Warby Parker Home-Try-On Program
So a while ago, there was a special on CBS about a company called Luxottica, who has basically monopolized the "eyewear" industry. As a self proclaimed brand whore (at the time) and someone who had just recently purchased a pair of Chanel glasses for a rather hefty price (in the neighborhood of $600) I was rather put off by this. Put off, because I realized that my beloved Chanel glasses were really not any better quality than the company's Vogue brand, which sells for far less. Once I realized my Chanel glasses were nothing more than a fashion statement comprised of the same plastic, screws, and glass as the brands that sell for less than $200, I resolved to be a little bit smarter about any future eyewear purchases.
Well, when I started looking into getting some prescription sunglasses and a new pair of eyeglasses, I remembered a company a friend had purchased glasses from for only $95. That's right, ninety-five dollars, no surprise charges for anti-reflective lenses or anything like that. Just $95, no taxes, fees, or shipping. Sunglasses are $150 for all but a few special pairs.
Ok, so not only are these a fraction of the price of the other brands, but they are just as stylish, or even more so. They are very current and have so much to choose from! They have something for everyone. Plus, with the Home-try-on program, you can pick five pairs to be sent to you to try for FREE. Didn't find any that worked for you? Send them back after five days and order five more. Don't want to order any (highly unlikely), simply don't order any. No big deal.
Not only are Warby Parker glasses a fraction of the price of the "designer" brands, but for every pair purchased, they give a pair of glasses to someone in need. Think the Toms of the eyewear industry.
Alright, so I'll stop being a chatty Cathy and unveil the five pairs of sunglasses I chose to try!
My five pairs came nicely packaged in this box.
Everette sunglasses in Gimlet Tortoise
I ordered five pairs of sunglasses and five pairs of optical glasses. Obviously, the home-try-on pairs come with non prescription lenses.
It's just a really great way to try before you buy, and five days is a pretty generous amount of time to decide which you like best. It's a great way to be able to try on glasses without being bothered by overzealous sales associates trying to help you pick a pair (and trying to sway you to buy a pair you don't love.) Also, it's kind of nice to be able to take photos of yourself wearing the glasses and post them on various social media sites where you can receive feedback. The only negative thing I have to say about this experience is that some of the frames I wanted to try at home were unavailable, because they were all out with customers. So, I ended up not being able to try some of my first choices.
Now, I think it's important to note that I am not receiving anything free in return for doing this post. No free glasses, no discounts. I did this post, because this is one of the few companies I really feel good about. I think there's just so many positive things to say about Warby Parker. I love all the stylish frames they offer, they don't try to slap you with hidden costs, they let you try their frames for free (they give you a return label and you just take it to a UPS store in the box it came in), and they give back to those in need. I wanted to share this with you guys, because I know eyeglasses can be extremely expensive, especially if you don't have insurance. Warby Parker helps alleviate the stress of purchasing glasses by offering high quality, stylish frames at a fraction of the price of designer brands.
Thanks for reading! Stay tuned for Part 2, where I'll show the five pairs of eyeglasses I chose to try out and offer a few tips I have learned for picking the perfect pair! Which pair do you like best? I think I'll end up getting the Preston sunglasses! I thought they were the perfect size and shape for my basketball shaped
head :)
http://heartifb.com/2013/05/18/ifb-project-96-future-so-bright-we-gotta-wear-shades/
