Selecting a pair of sunglasses can be a challenging and stressful experience. Finding the right pair of sunglasses that are chic, but also matches personal style, while fitting comfortably is a tall order to fill for both the patient and your staff.

This month marks National Sunglass Day, which provides the perfect platform to start a dialogue with customers to talk about their eye health and sun protection. It is also a great time to help your staff talk about multiple pair buying with customers. It’s a WIN-WIN situation.

Here is a fun new way to engage with your customers and get them excited about sunwear. We have created a quick quiz using a range of styles and shapes that will flatter a variety of face shapes. Customers can take the quiz while waiting for their appointment or you can email the quiz in advance. You can also blast it our on your social media and offer an incentive for followers who take the quiz to come in and see you. 

1.    Selecting a Frame

Sunglasses should complement and accentuate your best features. When assisting clients in selecting the perfect sunglasses, it is important to start at the base – their face shape. Everyone has a unique look and based on the shape and structure of their face you can determine what frame shape will suite them best. The golden rule to remember is contrasting shapes work best together – for example if you have a round face, choose a more angular frame. For a stronger, square jawline, select a softer shape such as round or oval. This helps to compliment their face shape without accentuating their prominent features.

Once you have determined the best frame shape, next is the skin and hair color. The frame colour should enhance and bring out the natural tones of the skin and hair. If the patient is looking for something subtle with a neutral tone, ensure the frame colour does not blend into the skin colour where it creates a washed out or dull looking effect. Find a colour that doesn’t fight the hair colour. The frame can still be bold, but complimentary to the shade of hair.

Personal Style

Personal style is what makes people unique. This is how we express individuality, through our preference of colors, patterns, shapes and design. It is the same when selecting a sunglass or two. Now more than ever, eyewear and sunwear are key fashion accessories. It is the final touch to complete the look of the day. Many women especially, select multiple sunglasses to match their outfits and social settings.  Women like a range of options from cat eyes, to oversized square shapes, aviators and retro inspired rounds. 

The better you know your customer, the easier it gets in helping them find the perfect pair of sunglasses. We’ve paired up with Sophia @TheMonocleMuse for styling tips using FYSH sunwear.

Sophia is a Canadian eye doctor living in New York. Her journey as The Monocle Muse began as a creative outlet to pursue her passion of photography, writing and fashion as a way to highlight her most loved accessory – EYEWEAR.

Sophia believes people should get excited about their less-than-perfect vision by getting excited about adding another facet to their personal style through eyewear. Here are some ways she incorporates stylish frames into her everyday looks:

Spring Florals

@TheMonocleMuse: “I loved the earth tone brown shade of this frame with the accent of yellow on the edges. I styled the look by choosing a top that also pulled gold/yellow accents to compliment the frame. Likewise, the evergreen pants kept on point with the earth tone palette.”

Style featured: F-2034

O.D. Off Duty

@TheMonocleMuse: “Because this frame had a snakeskin pattern, I wanted to style the outfit to be more basic and chose a solid slip dress and denim jacket. I wanted the look to be more understated to really emphasize the detailing in the sunglasses.”

Style featured: F-2038

Diner Diva

@TheMonocleMuse: “These sunglasses just scream vintage class. The white leather accent had to be paired with a retro-styled gingham patterned dress and a red lip for a bold pop of color.”

Style featured: F-2033

White Out

@TheMonocleMuse: “Toffee-hued sunglasses boast such a unique coloring that I wanted to pair them with a unique dress in a solid color that wouldn’t clash with the frame – and with summer just around the corner, you can never go wrong with white. 😉 ”

Style featured: F-2039

TIPS AND TRICKS: Here are some cues to look for when helping a patient pick out the right frame:

• What are they wearing to their appointment? 
• Do they have a unique accessory such as shoes, handbag or jewelry that stands out? If so, this is the key to their personal style and will help you narrow down the selection.
• Are their nails in a neutral color or bright? Do they have nail art? If so, is it a design, it is colourful or is it bejewelled? Match these details to help pick out a pair of sunglasses with similar traits
• What hairstyle do they have? Is it a bold color? This can help you determine if they want a frame that stands out or a more subtle style that will blend into their style.

