Category: Eyewear Fashion

This is the category for eyewear fashion.

Find Your Personal Style

At all five of our Fort Wayne locations, you’ll find friendly, experienced, and stylish opticians ready and eager to help you find your own signature style. We believe not only are perfectly-fitting, vision-correcting eyeglasses essential to our overall health, they are a fun fashion accessory just as important as your favorite piece of jewelry. So many people wear glasses on a daily basis, and we feel everyone should be comfortable and see optimally every time they put them on.

At Pine Valley Longe Optical, our team of opticians — Sydney, Ceirah, and Emari — all love helping guests pick out a new pair of glasses! Our opticians want to help them not only find a pair that fits correctly, but one that appropriately matches their personality. And fortunately, all three of these ladies have great taste and expertise in frames and offer some of their insight into the best brands and tips for wearing a pair of glasses!

Sydney personally enjoys the Maui Jim sunglasses collection. One year she bought a pair for a family member as a Christmas gift, and now her entire family is hooked on the brand. Maui Jim is one of the premier brands in sunglasses, utilizing high-quality materials and craftsmanship. They back their product with a 100% guarantee that you won’t squint when you’re wearing them and their models have 100% UV protection, customizable lenses in different colors, and come with great customer service.

When helping guests, Sydney loves fitting the brand Masunaga. She looks to make sure that a guest’s glasses are centered, and they rest comfortably on the bridge of the nose when fitting them. She also considers the style of the person who walks in and often offers an option or two to the guest that is nothing like what they are currently wearing, giving the guest a new perspective. Although the guest might stay with their same style, more often than not they enjoy the look of the new style and will go with Sydney’s recommendation.

Ceirah is also major Maui Jim fan, but her favorite brand for opticals is Dutz, created and designed in Holland. She is fond of their durability (they are made of the same metal found in iPhones), their status as hypoallergenic, with lightweight and cool, funky styles to pick from. When fitting a customer for glasses, she places a heavy emphasis on comfort, ensuring the glasses fit the way the brand intended.

Emari enjoys the Garrett Leight and Mr. Leight collections based out of California because of their unique round frame options. When fitting other people, she often considers the eye color of the customer and then picks a frame that complements it. For example, if someone has brown eyes, she may look for olive-toned frames to match.

With so many frame and lens options and combinations available for your digital prescription, the process can be overwhelming, so Emari and her team hand-select several choices for each guest to help narrow it down.

Ensuring 100% guest satisfaction is the goal of every Longe Optical team member, so stop into any Fort Wayne Longe Optical today and our team members will be delighted to help you find your new favorite pair of glasses.

Sun’s Out, Shades On – Take Care of Your Eyes This Summer

According to our independent optometrists, too much UV light can raise the risk of various eye diseases over time, so knowing how the sun can affect you and your children this summer is important! Proper eye protection during the summer is vitally important to maintaining overall eye health.

Proper exposure to the sun can also be great for your vision when you’re properly protected! According to a study done by the Ohio State University College of Optometry, children who are exposed to more sunlight throughout the day are less likely to develop nearsightedness over time.

Understanding Types of UV Radiation

The sun emits two major types of UV radiation that can cause damage to the eye: UV-A and UV-B.

Overexposure to UV-A radiation can damage the macula, hurting your central vision. Too much UV-B radiation exposure can lead to damage in the corona and the lens of your eye. Understanding what you are trying to avoid will help you take steps to prevent damage to your eyes.

Four Ways to Protect Your Eyesight

Although the sun can be harmful, it’s still important to make sure you and your family are able to get great exercise and spend time outside. Here are a few tips for maintaining good eye health without having to hide from the sun completely.

  1. Choose sunglasses carefully

Not all sunglasses function the same way! It’s important to consider more than just style when grabbing a new pair of sunglasses. Look for sunglasses that are labeled with “100 percent UV protection” or glasses with larger lenses that wrap around the sides of your eyes. Just because your pair of sunglasses says it offers “UV protection” doesn’t mean it is protecting against both kinds of UV! If you’re not sure how efficient your sunglasses are, ask your doctor.

  1. Wear a hat

A hat with a 2- to 3-inch brim is ideal because it specifically protects the eyes. A dark underside to the brim can lower the amount of damaging UV rays your eyes and skin are exposed to. Many bucket hats and floppy hats are available for even the youngest of children to wear.

  1. Wear proper eye protection even when it’s cloudy

According to the Skin Cancer Foundation, 80% of the sun’s UV rays can pass through clouds. It’s important to make sure you still wear your sunglasses even if the sun isn’t visibly shining.

  1. Limit exposure to the sun during peak hours

The sun’s rays are most aggressive from 10AM to 4PM. It’s important to stay in the shade, apply sunscreen frequently, and wear other protective gear — especially during these hours.

At Longe Optical, we offer a wide variety of high quality, name brand sunglasses that can be purchased with non-prescription or prescription lenses. Let us help you have a safe and happy summer by scheduling your annual eye exam today. While you’re here, pick up a pair of stylish sunglasses that will keep you safe this summer!

 

 

 

Helpful Hints for Selecting Sunglasses

At Longe Optical, we are passionate about eye care, which includes the eyewear we wear during the summer months! Many of our customers don’t realize how important sunglasses are and that they function as more than just a fashion accessory. When shopping for sunglasses, it’s important to understand exactly what types of UV protection you are looking for and what might happen to your eyes if you’re not properly protected.

