I was recently asked to give my expert opinion on an absolutely fabulous new line of glasses that is being released today by Warby Parker. The line is known as the Concentric Collection, the word "concentric" being applied fairly loosely, given that the shape it refers to is not entirely circular. However, there is no doubt that the designers showed how it is possible to have both an enormous amount of attention to detail, but not fall into the trap of failing to see the forest for the trees. All six pairs of glasses within the glasses are beautifully individual, but have that rare gift of being able to combine attention to detail with making a product that is pleasing to the eye when considered as a whole. Below I will go into the details of what I just adore about each pair, what I think it might go well with and who I believe it will be most suited to.
EVERLY: - Whistler Grey (with Fjord Blue)
Whistler Grey is the brand new colour available in this range. It gives a sleek futuristic look with a beautiful contrast of silver and blue against each other. I could easily see glasses such as these appearing in a movie set several centuries in the future. I believe glasses such as these will work best against a bright white outfit, as the whistler grey will look a bit too understated if used against bright clothing, whereas a bright white outfit will allow the glasses to shine. I just love the contrast of the horizontal lines of the whistler grey part and the plain fjord blue pattern. These glasses will best suit someone with a very pale skin shade, which will combine with the bright clothes and the sleek look of these glasses to give the intended look.
EVERLY: - Windswept (with Hazelnut)
I just love the look of these glasses, the light brown blending in nicely with the dark lenses. I am not sure this term is still politically correct, but these glasses are great for constructing an ethnic look. There are a large number of different ethnic looks that will work with these glasses, most notably the Touareg look. I therefore intend to buy a pair of these for Bilal for him to wear with his tagelmust and burnous. Bilal takes little interest in fashion (save for hip-hop fashion), but he does wear some absolutely beautiful indigo garmets when he desires to be in Touareg attire and these glasses will complment them perfectly. However, it is not just Touareg attire that this will successfully complement: - these glasses will work well for both men and women with more or less any type of veil, perhaps the dark veil often worn by Gulf Arab women. The variety of horizontal brown lines affords the glasses a nice rugged look. The hazelnut inner ring means that there is a pleasant gradual build-up to the dark shades, rather than a sharp transition. These glasses are also great for leisure wear and are just the sort of thing someone would opt for if seeking a casual look whilst on holiday in a warm and sunny country.
MURPHY: - Crystal (with Hazelnut)
What I love about this pair of glasses is that it allows someone to have a "geek chic" look, but without being overly conspicuous. Me personally, I disliked the dark horn-rimmed glasses look that was sometimes seen on people such as Justin Timberlake a few years ago and I am glad that this fad has since passed. However, the fact that the hazelnut inner rim is thin (almost as thin as a Frenchwoman's waistline, MDR) means that it exercises a powerful moderating influence that stops the overall feel of the glasses being conspicuous, overbearing and as though the wearer is trying too hard with the "geek chic" look. The hazelnut inner ring has a subtle pattern that fits well with the shining, clean and bright crystal frame and gives these glasses just enough informality to avoid appearing too formal if necessary. The overall chic design will make the wearer look sophisticated and intelligent, but will not convey the impression that he/she is trying too hard. These glasses are great for work wear, particularly in professions where it is necessary to convey the appearance of being knowledgeable, but are also great for creating a "power dressing" image. They offer the best of both worlds.
MURPHY: - Cognac Tortoise (with Vulcanite)
The first thing that came into my head when I saw this variant was the film Thelma and Louise. When I go to Mali (my fiancé's homeland) apart from the need to avoid offence with immodest dress, it is necessary to wear dark glasses and some sort of head covering, given the sand that exists everywhere. After all, a Frenchwoman would not like to see her hair messed up or her eye makeup sanded away by a fierce desert wind. This is definitely the sort of thing I could see myself wearing on future trips to Mali! As in the film Thelma and Louise, a pair of glasses such as this will go very likely with a babushka-style headscarf for women of several different age groups. There is a famous photo of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II riding a horse alongside Ronald Reagan and wearing a bubushka-style headscarf: - glasses such as these would complete the look. The cognac tortoise pattern is just enough to stop the glasses looking too plain, but is simultaneously understated and elegant. These glasses are great for general leisure wear, irrespective of whether the weather is sunny or not.
BENCHLEY: - Oak Barrel (with Flint)
The Oak Barrel variant reminds me vaguely of the cat eye glasses that women in the 1960s wore, though thankfully with more moderate top corners! This is not intended as a criticism, as I regularly insert images from fashions of the past in my blog posts. A Frenchwoman does not disdain the past, but she just loves to pick out the choicest examples of fashion from each era and look different each day: - a Frenchwoman will use her shrewd eyes to choose timeless elegance over fads any day. These glasses are fabulous for a 1960s retro look.Glasses such as these will work very well as part of a 1960s-esque outfit consisting of these glasses, a plain top (a polo neck jumper in particular) and a plain skirt/pair of trousers, each of the three constituent parts in a different colour, say red/yellow/green or red/yellow/blue. If a smarter or a slightly less bold look is desired, I believe this would work well with a matching pill box hat, jacket and skirt. I don't think Jacqueline Kennedy was short-sighted, but if she had been, I could just see a fashion icon such as her wearing a pair of glasses such as this alongside a pill box hat. Generally, I believe this will best suit someone with a fair shade of skin, so as to bring out the bright colours.
BENCHLEY: - Crystal (with hazelnut)
This variant will be a great choice for someone with a darker shade of skin, as the bright white of the main frame will stand in contrast to the skin shade, with the hazelnut inner rim giving an edgy, sophisticated look. This variant is very useful for upper-end leisure wear. It will look classy against many items of clothing. As I have often mentioned, Bilal likes to wear hip-hop clothing when he is not wearing a traditional Touareg costume and I believe this will be a great accessory for a sweatsuit. I could just see famous rappers such as Rohff wearing this on stage. This is not a backhanded compliment though: - anyone hoping to make big sales in the fashion will do well if they can be all things to all men (and women, MDR). This variant is the perfect complement to others in the range that allows the already fabulous Concentric Collection to appeal to an even wider audience.
So there you have it: - my take on this fabulous collection. Each of the designs are individual, but absolutely wonderful in their own way. It is clear that a large amount of thought has gone into making the designs individual, so careful thought should be expended regarding what it will match with, but a small amount of forethought about which pair of glasses will match the chosen outfit will yield enormous dividends when it comes to creating a look to die for.
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Hello and welcome to my blog Impossibly Dainty French Woman where I tell everyone how wonderful we Frenchwomen are and how to be impossibly perfect and thin like us. Feel free to comment here or e-mail me on mariannegaboriault@gmail.com .