Remember we are all unique and want to shine. 

2. UV Protection

Most people understand the damaging effect of UV rays on the skin and the ties to sunburn and skin cancer. However, most people are unaware of the effect it has to their eyes. 

Typically referred to as ‘snow blindness’, sunburn on your eyes can affect your eye health in the long run. It can occur when you have direct contact with sunlight or when light bounces off snow or water.
Patients can experience sore, teary, red eyes and blurred vision. In serious cases, eye sunburn can also damage the outer corneal layer, which can then expose the nerve endings below.

About 70% of people confessed to selecting their eyewear based on the style and do not consider UV protection. 

UV (ultraviolet radiations) is commonly known as UV rays that cause significant damage to the skin, less known for the damage it does to your eyes and your eyesight. UV rays can harm the eyes, and other components of solar radiation can affect your vision. There are three types of UV radiation. UV-C is absorbed by the ozone layer and does not represent any threat. However, UV-A and UV-B have long and short-term damage on the eyes and vision. If your eyes are exposed to the sun over a long period of time you can get sun damage on your eyes that will impair your vision. It can be very painful, and symptoms include red eyes, pain and irritation in the eyes, extreme sensitivity and excessive tearing. Usually these symptoms are temporary and rarely cause permanent damage. To protect your clients, it is important to encourage them to take precautions when outside in the sun. To provide adequate protection from the sun, their sun lenses should have the following:

•    Block out 99.9% – 100% of UV-A and UV-B radiation 

•    Screen out 75 % – 90% of visible light

•    Should block up to 400 nanometers 

All FYSH sunwear come with CR-39 lenses that block 100% of UV rays. It is important to discuss with patients the harmful effects of UV rays on cloudy days, not just when the sun is bright. Patients should know how the sun affects their eyesight on a daily basis and easy ways they can incorporate eye protection into their routine. When speaking to your patients, find out what is involved in their day-to-day, what outdoor activities they enjoy doing. This information will help to open up conversation in eye protection while helping you determine what type of lenses they will need. This can also lead to multi-pair selling if they need more than one type of sunglasses.

Quick tips

–    Always have a good pair of sunglasses in your bag and in the car

–    Check the weather app to know what the UV index is at for the day

3. Color 

UV protection is clear. Therefore, dark lenses are not necessarily more protective than lighter lenses. However, consider selecting a sunglass with a tint that is suitable for certain settings and activities. Gray tinted lenses reduce overall brightness without color distortion whereas amber lenses work best in conditions with lower light settings and can enhance depth perception.

A client’s preference to tint can be related to their eye color because the amount of melanin in your iris determines what colours of light are absorbed or reflected. Lighter colored eyes such as blue or grey, are more susceptible to harmful UV light passing through the irises which may increase chances of developing cataracts and macular degeneration. Wearing UV-blocking sunglasses can reduce the risks of eye damage. Darker colored eyes have more melanin in the iris, meaning they are less susceptible to irritation from bright lights. Therefore, people with darker eye colors such as brown tend to experience less visual discomfort in bright, sunny conditions. The higher concentration of pigment cells in the iris acts as an internal sunshade. However, it’s still important for them to stay protected with a proper pair of sunglasses, but the lens could be modified to fit their eye color.

4. Quality – Not all Lenses are made equal

Quality is not worth compromising your eyesight over. When picking out the right lenses, suggest ones that have UVA and UVB protection.

For clients who love being active outdoors like skiers, hikers, golfers, swimmers and fishermen, suggest polarized lenses. These lenses can reduce the light reflecting on surfaces such as snow or water that can bounce back to their eyes.

Remember, you are the expert here and know what type of protection is available. The more you know about your patient’s lifestyle, the more accurate care and protection you can provide them. Always offer them recommendations, even if they do not ask for it. This helps your customer live a healthy lifestyle thanks to you.

View the latest FYSH sunwear collection here to see which fit your diverse clientele.