Mountain bikers are at a greater risk of injuries, especially eye injuries, when riding through treacherous terrain. For this reason, they must find appropriate eye protection to decrease these risks and give them a better experience overall. When choosing the right eye protection, the cyclists must compare all the great features of the glasses or goggles. By identifying the pros and cons of each selection, the mountain biker can find the best eye protection according to how they ride their bikes.

When Are Goggles The Better Choice?

Studies show that wearing goggles when traveling downhill can present the cyclist with better protection than glasses. They have better protection against eye damage if they were to fall in wooded areas. The designs make it possible to fall without contact between branches or other elements and the eyes.

As they are traveling downhill, there are several instances in which they can overturn the bike or fall off. The mtb goggles present a better choice for any cyclists that will travel downhill on their cycling excursions.

Which One Fogs Most Often?

The goggles are more likely to fog up than the glasses, and in more humid areas, the problem could become difficult to manage for most cyclists. Even if the goggles are treated, there is a higher probability they will fog up at inopportune times. Studies show that when traveling on flat terrain or going up hills, the glasses present a better option for cyclists. Body heat could also cause fogging and make it more difficult for cyclists to see when riding.

How the Seasons Affect the Eyewear

Studies show that mountain biking goggles are a better choice for the spring and summer months. They gain more ventilation through the goggles and won’t become overheated during warmer times. Cyclists can breathe easily and remain healthy throughout their excursions. They won’t have to breathe through their mouth to increase unwanted outcomes.

Protective Headwear and Proper Eyewear

The mountain biking goggles are designed to be worn with helmets that offer better protection for the cyclist. When choosing the right eyewear, the cyclist should try them on with their helmet to ensure a proper fit.

Improving Vision for the Cyclists

Cyclists choose goggles or glasses that are treated to make it easier for them to see when riding. Both the goggles and glasses can be tinted to help them see better in a variety of lighting. They can get colored tinting that blocks glare and transition lenses for goggles or glasses that require a prescription.

What Features Should They Choose?

When choosing goggles or glasses, cyclists must choose options with adequate face room, and they will need to try them on to get the best fit. Proper ventilation is necessary for cyclists and prevents them from overheating and keeps them cooler during warmer temperatures.

Glasses, as previously stated, do not fog up as frequently as goggles, but each product offers its own share of advantages. The glasses have rubber padding that could make them more comfortable.

Mountain bikers plan out excursions according to the terrain and the difficulty level of the area. When planning a trip, the cyclists must find the best protective gear to keep them safer and lower the risk of injuries. When comparing goggles and glasses, the cyclists find the best eye protection for their travels.

The post MTB Goggles vs. Glasses: The Tendency to Fog Up and Other Factors Compared appeared first on Fashion and Lifestyle Trends for Men & Women.

Historically vision correction was a necessity to those who could afford it, but now it is a must-have fashion accessory, worn by many people who don’t even require a prescription lens in the frame!

How such a huge transition came about is truly remarkable, and goes hand in hand with the rise of the celebrity culture throughout the 20th century.

The Beginning

Glasses began to make their first appearance as a fashion accessory around the turn of the 20th Century. The first examples of iconic eyewear are seen through the aristocratic Victorians – the men wore their monocles and the women carried their lorgnettes as a symbol of their status.

Image credits: SpecialK T51

The post Great War boom and the birth of Hollywood in the 1920s saw the rise of wide-spread consumerism, film distribution and celebrity culture…and the start of revolutionary fashion changes.

Icons

Marilyn Monroe

Image credits: drewby525

Icons such as Marilyn Monroe rewrote the rulebook when it came to cutting edge fashion. From her provocative dresses to her bold hair and makeup, she embodied the look set for an entire era – and her eye fashion was no different.

She wore the famous ‘cat’s eye glasses’ that have become synonymous with the 1950s – and feature in movies set in the decade like Grease starring John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John.

John Lennon

Image credits: shereemattson

One of the greatest icons of all time, Lennon’s music continues to have a huge influence on musicians today who draw inspiration from his lyrics and melodies. Though it may never have been his intention, he also became a huge inspiration for men’s fashion.

Lennon’s glasses were almost as famous as his beliefs and activism, and the circular frames have become associated with the whole ‘70s ‘hippy movement’.

