Gentle Monster Small Vs Standard

Photo: Pierce Harrison for Covry

When I visited both Tokyo and Shanghai before this summer, I had a unmarried mission (bated from eating all of the uni and xiao long bao in sight): I wanted to buy every bit many pairs of sunglasses — as in ones peculiarly designed to fit Asian faces like mine — every bit possible.

I got my first pair of glasses in the second course, and while contact lenses came to my rescue as soon as I reached 7th, I've basically spent my entire life suffering through some course of optical-wear that didn't properly fit my face. That meant chronic headaches from extreme pinching above my ears to keep the frames from sliding down my lower-bridge olfactory organ, as well as acne breakouts (and consequent hyperpigmentation) between my eyebrows or at the tops of my cheeks where — for lack of a improve word —"standard" fit glasses would residual on my face. Plus, I'll never forget those awkward cheek indentations.

"A lot of our customers don't realize [their glasses don't] fit them," says Athina Wang, co-founder of Covry, a 3-twelvemonth-erstwhile straight-to-consumer optical visitor that specializes in their signature "elevated fit," inspired by the Asian American founders' similar experiences to mine. "Growing up, you lot're non aware that these frames don't fit y'all. You're only kind of used to it and yous deal with it."

I fulfilled my goal on my trip — returning with six pairs at a range of price points — since almost of the locally-designed optical-wear options in Asia are designed to arrange Asian faces, or what nosotros in the U.S. may refer to every bit "alternative" or "low-bridge fit." Back dwelling house, I decided to detect out how I can proceed growing my drove without tacking on the cost of an international flying to my sunglasses budget. (Of grade, there'south Korean brand Gentle Monster, the holy grail of alternative fit sunglasses available in the U.S., simply I was likewise curious about what else was on the market.)

When I kickoff I reached out to my piece of work contacts, I had a PR rep from a global optical visitor dismiss my inquiry well-nigh specifically designed culling fit frames with "it'due south all about the adjustable nose slice" on standard fit spectacles. Simply it's really so much more than that, because specific design elements built into the frames are integral to creating alternative/low-span fit designs for maximum comfort and functionality for the wearer. . (And also, why should our options be limited to styles with adaptable nose pads?)

"We made the nose pads longer, so that the frames are sitting further away from the cheeks," explains Florence Shin, co-founder of Covry, which touts the celebration of diversity with its Elevated Fit frames. In addition, the nose span is narrower to make the frames experience secure and stable on the face — in other words, no sliding down. In addition, they "reduced the frame curvature," which prevents those abrasive cheek indentations with a design that's more parallel to the face up.

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Founded in 2001 in Japan, the on-trend and accessibly-priced optical brand Jins launched in the U.S. in 2015 with e-commerce and a flagship in San Francisco. (I actually bought my showtime pair of rainbow sprinkle patterned Jins in Shanghai, and they fit so perfectly that I can barely feel them on my face up.) The brand is now opening its 5th location in California, and created a "standard fit" line specifically for the U.S. market and, thankfully, brought their "alternative fit" (technically the standard fit in Asia) collection Stateside.

With over 400 stores all over Asia, Jins designed their spectacles with two distinct detail differences to standard: The nose pieces residue at a narrower indicate on the sides of the nose, as opposed to the "slope of the nose," and are slightly larger to stay secure and stable on the confront. New York-based PR Director Lilian Wouters also points out that the temples of alternative fit frames are curved for comfort and fit to, again, avert that cheek resting effect. Furthermore, Warby Parker's low-bridge fit spectacles are likewise designed with a slightly tilted lens, in addition to specially-designed olfactory organ pieces and curved temples.

My additional inquiries for alternative fit frames to a range of U.S. and European-based brands and optical companies yielded goose egg results. Statistically speaking, Asian consumers make upwardly v percentage of dollar sales of sunglasses in the U.S., per The NPD Group/Consumer Tracking Service, as of June 2018 — only it's not just Asians who observe a depression-bridge fit more comfortable.

Luckily, there seem to be more straight-to-consumer, offset-up options gradually popping up, so I'll exist watching this space for more alternative fit options Stateside. In the meantime, check out W Concept, a multi-brand east-commerce shop, which features international emerging designers and carries absurd, indie eyewear brands hailing from South korea, like Muzik, Lash and Stephane Christian.

The other mean solar day, I took my drawerful of mostly designer "standard fit" glasses to a consignment shop where they'll hopefully notice new loving homes that are a better, erm, fit.

Click through the gallery below for 19 culling, low-bridge, etc. fit sunglasses to shop without leaving us — or your bedroom.

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Source: https://fashionista.com/2018/08/alternative-fit-sunglasses-shopping-guide-brands

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