Eye Glasses?

[LaurenDeHart]

Ever see the movie "Somewhere in Time"? The part where he sees the current era coin in his pocket and loses his place in time? That's how I feel when I look in the mirror wearing my male eye glasses. I'm thinking about acquiring a feminine pair or two from an online site. Anyone have experience with this? I do know that I will need a new prescription. I also thought about contacts and I may do both because there are times when contacts become irritable to me.

I also thought about Lasik but I wear bifocals and I don't think that procedure is quite ready for prime time.

Thoughts? Suggestions? Recommendations?

Thanks

Lauren

[XemmaX]

i depends on what look you want i dont have another feminine pair i tend to just wear my everyday ones they are kind of a unisexish frame anyway. i have thought about too and would also like to know how it worked out.

[Teresa]

Lauren,
Last time I went for an eye test , I asked the young male SA if he could do me a deal on a female pair, he hesitated for a moment and then took me to check out the ladies frames, while we were looking he told me of a dressing experience which had to attend a party, it worried him because he enjoyed it more than expected and wanted to try it again. On my collection I gave him some contact numbers and showed him some pictures , he was so grateful to find he wasn't alone and shouldn't feel guilty about how he felt .

My glasses are great he gave me a great deal on a pair of varifocals, along with my two for one deal on my male ones.

[AllieSF]

I have been wearing almost unisex style glasses for the last few years. Some came from the female section and others from the male. It will be important to try the frames on with your wig or longer hair to get a true idea of how they look. I personally do not care for the more feminine style with the upturned outer frame top, though I do like the mix of colors. A good trick would be when out (if you go out) is to ask to try on other people's glasses to look in a big mirror. That means you need to talk with them first so that you are not a total total stranger. I did that one night and found the style I wear now. It is really hard to tell how they will look in male mode only. Good luck.

PS: Once you have your new prescription there are a few good online sources where you can get prescription glasses for under $100, lens and frames). You just need to know the right frame and temple measurements, which a friendly optometrist may give you even if they vary from frame to frame.

[LaurenDeHart]

i depends on what look you want i dont have another feminine pair i tend to just wear my everyday ones they are kind of a unisexish frame anyway. i have thought about too and would also like to know how it worked out.

OK, I'll update this thread when all of this is worked out.

Lauren

Hi Teresa!

What an amazing story!!! I should be so lucky.

I love that dress you're wearing! Very flattering.

Lauren

[ClosetED]

I wear glasses normally, but for most Ellen pictures, I take them off. I posted a picture with them on while dressed last week, but you have to reach 10 posts to see it - I see you have been busy so it won't be long. If you are going about in the real world, then I suggest the feminine pair from online. I am considering trying contacts - I would prefer not to hide my eyes.
Hugs, Ellen

[LaurenDeHart]

Hi Allie

I would love nothing more than to go out en femme and do this. That is a goal of mine that I'm not quite ready to test. I agree that nothing beats trying them on in person.

Thanks for the info.

Lauren

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Thanks Ellen. I'm looking forward to achieving those 10 posts!! Eyes are so much a part of it and you're right, don't hide them if you can.

Lauren

[Dana44]

Lauren, I used to wear glasses. However my eyes changed and now I don't yet my main pair of sun glasses are feminine and never got a comment on them.

[Jenny123]

About 5 or 6 year ago, I finally got to the point that you are at now with glasses. I know this is based on only one experience, but I would just tell the person where you normally get your glasses what you need. I had a very positive experience with the person who measures and orders glasses with a local optometrist. She's always been very discreet and helpful. She also told me that I'm not the only crossdresser who has ordered female frames too. My guess is that you won't be the first customer with that request either.

[kayegirl]

Lauren, I wear glasses full time. Tried contacts but couldn't get on with them. My regular glasses are varietals, reactive lenses and we're it not for modern lightweight plastics, would be like jam jar bottoms! But thin lightweight plastics mean that the lenses are frame less, and appear unisex. I do have one femailed frame, pinched from my wife after she had lens replacement surgery. I don't use of line suppliers for my glasses because they cannot make sure that the frame fits properly

[Geena Gee]

Lauren,
I recently got my eyes checked, and bought a new pair of semi-rimless no line bifocals. They set me back almost $350, not including the exam. I liked the glasses, but not the price tag. Geena however, needed a pair that were definitively more feminine. Locally, a female pair was going to cost me $150 +. After looking online, I found a company call EyeBuyDirect, and ordered a girly pair from them (no line, polycarbonate lensesj for under $75. Had my new Geena glasses in about 10 days, and I love them.

