Ask me about Eyewear!

Hi CC, can you comment about Kio Yamato and Alain Mikli? Where can I get them cheap?

Originally Posted by laughter95

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Have you heard of Konishi eyewear? I have a pair actually... something about a Californian company outsourcing its manufacturing to the Japanese.

Konishi is a small independant company that produces good eyewear at that price. It is not the quality of say Paul Frank or other larger name brands, but chances are you did not pay more than $150 for the frame. Good styles and decent quality. But keep in mind that most of the are "inspired" by name brand models.

Originally Posted by zbip

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what can you tell me about eyeglasses in taipei? do you have any stores to recommend?

also, do you know if any of the brands that are talked about on this forum are sold in taipei? because the prices that people say they pay around here (taipei) seem awfully low compared to the US/europe

thanks. i wasn't really planning on buying a pair of new glasses for another year or so, but since i'm here and the prices seem to be real good, i might as well look into it

edit: also, do u have a blog post about everything to know regarding LENSES? or, what are the feature i shoyuld look for when purchasing lenses? my vision is very bad (-7.5 with some astigmatism) - if this matters at all. should i get glass or plastic lenses? any anti-fog coating or should i look for some slim lenses? info like that would be great. thanks again

1. The prices could be cheaper in Teipei. I know that what we pay in North America is about half of what people pay in England, especially contact lenses.

2. I do have it in my blog regarding lenses. Also, there was another post a few pages back (Cant remember which page) but I went into RX and coatings...Let me know if you cant find it and I will post up another answer.

Originally Posted by TylerDurden

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I have a question.

I recently bought a pair of glasses that I thought looked ok, but after owning them for a while I don't like how they look.

They are an wire rectangular frame style that I spent an arm and a leg on, and now I wanna have them as a back up pair.

My question is, are the plastic boxy nerd looking glasses still a good way to go? I was thinking about getting a $100 pair of glasses in this style from Ray Ban or Polo, as my last pair before the above were that style and I wore it for years till I snapped them in half.

Mainly the boxy plastic nerd style im talking about is this:

Im in my mid 20's , is this still gonna be an acceptable style for the next year or longer?

There are tons in that style in different name brands. If you are buying authentic Rayban or Polo, at retail price, youll have to move your budget up a bit to $150 or so for the frame. I have a few that I am selling but bigger in a more square-ish shape.

Whether the style is still acceptable in a year, your guess is as good as mine. I have no idea where the trend will go, but I do know that the thick plastic frames are in now. Be unique with a matte finish or something with an acetate pattern.

Originally Posted by justsayno

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Hi CC, can you comment about Kio Yamato and Alain Mikli? Where can I get them cheap?

Kio Yamato, very good quality at a reasonable price. Pound for pound probably one of the best quality and intricate designs with TONS of research behind it. They dont produce a frame until it is just right. At times, they will not release a certain style for 3 yrs, until they have it just right. They do not follow trends, but they have a classic/clean/sophisticated look. It is a relatively small company with loyal customers who love their products. They work only with acetate, titanium and the rare aluminum. The company is very flat in the sense that a sales rep can tell the head desisgner/president of the company how a frame should be changed from the feedback of customers or accounts, and changes will be made. It is not a big corporate company with level after level of managers and such.

Alain Mikli has been discussed a lot on SF, but basically it is a boutique/lifestyle brand. They are good quality and their price reflects that. Their style is a bit more trendy and tend to create trends and styles. They are trend setters and not followers. Other than that, they get a lot of love from their loyal followers also.

What is the best overall (quality, comfort, style, will give you the best chance of getting compliments from the ladies, etc) designer/brand of sunglasses for men?

Also, how are Arnette sunglasses and Oakley sunglasses as far as brands go? Are those pretty solid brands or are they pretty low-end?

City,

Can you please give me your opinion on quality differences between Oliver Peoples and Salt? Salt seem like they may be a little better designed, with the frames having spring hinges.

yeah, my konishi frames were 100 bucks, 200 for the lens. included a crizal alize coating... not thinking the coating was really worth it. it's been 1.5 years that i've had these glasses. i want something better at this point though.

Originally Posted by ClassyGuy1

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What is the best overall (quality, comfort, style, will give you the best chance of getting compliments from the ladies, etc) designer/brand of sunglasses for men?

Also, how are Arnette sunglasses and Oakley sunglasses as far as brands go? Are those pretty solid brands or are they pretty low-end?

Arnette and Oakley are sportier frames that are geared towards skiers/snowboarders/MXers/surfers and so on. They are both okay quality. Nothing exceptional, but good styles if you are looking for that sporty style.

Originally Posted by ArliHawk`

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City,

Can you please give me your opinion on quality differences between Oliver Peoples and Salt? Salt seem like they may be a little better designed, with the frames having spring hinges.

In terms of quality I would probably say they are about the same. Neither is much better than the other. But keep in mind that spring hinges dont necessarily mean that they have better components. I think that springs are misleading and people automatically think that they will last longer. But it is like a bike. A fixie bike has less components that will break and wear out. (sorry for the analogy, but Im sure you know what I mean). Springs do break. They are not flawless.

Originally Posted by laughter95

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yeah, my konishi frames were 100 bucks, 200 for the lens. included a crizal alize coating... not thinking the coating was really worth it. it's been 1.5 years that i've had these glasses. i want something better at this point though.

Yea, like I said in earlier posts. Most people will not see the full potential of all of these coatings. Sure they are great, but does everyone really NEED a ferrari? But it would be nice to have, but most people wont even hit the redline. Just my opinion.

In terms of the Konishi frames, they are decent low end eyewear at reasonable prices. Add a 1 year warranty on the frame and that is even better.

thanks for the rec on kio.

Originally Posted by CityConnection

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Kio Yamato, very good quality at a reasonable price. Pound for pound probably one of the best quality and intricate designs with TONS of research behind it. They dont produce a frame until it is just right. At times, they will not release a certain style for 3 yrs, until they have it just right. They do not follow trends, but they have a classic/clean/sophisticated look. It is a relatively small company with loyal customers who love their products. They work only with acetate, titanium and the rare aluminum. The company is very flat in the sense that a sales rep can tell the head desisgner/president of the company how a frame should be changed from the feedback of customers or accounts, and changes will be made. It is not a big corporate company with level after level of managers and such.

Alain Mikli has been discussed a lot on SF, but basically it is a boutique/lifestyle brand. They are good quality and their price reflects that. Their style is a bit more trendy and tend to create trends and styles. They are trend setters and not followers. Other than that, they get a lot of love from their loyal followers also.

Originally Posted by justsayno

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thanks for the rec on kio.

No problem. I have dealt with them for almost 10 yrs. Great frames and great company to deal with. Their philosophy really shows in their quality and craftsmanship.

Hello. Do you have any experience with John Varvatos sunglasses? I recently saw several pairs at an outlet store for a really good price. They were made in Japan and looked to be pretty nice but i was wondering your opinion on his eyewear.

^ Which outlet store did you see them at? I like this pair from their current season.