AS AN eye care provider, you are committed to providing the best exams and vision to patients. In saying that, functionality may not be enticing enough for your patients to desire a second or third pair of glasses, and it certainly won’t have your patients engaging in fashion conversations at dinner parties or at the office.

Conversely, if your patients are wearing a “rocking” pair of glasses and a colleague of their’s says, “Great glasses!” it is likely the next question will be, “Where did you get them?” Your patients will talk about you and your practice and the awesome experience they had in selecting their new look.

Aesthetics and image have become just as important as the prescription and, may I dare say, a little more intriguing and fun for your patients. Consider that 36.8% of eyeglass wearers own multiple pairs of glasses and of those, only 27.1% say functionality is a reason to buy an extra pair of glasses, reports The Vision Council.

Translation: There is a huge opportunity to shine and advise on eyewear fashion styles to enhance your patients’ total image and your practice’s bottom line.

Here are three steps you and/or your optician(s) can take to accomplish this.

1 TALK COLOR

Color is one of the most important elements in frame selection. The right colored frames can accentuate your patients’ eye colors, harmonize with their complexions and hair and have them looking their best.

Often, patients will ask for a black or tortoise shell frame, as they feel these colors are “safe,” and they are not really sure what they are looking for. Guide and advise them. By simply asking some questions, you and/or your optician(s) can uncover a range of attractive colors that can be categorized as warm or cool. These questions:

• What colors do you wear most in your wardrobe? (The most common answer is black.)
• What color are your golf shirts, blouses, t-shirts?
• What color are your handbags, ties, belts and scarves?
• What color is your favorite outfit?
• What colors do you dislike?

If your client is cool, they will always look their best when wearing eyeglass frames that have a rose or blue-toned shade that echoes their cool blue undertone.

If your client is warm, they will always look best when wearing frames in colors with a golden or yellow undertone.

Simply adding a pop of color on the face can help your patients appear healthier, more alive, personally powerful and in harmony with the colors in their wardrobe.

Conversely, a patient with a cool blue undertone in their complexion who selects a frame in a warm brown tortoise with mustard yellow accents could appear jaundiced, anemic, unhealthy and jarring.

2 INQUIRE ABOUT PERSONAL STYLE

At first glance, the three top items that indicate a person’s style are their eyeglasses, hair and shoes. By taking in your patient from head to toe and observing their clothing style, you can narrow the selection of eyewear and communicate “why” certain frames will work well for them. This makes their buying experience easy and fun. When assessing your patients’ clothing choices, they will fall in to one or two of these categories:

• Strong wearing clothes with sharp angles and stiff fabrics. (See photo, below.)
• Neat, tailored and well-coordinated. (Her bag likely matches her shoes.)
• Relaxed (cotton, linen, leather) with layers of clothing.
• Imaginative and creative. They may have a mix of new and vintage styles or funky combinations of patterns (See photo, below).
• Sexy and romantic, wearing shiny and luxurious fabrics. (They likely have many pairs of shoes.)

Once you and/or your optician(s) have determined the patient’s style, you can present the eyewear you feel best matches it as a complementary fashion accessory.

For example, regarding the patient wearing strong bold clothing (the first bullet point), show them your biggest boldest frames that have sharp angles — nothing understated. These patients can sometimes be intimidating, but will respect your expertise.

Patients who fall under the second bullet point display that they like structure and order. They have taken time to craft a meticulous look and, therefore, will be looking for glasses (plural) to match all their outfits. A frame that has a classic shape (simple rectangle with a slight lift) in a thick metal or a polished thin plastic material, as opposed to an artsy vintage look, will work nicely for these patients. If the frames match their shoes and/or handbags, they will love you.

Patients who present with a relaxed look in their clothing style (the third bullet point) like to dress in layers with fabrics that have texture. Think cotton sweater topped with a trendy leather jacket and, likely, wearing some type of boot. Through their clothing choices they are saying, “Hey, I’m laid-back, practical and friendly.” Their glasses will be less formal, and comfort is key. This practical style will resonate with a plastic frame that looks textured (tortoise shell with color) or a thick, matte finish metal.

Keep the vintage and oversized remake frame styles for your imaginative and creative (fourth bullet point) patients.

Finally, patients who wear shiny and luxurious fabrics, such as silks, would do well in a rimless or light-weight frame style because the weight is consistent with the weight of the fabrics they like to wear.

Something else to keep in mind: How patients present to your office will show you only one clothing style. Remember that everyone has at least two specific styles of dress.

After you or your optician(s) have aided in your patients’ first frame choice, ask them to describe the style of clothing they like to wear in the office or at Saturday night dinners. When you dig deeper to get to know their personal preferences, you can then make your offer for the second or third pair of glasses.

3 FOCUS ON FACIAL FEATURES

Once you have determined the general face shape of your patients; curved, angled or balanced, you can take it a step further, and laser focus on their individual facial features:

• Brows. If the brows are curved, the top of the frame should have the same curve. If the brow is straight, the top of the frame should be straight.
• Eyes. Are they wide set or close set? Be sure the frame opens the eyes and centers the eyes horizontally. A frame too wide on patients with close-set eyes will have them appear cross-eyed.
• Nose. A high set bridge will lengthen the nose, and a low set bridge will shorten it. For example, a patient with a strong nose may want to minimize it slightly. Choose a frame with a bridge that sits lower on the nose, effectively shortening the nose.
• Widest part of the face. Size Matters! Be sure the frame is as wide as the widest part of the face to accentuate the cheekbones and avoid adding weight to the cheeks.
• Circles. If your patients have circles under their eyes, avoid the rimless styles and opt, instead, for a full frame and fit the frame at the same position. By fitting the frame at the same position, you will completely mask the circle. Your patients will love you!

BRINGING IT ALTOGETHER

When your patients see their eyewear is a fashion statement, reflective of their personal style, in a harmonious color that accentuates their best facial features, they will receive compliments from friends and strangers alike. This, in turn, will prompt them to return and drive more people to your practice by answering, “Where did you get your glasses?” OM

MS. BUCHANAN is a licensed optician, image consultant and the creative force behind a mobile eyewear boutique business. Globally, she shares and trains her Spec Styling system (www.specstyling.com ) with eyewear professionals. Email wendy@perceptionseyewear.com.