant eye on 3D printed eyewear technology, “to track when they would bring value to the consumer experience,” Unger said—in the sport world, Saflio’s Smith has already joined the game with the recent release of I/O MAG IMPRINT 3D: its first-ever custom 3D printed goggle for consumers.

Over the past few years, the team at Safilo has seen a solid and consistent demand for specialized fits across the eyewear spectrum, leading them to expand their specialized fit collections to meet this demand. Unger said, “We’ve recently been expanding sizing for many brands to be more inclusive of all face sizes, both larger and smaller as the demand for specialized fit has stayed consistent over the past few years.”

Tura: No Such Thing as a Standard Fit

“At Tura, there is no ‘standard’ fit,” Kristen McLaughlin, Tura’s marketing director, told VM. Each brand in the Tura portfolio “expresses a unique design language and targets a different consumer… We not only target differing style personalities by using custom designs and bespoke colors, every frame element is thoughtfully designed for broad demographic reach including face forms, nasal flares, temple position, and more, providing a wide variety of fits to accommodate ethnic diversity and overall unique fit needs.” Most notable, perhaps, is Tura’s dedication to Universal Fit frames, designed for faces with lower or minimal bridges and/or high cheekbones.

Tura’s commitment to UF design began with conversations with its optical partners, McLaughlin explained. After learning that many women have resorted to wearing men’s frames for better fit, Tura created the Through the Lulu Glass collection from Lulu Guinness, which adapts best-selling shapes for larger faces. Ted Baker and L.A.M.B also offer UF collections, and Titanflex, Ted Baker Eyes Wide Open and Geoffrey Beene XL also offer larger fits. Tura’s XLUXE collection is also offered in a variety of larger sizes.

“As each frame is treated as individually as our customers, our first step included focus groups to understand the various fit and style needs,” said McLaughlin. This is followed by numerous fittings to ensure perfection. There has always been a need for these individualized fits, McLaughlin said, “however it’s been passed over because of what has been often featured by the media.” Sometimes, “buyers are often more comfortable choosing frames that fit them or those around them. Now brands and buyers are learning to be more inclusive which breaks barriers and stereotypical fits. This empowers individuals as they express themselves the way they want.”

With a diverse portfolio aimed at offering a size and shape for everyone, Tura is constantly on the quest to broaden its range. In the past few years, Tura’s team found “it was clear that there is an opportunity that is under-represented, offerings for Black and brown women. Despite the fit variety we already sell, we felt there were not enough frames that address the specific fit needs particularly women of Afro-centric, Caribbean, and Hispanic descent.” Once this gap was identified, Tura set out on a mission to address the need, and the resulting collection, created in collaboration with a world-renowned designer, will launch later this year. McLaughlin said, “In late spring/early summer 2022, we will launch a new Tura designer collaboration that will address a distinctive fashion perspective to this huge need with a broad range of optical frames and sunglasses designed to be inclusive and to meet the unique fit and fashion needs of black and brown women. Specifically, this collection changes the fit rules. Nasal flare, temple height, pantoscopic angle and numerous other fit characteristics have been thoughtfully adjusted to deliver comfort, lasting fit and beauty to these consumer groups.”

Vontélle: Fashionably Fit
Vontélle was founded specifically to fit and compliment people of color. Nancey Harris, co-founder, explained to VM, “Vontélle was founded to satisfy the demand for better-fitting vibrant, luxury eyewear designed and handcrafted to pay homage to the African, Caribbean and Latin diaspora.” Harris and fellow co-founder Tracy Vontélle Green originally set out to focus on Black and Hispanic customers, but their initial research revealed that “many cultures have had a challenging time finding eyewear that fit,” said Harris. Vontélle was built from there.

