Americas Best and Famous Wearing Glasses

Imagine this- you walk into a hot new salon and take a seat in a fancy chair. The stylist introduces herself as “Tiffany with a ‘ph””, and asks you what you want today. You reply with “The Rachel”, and all she can offer is a blank stare. What would you do?

What you should do is walk out on “Tiphany” and find someone who knows what she’s doing. You not only need someone who is familiar with Jennifer Aniston's signature ‘do, you need someone who is going to tell you if it’s a fit for your bone structure.

What the heck does that have to do with TimeToShade? The fact is, buying eyewear online can be intimidating. It’s really easy (and expensive!) to walk into LensCrafters and find some frames that look really good on your face. Online, you sometimes have to use your imagination a little bit.

That’s why we put together this guide. We’ve created some especially whimsical categories of eyewear (“Nerd Glasses”, “Clark Kent Glasses”, etc.) that are all just a click away. Additionally, we’ve done some research on which type of glasses complements which type of face, so we can hopefully help you avoid buying something that’s going to end up highlighting all of the wrong things.

Steve Jobs was famous for wearing the same outfit every day. According to his biography, he chose this outfit because he felt like he looked good, he was comfortable, and it allowed him to make one less decision every day. It’s a little ironic that the guy who wanted to avoid putting too much brain power into fashion decisions has been so frequently emulated, but that’s where we are.

Jobs’ glasses are very similar to John Lennon’s- they have big circle lenses with end pieces pushing the temple arms out a bit. However, there is one big distinction- he was known to have frame-less lenses.

The lack of frames on the lenses actually de-emphasizes the lower part of your face, so we comfortably recommend these frames for all face types!

You might not have heard, but Clark Kent is actually Superman's alter ego. Superman actually has perfect vision, but to help throw people off the scent, Clark has been wearing eyeglasses since the character's introduction in 1938.

Although the character has spanned 80+ years and nearly as many actors, the "look" of the glasses is pretty consistently ordinary. They're almost always large (but not "oversized") black frames.

If you don't want your glasses to outshine you, "Clark Kent" style is the way to go.

Nerd glasses are kind of tough to define.

In movies, one thing that's pretty consistent with "nerd" glasses is that they are loud. In nearly every case, whether it's because of a taped bridge or out-of-place embellishments, the nerd's glasses are going to be more memorable than the nerd's face.

If this is the look you're going for, we recommend things like two-toned frames as well. Also, a little bit of tape on the bridge never hurts.

"Military grade" is kind of a funny marketing term these days. You have products in categories as disparate as laptops and barbecues advertised as "military grade", which is meant to evoke this idea of top quality.

However, if you were to speak to someone who has spent any time in the military, you'd probably have different thoughts. In reality, the military must source a lot of gear from the most competitive (read: lowest) bidder, so a lot of the stuff isn't going to be top-tier.

Eyewear is no exception. It has improved over the past few decades, but they eyewear issued to service members have historically been known as "BCGs" (Birth Control Goggles). Nowadays, service members can choose from a handful of extremely conservative choices.

Aviator glasses were, believe it or not, originally designed for pilots in 1936 by Bausch & Lomb. They have large eyepieces, which are designed to block as much light as possible from entering the eye from any angle.

Nowadays, they are worn by everyone from rock stars to athletes. They fit just about any face type, and look very good with mirrored lenses.

"Wayfarer" glasses were originally created by Ray-Ban. The look is a very "swoopy" one, with large lenses and distinctive eyepieces that are larger at the top than the bottom.

Aside from the Ray-Ban branded glasses that we carry, we have a number of competitive styles that deliver a very similar look, sometimes at unbelievable low prices. Be sure to check these frames out.

What if you want to look smart, but unfortunately weren't lucky enough to have bad vision? There is an answer for you- non Rx clear lenses. We offer this feature with all of our frames at no cost.

As for the frames themselves, you're probably going to want to find something a little larger than normal, to really sell the look.

As lenses have gotten more durable, rimless options have become more feasible, even at low pricepoints. A rimless frame has one big advantage over conventional frames- there is no obstruction at the top or the bottom of the lens.

Most rimless frames have simple, elegant temple arms as well, so nothing about the glasses will distract others from seeing your full face.

Michael Jackson frequently wore aviator sunglasses while in public. If you want to mimic that look on a budget, we recommend the frames above, along with a mirrored tint.