Belgium’s first glasses stylist changes minds and faces
Joke Optiek in Destelbergen, East Flanders, is offering customers styling sessions so they never buy the wrong pair of frames again
The eyes have it
Amend (pictured) is no ordinary optician. She is a brilstylist, or glasses stylist. Having been a dispensing optician for some 20 years, she decided to improve her ability to advise clients on which frames to choose. So she took a colour and style course in Ghent and followed that up with an actual eyeglass styling degree in the Netherlands.
When she started the new service a few years ago, she was the only professional glasses stylist in Belgium, and she is still one of only two.
While most opticians can lead you in the right direction in terms of frame basics, Amend spends 90 minutes getting to know you – your preferences, your personality, your lifestyle, your job. And your face.
Because there’s more to buying a pair of glasses than meets the eye. “It’s all about the whole design,” Amend says as I sit for my styling session. “How thick is the bridge? Where does it sit on your nose? How close together are your eyes? It’s the same principle as buying the right clothes to hide problem areas. A pair of glasses can make your nose look larger or smaller, your face look rounder or longer.”
You behind the glasses
First, she determines your “season”, or which colour palette you should be working with (I’m a summer). Then she uses clever tricks to pinpoint the shape of your face. Mine is diamond, which means the temples of my glasses should always sit above my cheekbones, never right on them. Even my prescription makes a difference when choosing the right frames.
And the whole time, she’s figuring out what your glasses should be like based not just on how you look, but also on who you are. “Do you want a stronger look, or a softer look? It’s very important to get a feel for how people want to present themselves.”
It’s so important to not just be able to tell someone that the glasses look good but why they look good
Although every client is different, Amend never forgets her three most important guidelines. “When you walk into a room, it needs to be you in the glasses and not a pair of glasses with you behind them,” she says. This doesn’t mean that funky glasses with character are out, but that you need to be able to carry them off.
Secondly, “your eyes still need to shine behind the glasses,” she says. “People need to feel comfortable making eye contact with you when you’re wearing them.” And finally, “you have to feel confident wearing them. There’s no point to eyeglass styling if the person doesn’t feel good about the frames when they walk out of here.”
When the consultation is done, Amend pulls out 15 or 20 frames with potential. We then spend another hour pouring over them, eliminating them one by one.
Convincing vs. advising
Asked if people need to be convinced to come out of their comfort zone, she laughs when she responds: “Always!” But she is careful not to be pushy, she says. “It’s not about convincing; it’s about advising. But when someone comes in for a consultation, they change a little. The more they try on different frames, the more they get used to the idea. This is why it’s so important to be able to tell someone not just that the glasses look good but why they look good.”
Utterly converted, I walk away with two frames. One is a bit dark and chunky and the other more sophisticated, albeit bright blue.
When I ask if most people are walking around with the right glasses, Amend tries to be diplomatic. “I think there’s plenty of work left to do.”
Eyeglass styling sessions are carried out at Optiek Joke on Fridays and Saturdays and are free with a purchase of frames and lenses. Otherwise the cost is €125
