How we fit
Five steps, in this order
A fitting takes about an hour, and you can take it more slowly. Nothing is ordered until you have tried it on, seen the cost written down and said yes.
Tell us how you use your eyes
Work, driving, reading, screens, the garden or the trail. A few minutes of talk tells Carmela more than a wall of frames can.
How many hours at a screen
What you do outdoors
What you have not liked about past glasses
Bring a prescription, or get one
Bring a current prescription from any office, or book an exam with Dr. Ridley or Dr. Ohanian. The prescription is yours either way.
From any office, any optometrist
Or an exam with us first
Try on a small table of frames
Carmela sets out a handful of shapes and materials chosen for your face and your lenses. You look in the mirror, and you say what you notice.
Shape, weight and material
How the frame sits on your nose and ears
Choose your lenses
Thickness, coatings and lens types are explained against your prescription and your day. You see each choice written down with its cost before you decide.
What each option does
What it costs, in writing
Fit and adjust
When your glasses arrive we adjust them on your face: nose pads, temples and angle. Come back whenever they slip, tilt or pinch.
On your face, not on a bench
Again, whenever you need it
What makes a frame fit
Three places a frame has to work
The bridge and nose pads
Where the frame rests on your nose decides how it sits, how it slips and where the lenses land in front of your eyes.
The temples and ears
Arms that are too tight leave marks, and arms that are too loose let the glasses slide. We bend them to you.
The lenses and your prescription
A strong prescription, a progressive lens or a wide shape each change which frames work well, so we choose them together.
Before you come
Bring what you have
Bring the glasses you wear now, even the ones you dislike, since they tell us a lot. If you have a prescription from another office, bring that too.
We take the time to understand what you need before we suggest anything.
Every visit ends with a clear plan, written down, so nothing is left to memory.
Questions about fittings
How long does a fitting take?
About an hour for a new pair, and less for an adjustment. You can take it more slowly, and you can come back to decide.
Can I fit frames and have my prescription filled elsewhere?
Your prescription is yours, so you can fill it anywhere. If you fill it with us, we fit the glasses to you when they arrive.
What if I do not like my glasses when they arrive?
Come back and tell us what you notice. Often a small adjustment fixes it. If it does not, we talk through what to do next.
Book a fitting
Tell us a time that suits you, and Carmela will set out a table of frames.