Friends who know me would know I’m someone who loves glasses and
that I own dozens of toy glasses I wear as accessories.
All through my life, I thought I had perfect eyesight.
But a trip down to Nanyang Optical had proved me wrong.
I was slightly myopic and I can finally get my first pair of proper glasses!
(Don’t ask me why I’m so excited when my eyesight has deteriorated. Haha!)

I went to the Nanyang Optical branch at NEX because it was near A’s place!

There were many different brands for the eyewear
but I was particularly attracted to the exclusive house brands in the store.
Each brand is very unique and I thought instead of getting the usual brands,
why not try something special, different and less run-on-the-mill?
It’s going to be my first pair of glasses, so I wanted it to be the best!

It was hard to pick out one pair from the huge variety of glasses on display!
So let me run through with you my selection process. Hehe!

The first one was Glossi which is generally all about being fun and loud.
This one is definitely a head-turner with the bold prints and colours used in the frames.
Price ranges from $280 – $320.

The pair that caught my attention is the one made from a special material which looks different
when viewed from different angles.
Look at the colours! It’s gorgeous!

It’s almost like a rainbow-coloured pair of glasses and I was immediately drawn to it!
The special reflective coat on the frame is super cool and I’ve never seen it on other frames before!
It is actually NCP™, a patented material developed by the design team!
The special reflective coat is the mirror coating that creates this “reflective” appearance. Savvy huh!
And after some explanation from the Branch Manager, I realized that these frames are also made from
a strong and flexible nylon compound (that explains why it’s SO incredibly light!)
that is more durable compared to other regular frames we see in the market.

As you can see in the picture below, there are no rivets or screws which you normally see in conventional frames.
The different parts in the frame are now stitched together using nylon strings!
And they are all hand-stitched! How cool is that!
Do check out their Facebook Page and official website too!

I gave it a try and I think the stitching gives the frame more flexibility and cushioning to the folding and opening as well.
It also feels more “springy” – not so constricting on the temples.
According to the Branch Manager, this unique nylon string stitched hinge is an award winning patented design!

Another brand that caught my eye was Urband which gives a very chic, city-life vibe. I love the little details on the Urband frames and there are different ranges of frames to suit different people. I was torn between the classic metal frames ones and the “geeky” acetate frames which I absolutely adore!

Urband is also the world’s first Origami Eyewear and is constructed using a single piece of metal sheet
that measures only 0.4mm! The technology is just uber awesome!
Just with a few folds, like origami, a pair of frames is born! Each bending is a skill of precision engineering!
Price ranges from $450 – $580.

I love the Origami frames and I think this design will definitely make me look very intellectual. Haha!

And as I was half expecting to see the nylon-stitched hinge,
I noticed that the hinges on the Urband frames looked different from the Glossi ones.
And they are different from the conventional ones I see outside as well. Check this out!

This is another one of their patented S-Clip design, which adopts a locking mechanism.
Like the nylon stitched ones, the S-Clip does not use screws and soldering,
giving more flexibility on top of a comfortable grip to the temples.
And without the screws, you know you won’t be running into situations where the screws become lose or fall off!
The best thing is, it looks so pretty from the front as well!

Other brands I saw also included LinkSkin which only uses eco-friendly materials for all their glasses.

And there was also Eyelet which is oh-so-cute!

Sadly, these are for kids. But if you like this brand, they also carry frames suitable for adults too.
Other than Eyelet Junior for kids and Eyelet Slim for adults,
they also have Eyelet Senior which houses a huge collection of frames suitable for seniors too.
What’s special about Eyelet is that the brand philosophy is to have frames that is stable on your face,
and that would rectify the common problem of spectacles sliding down the nose bridge or those that are slanted.
Do you know not wearing your glasses properly will decrease the effectiveness of the glasses
and in turn affect one’s eyesight?
I think it’s really important that everyone (including children) get glasses that don’t only looks cute
but also serve them well! Eyelet can also be found on Facebook.

So after much deliberation, I finally chose the frames for my first pair of glasses!
I picked this pair because it’s suitable for everyday use and I love the shade of red!
I adore the S-Clip hinge too and the frame feels very light on my face.
Almost like I’m not wearing glasses at all.

The glasses came fitted with the Crizal UV lens!
I’m sure many of you can also remember the ad which shows the lens’ ability
to repel scratches, smudges, reflections, water, dust.
The newly improved Crizal lens now comes an additional UV protection feature,
combating harmful UV rays not just from the front, but also the back of the lenses – a first in the market!

Back reflection UV is particularly dangerous because it is invisible and the concave rear of the lenses
actually acts as a collector, focusing the UV rays directly into the eye.
So kudos to Crizal for coming up with something so amazing to give us 360-degree UV protection for the eyes!
The lenses also come equipped with Eye-Sun Protection Factor (E-SPF) 25.
This is a new index developed by Essilor to measure UV protection from spectacle lenses.
With this new E-SPF 25, this means that the wearer is 25 times more protected against UV than without any lens.
Crizal UV is also said to provide about 8 times more protection compared to regular lenses in the market.
You can also find out more about Essilor here.

Glasses are more definitely more than just a necessity or tool to correct myopia today.
I love how we can use glasses to create certain “looks” and use it as an accessory!
I think this new pair of Urband is going to be a good friend from now on,
especially with the reduced reflection provided by Crizal UV lenses –
that means I can rest assured my eyes will still be seen in photos!

Here’s a demonstration of how adding a pair of glasses can completed my “studious” look! Hahaha!

If you are also looking for a new pair of glasses, here is something you don’t want to miss.
From now until 28th February 2013, enjoy up to 70% off selected frames storewide at all Nanyang Optical outlets
(except East Point Mall).
YES! 70%!!!

And as part of this post, Nanyang Optical is also going to give away a pair of Glossi or Urband frames to you
completed with Crizal UV lens in the Fashionista’s Giveaway!
To stand a chance to win, simply post an image of yourself on Nanyang Optical Facebook Page before 27th January 2013 and tell us why you should win!
Don’t forget to also tag me in your photo OR mention that you are a reader of SIXPEGS to qualify.
The winner will be announced on Facebook so don’t miss out and
remember to get creative with your shots to stand a better chance of winning!

Winners will be announced on 1st February 2013.

Good luck people!