Last updated on October 5th, 2023 at 11:36 am
Stylish Reading Glasses. You can think of that phrase as an oxymoron like “jumbo shrimp” or “living dead”. But, truth be told, there ARE stylish reading glasses out there. You just need to know where to find them.
There’s so many of “us” that are entering the phase of reading glasses. We can let it make us feel old or we can use it as an opportunity to add a stylish accessory to our wardrobe. No matter what type of glasses we wear, whether it’s reading, blue light or regular glasses, there are truly ones out there that compliment both our face and our style.
If you’re not ready for reading glasses yet, but are wearing blue light glasses, this post is also for you. Almost all of the glasses we’re sharing in this post come in both readers and blue light.
You may have seen all the buzz around Gwyneth Paltrow’s glasses during her trial. They became so popular that even the Wall Street Journal did and article about them. The article lists even more celebrities who have embraced wearing glasses….and we can too.
My reading glasses are the “Hooper” from Caddis.
They are the polished gunmetal frames with the light blue tint.
I also have to mention the book I am reading, “Flying In the Face Of Fear” by Kim “KC” Campbell. Kim is a retired female fighter pilot who was almost shot down over Baghdad. The book is all about courage and leadership and is very inspiring. She recently donated a piece of her plane to the Smithsonian, which you can learn more about in this CBS News clip.
**Please Note: This post contains affiliate links and we will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on our links. However, we only recommend products that we truly love.
Stylish Reading Glasses: Where To Start
Face Shape
So, even if you’re new to wearing reading glasses, I am sure you’ve been wearing sunglasses for a long time. And, if so, then you know that the first place to start is with the shape of your face.
You may intuitively know what looks best on you, but just in case, I researched the best articles for determining the best glasses for your face shape. Here are a couple that I think will help you decide what works best for you:
EyeBuyDirect: How to Determine Your Face Shape AND The Right Glasses For Your Face Shape
WebMD: How to Pick the Right Glasses for Your Face Shape
Skin Tone/Eye Color/Hair Color
Next you’ll want to determine what color frames to get that flatter your complexion/coloring. EyeBuyDirect has another great article, “What Color Glasses Frame Should I Get?’ that I highly recommend reading.
Basically, you can pick your frame color based on your skin tone, eye color or hair color – or really a combination of them all. But no matter what recommendations you find, you should still feel comfortable picking any color that suits your personality! Do bright red frames make you feel light and fun? Then just go for it!
Reading Glasses Strength
You eye doctor can let you know what your reading glass prescription is, but what if you just see a cute pair in the store and want to take them home?
Luckily, there are a lot of online tests that can help you determine your reading glass strength. I personally used this one from Warby Parker and it worked out well for me. If you decide to test the strength in-store, make sure to bring something to actually read so you can truly test the strength.
Stylish Reading Glasses: Frame Styles and Shapes
Now that you know the best style for your face shape, the best color frames and the correct strength, it’s time to start shopping. I picked what I thought were the most stylish reading glasses in each category. I copied this chart from Warby Parker. It’s a great visual to describe the types of frame shapes available.
When I first wrote this post, two of my favorite companies were Caddis and Peepers. Caddis is a little more expensive and a little less traditional. That’s why I picked the ones I have in the photo above. Peepers are a little more reasonable which makes it easy to buy more than one pair.
I still like those companies but I had to update this post when I learned about Pair Eyewear! They are my new favorite.
Pair Eyewear reached out to me and gifted me with a set of their glasses (which I will explain in a minute). All my looks below are from one set of glasses that I put together.
How Pair Eyewear works is like this: you pick your base frame for $60 (including your prescription) and then you can add different toppers to give you different looks. They are magnetic, attach easily and are so lightweight. The toppers are $25 for clear frames and $30 for sunnies – yes, you can have the same glasses be both regular glasses and sunglasses!
What I really love is that they have so many colors and options, including their current Halloween collection. I went with a fall plaid design so that I could wear them through Thanksgiving. There is a new holiday collection coming in November too. I am sure I will be adding a new topper to my collection.
I was able to pick the base frame that I felt best suite my face shape. My base frame is the “Wanda” in clear and my exact toppers are, from left to right: Teal to Espresso Gradient, The Blush, Trick or Treat Plaid.
Right now you can get 10% off with the code: MYSTYL3R10OFF
I also have to mention the case that these come with. The case holds both the base frames and the toppers together, so you don’t have to worry about misplacing either one. You can easily keep the set together.
Note: You can get your base frame in any color, it doesn’t have to be clear. I just wanted a clear option for me personally. The total cost for all four looks is an amazing $135. I really recommend that you check out the Pair Eyewear website and have some fun playing around with all the incredible combinations!
With almost all eyeglass companies, most of their styles comes in both readers AND blue light glasses. (My “Hooper” style from Caddis, for example, also comes in Blue Light). Most of the glasses that I am showing come in both. Pair Eyewear has these same offerings as well.
Also, if you like the shape, but don’t like the color, I would click on them anyway. Pretty much all the glasses below come in multiple colors.
Lastly, many of these glasses, especially at Caddis come in two sizes. That’s. how I found them. A friend of mine is very petite and wanted to try the smaller size. So when we were in New York recently, we shopped at the Caddis store. She found small ones she liked, and I found my “traditional size” pair.
Stylish Reading Glasses: Rectangle Frames
Rectangle glasses are best-suited to oval, round and diamond shaped faces.
Square Frames
Square frames are great for oval, round and oblong faces. I have a round face which is why I liked these somewhat oversized, square frames.
Round Frames
If you have a square, heart or diamond shaped face, round frames will look good on you.
Stylish Reading Glasses: Aviator Frames
Aviator frames are best on round, heart and triangle shaped faces.
The first glasses below are the ones I am wearing in first the picture above. I don’t know if they are true aviators but I picked this category. They could probably fit in geometric as well.
Oval Frames
Oval frames are similar to round frames and fit the same face shapes.
Cat-Eye Frames
Who doesn’t like a cat-eye shape? Cat-eye frames are perfect for oval, round, heart, square and oblong shaped faces.
Browline Frames
Browline frames are best-suited to oblong, diamond, square and oval face shapes.
Oversized Frames
Oversized frames can work on most face shapes, but people with smaller faces should probably avoid them. They can be somewhat over-powering if you’re not careful.
Stylish Reading Glasses: Geometric Frames
Geometric frames usually work on most face shapes. They are many fun shapes to play around with.
Now that you’re all set with your glasses, you should check out Jen’s post, “The Best Face and Eye Makeup for Glasses Wearers” to finish off your look.
Jen walks you through all her tips for applying makeup, along with her product recommendations.
Did you find a new pair of reading glasses from this post? Let us know in the comments below!