The round frame design seen on Lennon in the ‘70s was also the style of choice for Elton John and famous rocker Ozzy Osborne…and later worn by fictional character Harry Potter!

Napoleon Dynamite

Image credits: ryu3rdstrike

He may be a character of fiction but his glasses legacy is real. A fashion trend that is often overlooked (possibly because, looking back, nobody can understand how it was ever trendy) the over sized glasses were worn alongside big perms, too-big jumpers and leggings in the ‘80s.

Like all other fashion trends these have been recycled a few decades down the line, and have reappeared in the form of sunglasses. Oversized sunglasses were first seen on the likes of Nicole Richie and Paris Hilton on their series The Simple Life, and are now a common summer fashion commodity.

Austin Powers

Image credits: jeffu14

The big heavy framed glasses seen on Mike Myers while playing ‘60’s ‘sex symbol’ in satirical movie Austin Powers were probably the only desirable thing about him.

Chunky rectangular frames have become synonymous with the ‘geek chic’ fashion of the 21st Century and are the hottest in the market at the minute.

Image credits: amber_darlin

More recent trends have seen celebrities adding ‘bling’ to their glasses, such as Kanye West’s famous shutter glasses. But with the fickle nature of fashion today, who knows what will be the next big trend… I’m sure the designers will look back to the icons for inspiration.

Steph loves to blog about fashion, and has a particular interest in eye fashion. She loves to look at the ways that fashion has evolved over the years. She writes for Lenstore, an online contact lens retailer that sells popular brands such as Focus Dailies.

The post Famous Icons and Their Famous Glasses appeared first on Fashion and Lifestyle Trends for Men & Women.

Round

For those with round faces like Cameron Diaz, the most flattering frame choices are those with angular sides, such as these rectangular glasses with black acetate frame. Rectangular or square frames are flattering because they add structure to round features. Avoid wearing round or oversized eyewear because this can create the illusion of enlarging round faces.

Heart

Heart-shaped faces feature broader temples and foreheads and narrow chins and jaw lines. For heart-shaped faces like Reese Witherspoon’s, the key is to avoid too much emphasis across the temples. Therefore, a rectangular frame would not be flattering because they can make heart-shaped faces appear wider at the top. Instead opt for rimless glasses frames which are both subtle and sophisticated.

Square

In contrast to round faces, those with square-shaped faces should choose frames with rounded edges to soften features. Rumer Willis often wears aviator sunglasses which feature a flat brow line and rounded lenses. These help to flatter her natural features and add a touch of femininity to an angular face. As for prescription glasses, a pair of retro round glasses could be ideal.

Long

For people with long faces like Liv Tyler, the key to flattering eyewear is to choose pairs which can add width to the face or have a strong browline. For example, these U5 glasses feature a dark browline and clear bottom half of the frame. This creates the appearance of a semi-rimless frame, whilst remaining retro and on-trend. It may also be worth considering colour: brightly coloured frames can detract from long face shapes by drawing attention to the eye area.

Oval

Oval face shapes like Jessica Alba’s can suit most frames, but it is important to consider choosing a pair that suits the size of the face. Those with petite faces and delicate features may want to avoid oversized glasses which could overpower the face.

By following this simple guide, you can accentuate the natural features you want to draw attention to and minimise those you don’t. By understanding how to flatter your face, choosing glasses is easy.

Victoria writes for prescription glasses company, DirectSight. Read more of Victoria’s work for visionmedia.

The post Choosing Glasses To Flatter Your Face Shape appeared first on Fashion and Lifestyle Trends for Men & Women.

However, glasses have come a long way since then and they are now regarded by many as the ultimate fashion accessory. Glasses are available in colours to suit all tastes and the choice of frames on offer is staggering. Recently, it’s all been about the ‘Geek chic’ style – large, thick black rimmed specs – similar to those sported by everyone’s favourite flamboyant stylist Gok Wan. Gok has even released his own collection of glasses and sunglasses which are proving to be a real hit. The latest style of glasses to hit the High Street is the ‘John Lennon’ – that is, small round glasses, similar to those sported by the former member of The Beatles.