Vontélle takes a holistic look at how eyewear fits, and with a mission to “create frames that flatter and contour the shape of your face and are not too snug or tight,” Harris explained. Specifically, they focus on fit in the bridge, the cheek and the temple tip. But it’s not just fit that’s important to Harris and Green—the way fit combines with design is essential in their mission. “We wanted to see more color and pattern in our eyewear selection,” said Harris. “If you walk into any optical shop, most of the glasses look the same and are much smaller in size. The corporate vision for Vontélle Eyewear is to become the leading African American woman-owned luxury eyewear design company. Vontélle provides a missing component of better sizes, rich textiles and patterns to the eyewear industry.”

Eyewear is essential for millions of people, and the only option for many, which is why it is so important to ensure equal options for everyone. Harris thinks deeply about those who cannot wear contact lenses or get corrective vision surgery due to severe myopia, astigmatism, cataracts and other chronic diseases such as diabetes and high blood pressure. “We needed to create glasses that fit properly for these groups,” Harris said. “Most importantly, The National Institute of Health’s National Eye Institute report that, African Americans are more likely to have cataracts, glaucoma, and diabetic retinopathy than any other ethnic group. This data began our focus on better fitting eyewear.”

Vontélle has extended its mission of fit for all to children’s eyewear, too—its first children’s collection will be via its new licensing partnership with Nickelodeon ViacomCBS consumer products and feature characters such as SpongeBob, the Rugrats and Baby Shark. “Again, all kids have various face shapes, and we intend to provide the best fit for them as well,” Harris said.

“Vontélle understands that eyewear is essential,” Harris said. “The goal is to change how you see and be seen.”

WestGroupe: Architectural Fit

Launched in 2003, WestGroupe’s KLiiK denmark is designed specifically for customers who need a narrow fit. “KLiiK is one of the only collections, if not the only collection, that is focused solely on small size adult frames for both genders,” Beverly Suliteanu vice-president of product development, told VM. “KLiiK has become the go-to collection for ECPs looking to fill the needs of narrow fit consumers looking for on-trend eyewear.” The collection focuses on clean, architectural and minimalist design, mixed with bold and neutral coloring and details.

WestGroupe doesn’t just focus on smaller sizes, though: the company has also expanded fit in some of its other collections, including Fysh, Evatik and Superflex. Many acetate styles across WestGroupe’s collections are offered in a universal fit as well, with increased nose pad heights, straighter bridge angles, and bowed temples to ensure proper fit.

Over the past few years, Suliteanu has “definitely” seen a rise in demand for specialized fit collections. “The demographics in North America are evolving and it is important that frame companies address these changes and design more inclusive collections,” she said. “Consumers are also becoming more sophisticated in their eyewear purchases and are demanding products that fit properly, are comfortable, and look great. We will continue to focus on providing inclusive designs across all of our collections.”

Zyloware: Comfort and Fit
With its Randy Jackson and Shaquille O’Neal collections, Zyloware has developed a strong dedication to men’s extended size collections. The Randy Jackson collection focuses on masculine styling and fashion-forward looks while the Shaquille O’Neal collection is centered around sport-inspired eyewear with casual, stylish details. Randy Jackson styles are “Extended Fit,” while the Shaquille O’Neal collection is “Shaq Sized.” Both offer longer temples and an overall larger fit to tailor to the needs of men with larger headspace.

In addition to these two popular collections, Zyloware also offers an XL collection from Stetson. For women, Zyloware’s Sophia Loren line offers both Luxury Fit and Petite Fit designed for women over 40. “Each of Zyloware’s brands that meet the styling aspirations of an eyewear consumer offers Extended Fit styles that accommodates his fit needs and her needs too,” Christopher Shyer, co-CEO and president of Zyloware, told VM.

When designing extended fit collections, the team at Zyloware first identifies popular, trending styles. “Then,” Shyer told VM, “we build the frame from the ground up prioritizing the fit needs of this consumer—head width, PD and depth, seeking to create the most esthetically accurate look for this consumer while also establishing Zyloware’s well-known attributes of comfort and fit.”

Shyer has seen a rise in demand for specialized eyewear fit, too. “The rise in demand is correlated with the increased expectation that fashion consumers have adopted with different fitting characteristics,” Shyer said. “They are looking for style and the retailer is trying to delivery an accurate RX with proper fit.”