TODAY'S WOMAN: Specs and the city
The eyes of the world may be on Sarah Palin's rimless specs. But here in Sheffield, a revolutionary range of glases created by a Derbyshire designer are getting all the looks...
Does your nose feel like it's being gripped by pincers as you read this article?
Are pressure points developing at the back of your ears, or are your glasses so loose they're starting to slide off every time you lean forward to take a look at the chic designer styles on our fashion pages?
Ill-fitting specs are a fact of life for millions of four-eyed folk like me.
When I bought, I went on looks and ended up stuck with something torturous on the end of my nose for hours on end.
By the end of the working day, I'd be desperate to tear them from my face.
Bar scurrying back to the opticians to get your frames bent about a bit, there's nothing you can do. If you want your glasses to look good, then comfort is the price you have to pay.
Or so all us speccies thought.
But now that a Derbyshire man has taken a closer look at the way specs are designed and made, glasses can be so comfortable, you barely know you're wearing them.
So say Sharrowvale Road opticians Daybell & Choo.
They have been selling Tom Davies' bespoke and tailor-made collections since discovering him at the eye fashion fairs in Milan this spring.
Although frames alone can cost up to 430, customers are flocking.
"The styles are retro and quite stunning, but the real draw is that each pair is custom-made to fit each wearer perfectly," says Michael Daybell.
So, are all clients the rich folk who splash out on on bespoke tailoring and handmade furniture for their homes?
"No. Many are people who want to look stylish in their specs, but who don't want to sacrifice comfort," says Michael.
"Designer frames are now a major fashion trend because wearers know how much of a statement their glasses make.
"They want a pair that fits their overall image. And when you work out how many hours of wear you get from them, specs are probably one of the best value fashion buys," he explains.
But the problem with all the gorgeous-looking frames you get to choose from is that many don't quite fit.
"A frame might be a bit too wide, or not sit comfortably on the nose. Manufacturers provide lots of variety in style, but in very few sizes.
"People who have unusual features – wide head, tiny noses, large noses – have just had to make do for years.
Lots of people have one ear higher than the other. All we could do for them was bend the arms about.
"Now virtually any frame from the Tom Davies range can be made to fit them."
Michael can identify a face shape at a glance – I'm a square, apparently – and knows which frames will suit.
"Narrow faces are the hardest to fit," he says. "Ovals are probably the easiest.
And those Sarah Palins?
Says Michael: "They're nothing new; they've been selling well since the 1920s.
"I'd say they're classics – and for a politician, a rather safe option."
What do you think? Add your comments below.
READ MORE
Main news index
Your letters.
Features
More Rotherham news
More Doncaster news
More Barnsley news
Check out the very latest on South Yorkshire's roads - including live traffic cameras on Sheffield's commuter routes - with our Traffic section
Latest sport.
Email to a friend
Print this page
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Motors
Search for a car
Property
Search for a house
Weather for Sheffield
Saturday 26 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 9 C to 21 C
Wind Speed: 17 mph
Wind direction: East
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: 11 C to 21 C
Wind Speed: 14 mph
Wind direction: East
