Style and Substance: Silhouette Rimless Glasses
By Jonathan Berohn
Usually, I know it's time to get new glasses when my squinting still doesn't quite make the highway signs clear before it's too late to exit. This time, however, the creases on the side of my head let me know much sooner, and much more emphatically. When you are cursed with a fat head-anatomically, of course, although you might get an argument from my wife-the glasses selection is traditionally quite limited. Fashion and a 7 1/2 hat size just don't seem to go hand in hand.
Fashion and Fit
Fortunately, in a blow for fat-headed fashion-conscious glasses wearers everywhere, Silhouette has come to our rescue. Silhouette, an Austrian company, has actually made frames that fit me before, but that was back in the days of big glasses in the 80's and 90's. Now that glasses have become smaller, so have my options. Silhouette's rimless frames, though, are just the product I've been looking for.
First and foremost, they fit my head. The frame is actually built without a hinge, so it fits virtually any face. The secret is the titanium frame. The metal Silhouette uses is basically indestructible (another nice side benefit), and it bends easily and repeatedly. This allows the sidepieces of frame to consist of one piece of metal that attaches to the lenses, bends around the corner, and runs to your ear. You can adjust the exact bend to fit your face without hurting the frame.
Functionality as Well
The lenses in these glasses are also virtually indestructible. Because the frame screws into the lenses, you need to use polycarbonate lenses on the glasses. This does hike up the cost over a traditional plastic frame, but it does offer serious impact protection as well as incredibly light weight (I've been buying polycarbonate lenses for years for those reasons). You do have to be careful for scratches, but if you clean the lenses with the cloth they give you or a soft towel, you will be fine.
Another great feature for the Silhouette frames is the availability of a clip on sunglass attachment. I usually never wear sunglasses because I can never remember to bring my case with me. With the Silhouette attachment, I can easily slide my sunglasses case-more like a small envelope than a glasses case-into my pocket so my sunglasses are always at hand.
Expensive but Worth It
All these features do come with a cost of course. The frames will run you somewhere in the $200 range and the sunglasses will cost around $65. You will also pay more for the lenses-especially if you opt for the scratch-resistant coating, which I'd also recommend. All in all, though-if you want a stylish pair of glasses that are comfortable and functional as well, you aren't going to do much better than Silhouette.