For celebrities and fictional characters, glasses are an essential accessory

However, it’s not just Gok whose specs are an essential part of his image. Going back a few decades, renowned Brits, Eric Morcambe, Spike Milligan and comic duo, The Two Ronnies were synonymous with oversized black glasses. Moving forward, musician and conductor of the Military Wives choir, Gareth Malone completes his Geek Chic look with a pair of black rimmed glasses, television presenter, and as for Ozzie Osbourne and Dame Edna Everage, the defence rests.

Let’s not leave the Hollywood A-listers out of the equation. So many of them are embracing the glasses revolution and using them to add a new dimension to their look. Jonny Depp was recently photographed looking very dashing in a pair of round, tortoise shell glasses and Elton John has been known to wear some rather unique looking glasses to add a bit more sparkle, to his already bold look.

For fictional characters too, glasses have been an essential part of their image. Ugly Betty, is renowned for her signature bookish black glasses and braces, The Milky Bar Kid wouldn’t look quite the same without his dorky blue glasses. Harry Potter was never without his round glasses, for ‘Where’s Wally’, his ‘John Lennon’ style glasses really completed his geeky image and CSI Miami’s Horatio is normally sporting a pair of super cool shades.

So there’s certainly more than what meets the eye when it comes to glasses.

From unsightly frames to aid vision, they are now the ultimate fashion accessory and are used by celebs, fictional characters and ordinary people like you and me to achieve a unique and trendy look.

Sean writes about fashion for designer glasses retailer Direct Sight.

The post Are People Finally Seeing Glasses Differently? appeared first on Fashion and Lifestyle Trends for Men & Women.

Like many eyeglass newbies who endured the same fate, most of us wished we knew what we did wrong from the get go so we could have saved our frames. But even after wearing glasses for so long, sometimes old habits are just too hard to break, spelling another impending eyewear mishap.

Though it’s embarrassing to admit, I’ve wore a total of six prescription glasses in a span twelve years. The point is I’ve enough experience to tell you exactly what things I’ve been innocently doing wrong in all those years of wearing specs. Inevitably, it’s about time I tell you all about it.

You might not be aware, but you tend to wipe your glasses on your shirt, handkerchief, and your jeans every now and then thinking you’re doing a quick wipe. Wrong. In actuality, you’re doing a quick scratch. Most clothing material, especially denim, will scratch your lens. In turn, it will cloud your vision hence defeating the purpose of wearing glasses. So, maybe simple scratches don’t seem that bad? But when you do it once, twice, and too many times, you shouldn’t be surprised to see distracting spots when you wear your glasses.

Back then, I tend to forget bringing my eyeglass hard case. After a while of just stuffing my glasses in my bag together with my ballpen, make-up, notebooks and what not, I came home to find a bent piece of metal inside my bag. The lenses popped out of the frame. Mind you, my bag then was quite heavy. I neglected to keep my glasses in a sturdy protective case.

Another eye glass disaster: I placed my specs inside my pocket while running like there was tomorrow in our school gym. Upon impact with an unsuspecting student, I knew something snapped deep inside my pants pocket. I felt my glasses with my hand and realized the rim broke. So please, avoid wearing specs (or in my case, pocketing them) when you’re exercising or playing sports. There are athletic goggles especially made for that, so keep them glasses hidden while you’re working out.

Other nasty habits include putting eyewear lens face down on a table, leaving them close to the edge of that table, and the occasional oh-no-i-left-it-on-the-bed/chair and somebody-crushed-it-sorry scenario.

So, be mindful. The opposite of damaging your eyeglasses is taking good care of it. Clean your lenses. Run it through the tap and use liquid soap to lightly wash it. Pat it dry with a non-abrasive cloth and you’ll be seeing the world more clearly. That’s just one simple tip that can go a long way.

Admit it. It’s easy to take prescription glasses for granted when you wear it every day. But now that I’ve pointed out these nasty habits, you have far greater chances of keeping your glasses than I have in the last twelve years. Now show some love for your specs.

George is a marketing specialist for Eyeglasses4all a Online Designer Eyeglasses Store. He loves fashion and trends as well as his cat murfy.

The post Top Eyeglass Habits That Damage Your Lens & Frame appeared first on Fashion and Lifestyle Trends for Men & Women.