 

Types of UV Radiation

The sun emits two major types of UV radiation that can cause damage to the eye: UV-A and UV-B. Overexposure to UV-A radiation can damage the macula, hurting your central vision. Too much UV-B radiation exposure can lead to damage in the corona and the lens of your eye.

 

UV Protection

When picking out a stylish pair of glasses, Longe offers a wide variety of frames that also provide protection for your eyes at an affordable price. It’s important when you’re looking for a good pair of sunglasses to not just grab the cheap promotion glasses you got from a local parade: quality is important.  When looking for a pair, make sure your glasses say “100% protection against UV.” A pair of glasses that just says UV protection most likely will rub off after one cleaning, as the UV protection is just coated over the lenses, not embedded into it.

 

Polarized Lenses

Not all polarized lenses provide active UV protection! Polarized lenses have a unique chemical coating that is designed to reduce glare from reflected light. Although it is true that polarized glasses and UV protection are often paired together in high-quality glasses, this is not always the case. Many cheap polarized sunglasses on the market don’t have any UV protection which is why checking for 100% protection in your pair is important.

 

Serious Conditions

Prolonged unprotected exposure to UV rays can lead to cataracts, pterygium, and macular degeneration in the human eye. Cataracts involve a clouding of the eye’s lens resulting in blurred vision; pterygium involves painful tissue growth on the eyeball; and macular degeneration leads to destroyed central vision when the macula in the retina deteriorates. If not prevented, these conditions can require surgery or cause loss of vision.

 

Although serious conditions in your eye might not be occurring now, be sure to schedule your annual eye exam today and while you’re here, pick up some stylish sunglasses with lenses that will both protect your eyes and keep you looking great this summer!

 

Helpful Hints for Selecting Eyewear

Girl wearing glasses
Now that you’ve scheduled back to school eye exams for the kids – what do you do if they need glasses?
Children’s eyes can change rapidly, so be sure your child has an up-to-date eyeglass prescription for the best possible vision and comfort before investing in new glasses.

There is no shortage of children’s eyeglasses and it’s important to keep factors like fit, quality, and fashion in mind. It can be difficult figuring out which glasses your child will be willing to wear — and if they will last longer than the ride home. Here are some shopping tips to help you choose stylish and durable glasses your child will love.

Choose a modern, attractive style
Eyeglasses have become a staple in the fashion world and kids frames are no exception. Ray-Ban, Candies, Lily Pulitzer, and others offer styles from classic to trendy, perfectly sized, and designed for any cool kid on campus. For a more sporty look, Nike, Oakley, and Puma all offer superior durability along with stylish design. And with a wide range of color options and modern shapes to select from, you can match your team colors in style.
Select the perfect lenses 
Children’s lenses should be made of polycarbonate. These materials are significantly more impact-resistant than other lens materials for added safety. There are a few ways to enhance your look and at the same time protect your eyes. One option is photochromic lenses, which darken automatically in sunlight outdoors in a range of colors to choose from. Another choice is anti-reflective coating, which not only enhances cosmetic appearance (no glare on lenses in those school photos), but they can reduce eye strain caused by digital device use.

Purchase a “backup pair”
Because children can be tough on their glasses, it’s a good idea to purchase a second, or backup, pair of eyeglasses for them — especially for those with a strong prescription who cannot function without his or her glasses.

We would love to see you and share with you what makes us special. With our one-of-a-kind kids package, all-digital eye care experience, exclusive frame designs, and personalized service, we are passionate about providing the best care to allow you to see and be seen!

New Year, New Styles

Woman in glasses

Here are three quick ways to make a noticeable change in how people see you — and how you see the new year!

Colors Pop of Color

Brighten up your ensemble with a pop of color — new releases by Dutz, Face à Face, and Scott Harris offer frames in colors subtle enough for everyday wear but that can be played up with matching clothing and accessories. Try a matte amber tortoise frame with a keyhole bridge for a modern take on classic colorways, keeping your outfit as versatile as you are. If you want to go a little bolder, add patterned socks to your outfit for an additional pop of color and touch of personality.

Vintage Vintage Revival

Keep it classic with vintage revival. New “old” looks from Penguin, Tom Ford, and Garrett Leight offer distinctive frame shapes and rich materials. These brands are reminiscent of old Hollywood and can be dressed up or down to fit any occasion. Mix timeless feminine frame shapes with modern clothing details, such as a glamorous pantsuit, for an updated look.

Active Athleisure

Whether heading out for a long run or running errands around town, athleisure remains a go-to fashion trend for both men and women. Protect your eyes from the elements with all-new sunglasses styles from Oakley, Ray Ban, Nike, and Maui Jim, any of which we can provide with or without a prescription.

Something else to remember as we kick off the new year — your health insurance benefits have most likely renewed for your vision insurance, HSA, or FSA plans.

An eye exam can detect many vision and overall health problems early enough to better treat them or even stop them from worsening, and seeing less than your best could hurt your productivity, costing you precious time and keeping you from doing the things that you enjoy.

We encourage you to come in and experience why we are different — from our all-digital eye care process that generates an ultra-accurate prescription to our impeccable guest service. Everything we do is aimed at helping you to see better, look better, and ultimately live better!