• Hi, I am the owner and main administrator of Styleforum. If you find the forum useful and fun, please help support it by buying through the posted links on the forum. Our main, very popular sales thread, where the latest and best sales are listed, are posted HERE

    Purchases made through some of our links earns a commission for the forum and allows us to do the work of maintaining and improving it. Finally, thanks for being a part of this community. We realize that there are many choices today on the internet, and we have all of you to thank for making Styleforum the foremost destination for discussions of menswear.
  • This site contains affiliate links for which Styleforum may be compensated.
  • We would like to welcome House of Huntington as an official Affiliate Vendor. Shop past season Drake's, Nigel Cabourn, Private White V.C. and other menswear luxury brands at exceptional prices below retail. Please visit the Houise of Huntington thread and welcome them to the forum.

  • STYLE. COMMUNITY. GREAT CLOTHING.

    Bored of counting likes on social networks? At Styleforum, you’ll find rousing discussions that go beyond strings of emojis.

    Click Here to join Styleforum's thousands of style enthusiasts today!

    Styleforum is supported in part by commission earning affiliate links sitewide. Please support us by using them. You may learn more here.

Robert Marc Eyeglasses

rolls

Well-Known Member
Joined
Apr 13, 2006
Messages
50
Reaction score
0
Hello all,

I've found a new pair of frames that I really like. They fit my face and coloring very well, so I'm hooked on them. Unfortunately, I'm not so keen on the price charged by my local shop. I've searched around on the web and have been unable to find many retailers that sell Robert Marc opthalmic frames (specifically, style 162). Any suggestions for an online discounter for these frames? Am I stuck paying full retail?


Thanks for the help,
-r


ps - Long time lurker, first time poster. I thoroughly enjoy the site, but hold many of you responsible for my newfound penchant for expensive English shoes!
 

ghulkhan

Distinguished Member
Joined
Sep 23, 2006
Messages
3,139
Reaction score
2

rolls

Well-Known Member
Joined
Apr 13, 2006
Messages
50
Reaction score
0
thanks ghulkhan. I should have mentioned - that's my local shop. With lenses, the total came to almost $600. I said that sounded steep and the salesclerk reduced the price to $500. I'm fairly new to the eyeglasses game, and this still sounded expensive to me, but I guess that's what I get for picking out a "designer" pair.

I'll give the Robert Marc shop a call to get their price - thanks for the tip on the sales.
 

singlechange

Senior Member
Joined
Jul 11, 2006
Messages
544
Reaction score
29
I bought my first pair of Robert Marc frames in Washington, D.C. in 2001 and was taken with quality and styling. At that time the frames were labeled made in Paris, France. I believe now the company's marketing from Japan and the styling and workmanship seems to have taken a slight but marked downturn. My most recent frames are Prada and Cartier, both of which can be found less than retail, though I got both at Georgetown Optical in Tysons Corner, Virginia. Why not try to find the frames from other makers but in the same style and color similiar to you Robert Marcs?
 

ghulkhan

Distinguished Member
Joined
Sep 23, 2006
Messages
3,139
Reaction score
2
Originally Posted by rolls
thanks ghulkhan. I should have mentioned - that's my local shop. With lenses, the total came to almost $600. I said that sounded steep and the salesclerk reduced the price to $500. I'm fairly new to the eyeglasses game, and this still sounded expensive to me, but I guess that's what I get for picking out a "designer" pair. I'll give the Robert Marc shop a call to get their price - thanks for the tip on the sales.
yea thats my local shop too they suck to tell ya the truth i should of todl you that before...a complete rip off they mark up a lot of the brands, i don't know about robert marc...but for oliver peoples and chrome hearts its like a 20 percent mark up but thats the only website i know that sells them online but you should just buy driectly instead of georgetown opticians, or you could try the sale its anytimein the near future i think by the way for the mark up im talking about just the frames, so what you could do is buy the frames from robert marc and find a place that sells lenses the cheapest adn get them put in i would buy the frames from robert marc, and then call blink, or gtown optician or some places in nyc and see how much it would cost to get lenses put in best of luck!
 

rolls

Well-Known Member
Joined
Apr 13, 2006
Messages
50
Reaction score
0
Thanks for the help guys.

The Robert Marc store in NY quoted a price 10% less than Georgetown Optician. They were, however, more expensive on the lenses. Including shipping, it worked out to a difference of only about $5-10.

I may keep looking for other makers. Prada is certainly more readily available and cheaper (made by Luxotica, I believe). The problem is, I'm fairly picky and fell for the RM's. Oh well, we'll see if I can convince myself to cough up the cash. On the plus side, my wife, knowing their cost and being fairly frugal, is in favor of the RM's...so....we'll see.