[Aunt Kelly]

Online is one way to go, Lauren, but I'd encourage you to go somewhere where you can try on frames for fit and style. The worst you're going to get is a raised eyebrow. No, really.

Hugs,


Kelly

[LaurenDeHart]

Thanks Dana. Strange how eyes can do that.

Lauren

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Your comment made me smile a lot Jenny. I live in a metropolitan area and I would be surprised if I were the first crossdresser. I'm tempted to do just that. Perhaps a call in advance to get a reaction and set the stage. Although I would not be dressed I find the thought kind of intriguing.

Lauren

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Hi Kaye

That is a concern I have as well. The glasses do have to fit properly. I really don't mind unisex glasses and I will consider them but my current eye glasses shout "techie nerd" (great for interviews) and that is definitely not the look I want to convey from my feminine side.

Lauren

Hi Geena

Well that is awesome that it worked for you. I'll look into EyeBuyDirect. Nice eye wear is always expensive. My current pair cost about the same as yours.

Thanks

Lauren



Hello Kelly Marie

I'm smiling again because Jenny just made the same suggestion. As I told Jenny I think calling around to get a reaction would be a smart way to go. I'm almost positive that the ladies where I currently get my glasses wouldn't blink. Almost. I'd probably try there first because they provide a quality product. I'm do for an eye exam anyway.

Lauren

[Jeri Ann]

Hey Lauren,
I have three pairs of glasses for different looks. All of them came from eyebuydirect and they are all great. For a good fit you need to know exactly your size. Information on how to determine this is available their website. Good luck.

[LaurenDeHart]

Hi Jeri Ann

Well that's two votes for EyeBuyDirect. I'll definitely look them up.

BTW, I love your look. Is it OK to say that? Lauren

[ronda]

I bought a pair of fem glass from zenni.com online for 92 dollars a couple of years ago love them

[LaurenDeHart]

Thanks Ronda. I'll look them up.

Lauren

[alwayshave]

I wear bifocals. I don't necessarily always need them for distance, but when en femme, I have a pair of rimless glasses. They are totally unisex, so no issues.

[LaurenDeHart]

Thanks Jamie. Yep, I have to do bifocals as well. Rimless are nice.

Lauren

[Jeri Ann]

Lauren I forgot to mention that I wear progressives. Without them I can't read a menu so whoever I'm with has to order for me. :-)

[LaurenDeHart]

LOL. You made me laugh at myself Jeri Ann. I've had that happen to me before so I understand. I've been using progressives for years. Not related but I guess a fun fact about me is that historically, whenever I get new glasses I get two pair. The second pair is the exact same frame and lens but they are sun glasses. I have a mild photo-sensitivity and I find that the transition lenses do not transition fast enough (either way).

Have a great evening

Lauren

[Kelly DeWinter]

Dame-Edna.jpgAlways admired her for her hair and glasses.

[Diane Smith]

I have purchased feminine glasses from the Lenscrafters chain several times. The SAs have varied in their enthusiasm for showing me women's frames, but it worked out each time. I also went a couple of times to a boutique optical shop in the Chicago area that advertises itself as TG-friendly. Superb service and a great selection of fancy designer frames, some very feminine, but the prices were astronomical. I bought one pair of frames there probably ten years ago that I have had re-lensed a few times as my prescription has changed. To be honest, I suspect most independent shops would be equally open to your shopping there -- if for no other reason than they are really hurting for business these days.

My last three pairs of glasses, two of them women's, have come from Zenni Optical, another discount mail order outfit. You have to wait two or three weeks for them and do the final fitting yourself, but I've found the quality to be fine, especially the lenses, which got my difficult progressive prescription closer to "right" than any of the other shops I've used. In other words, I see through them more clearly than any other glasses I've owned. Glasses that used to cost me $350 or so at Lenscrafters were around $70 from Zenni, with better optical quality. I don't see any downside to that! One thing I appreciate about cheap glasses is that I can afford to have different styles and colors to go with different looks, seasons and outfits. I haven't jumped too deeply into that yet, but intend to get a couple more pairs soon.

- Diane

[JoannaCD]

One of the few (only) benefits of aging is that you will likely get cataracts. The benefit in my case is that after surgery I no longer wear glasses, but I do wear Ivanka Trump sunglasses.

[Stephanie_V]

My vote is for EyeBuyDirect. I've recently purchased 3 pairs (male distance, female distance and male-ish distance with 80% tint for sunglasses). I just started wearing bifocals (from a local optometrist), but find them annoying when I'm on the computer. I got those three pair for about $90 bucks total with shipping and it was two orders. There is a picture in the beauty section with me wearing my 'Stephanie glasses'. You can also upload a photo to their site and try them on virtually.