brokeandbespoke:

I wear glasses every day. No contacts, just glasses. And I can’t do without them. As a result, I’ve built up a collection of pretty nice frames over the years (esp. when I have good vision insurance—my current plan is a little lacking…)

These come from one of my favorite brands, and the best thing about them is that they are pretty affordable considering their manufacturing origins and their quality. They’re made by Kala Eyewear. A small company based in San Leandro, CA (go Bay Area!) where all of their frames are handmade. The two pairs of Kalas I have are from when my vision insurance gave me a $150 annual frame allowance and a $200 lens allowance per annum. I’d come out of pocket about $75 for these w/ scratch-resistant and anti-reflective lenses. 

They’re not that widely available, but who knows…maybe if you write them enough emails, or request that your local optometrist carry them, they’ll expand their market. Or maybe you can just call them and see if they sell directly to the customer. The website I linked to is a fairly recent development, so their publicity department could definitely use some work, and they seem like a small enough company that you could possibly swing a sale over the phone if you like one of their frames but no one carries them where you live (that’s purely speculative though).

When I got mine, Kala frames were all $150, which is pretty extraordinary considering they’re handmade in the USA. Now they’re about $175.