Btw - According to the NY RM store, RM conducts trunk shows during which they sell off excess warehouse inventory. They don't sell currently available instore stock. There's a trunk show in Potomac, MD on Dec. 9th I may check out.
 

southbound35

Senior Member
Joined
Mar 15, 2006
Messages
994
Reaction score
38
Eyeglasses, unlike a suit or a pair of shoes, are an item you will be wearing everyday. If you've found a pair that you like and your frugal wife prefers, I wouldn't hesitate to pay a little more for them than a pair that isn't exactly "it" and costs $100 less.

Also, don't skimp on lens quality to save a few bucks. The extra bells and whistles (anti-reflective, anti-smudge) make for a better looking pair of glasses as well as provide better vision.

If you end up wearing these frames/lenses every day for a few years, the added cost/use will seem negligible.
 

rolls

Well-Known Member
Joined
Apr 13, 2006
Messages
50
Reaction score
0
Originally Posted by southbound35
Eyeglasses, unlike a suit or a pair of shoes, are an item you will be wearing everyday. If you've found a pair that you like and your frugal wife prefers, I wouldn't hesitate to pay a little more for them than a pair that isn't exactly "it" and costs $100 less.

Also, don't skimp on lens quality to save a few bucks. The extra bells and whistles (anti-reflective, anti-smudge) make for a better looking pair of glasses as well as provide better vision.

If you end up wearing these frames/lenses every day for a few years, the added cost/use will seem negligible.


This is where I'm coming down on the eyeglasses. I think my problem is mostly sticker-shock. I'm not accustomed to purchasing eyeglasses and was surprised at their expense. I'll try to leverage the NY company store price with my local shop and see if the deal can get any sweeter, but I'll purchase them in any case.
 

ghulkhan

Distinguished Member
Joined
Sep 23, 2006
Messages
3,139
Reaction score
2
dont get prada, there pieces of ****
id stick with robert marc or look at oliver peoples, but for plastic or horn rims, id stick with Robert marc
sama makes some good stuff too but i think RM would be the best
 

ericus

New Member
Joined
Dec 17, 2008
Messages
1
Reaction score
0
I apologize for bringing back an old thread, but what exactly makes the quality of the frames? The recommendations I get and the reading from SF all touch on quality. How are Robert Marc and other designer frames of superior quality? Is it the materials? The manufacturing process?

I've had my eye on some Robert Marc frames for some time, but my knowledge of designer opthalmic frames is limited.

Thanks,
Eric
 

Lagavulin16

Senior Member
Joined
Feb 5, 2009
Messages
101
Reaction score
0
I unfortunately can't answer your specific questions, but I can tell you that my experience with Robert Marc frames has been very positive. I currently have four pairs of Robert Marc frames and over the years have had about a dozen different frames. They have held up extremely well and the customer experience at the Robert Marc boutiques in NYC have all been excellent experiences. The frames are not cheap, nor are the lenses, but finding good frames is tough so I stick with what works.
 

EyeBar

New Member
Joined
Jul 28, 2010
Messages
1
Reaction score
0
Materials & Manufacturing Process are some of the most important aspects to quality eyewear. Premium materials like nickel free titanium, european or Japanese acetate & stainless steel all cost more than average materials. Most people buy designer named glasses because they associate the quality of their clothing with eyeglasses. Nothing could be further from the truth. The majority of clothing designers are all made in factories in China with cheap materials. The plastic they are made from is a liquid resin that is poured into a mold. It doesnt hold its shape and will dry out in a year or 2. Well made plastic frames are made from zyl which is cut from a solid block of plastic and has a metal (hopefully titanium temple core). Most of the best made frames are from designers you may have never heard of. Sama, Robert Marc, ic berlin, kame mannem, Face a Face and many others make amazing eyewear that will last for years and hold up great.
 

Advent

Senior Member
Joined
May 17, 2010
Messages
169
Reaction score
0
So are you saying that Armani, PRL, Gucci, etc. is crappy eyewear? Just curious.
 

laphroaig

Senior Member
Joined
Aug 25, 2007
Messages
736
Reaction score
6
I find those claims dubious. Any time I see things like oxygen free copper or nickel free titanium (nitinol is a fantastic material BTW) I distrust the source. I'm waiting for milk companies to start advertising arsenic free milk.

I don't see much of an advantage of milled plastic pieces vs injection moulded or cast plastic except when you're not making enough pieces for moulds to be viable. And plastic "drying out" is a bizarre concept.

Just because something is made by one of the big companies like Luxottica doesn't make it bad, at least the quality will be consistent.
 

Featured Sponsor

How important is full vs half canvas to you for heavier sport jackets?

  • Definitely full canvas only

    Votes: 55 36.4%
  • Half canvas is fine

    Votes: 59 39.1%
  • Really don't care

    Votes: 16 10.6%
  • Depends on fabric

    Votes: 26 17.2%
  • Depends on price

    Votes: 26 17.2%

Staff online

Forum statistics

Threads
505,150
Messages
10,578,788
Members
223,878
Latest member
anaforli
Top