Do you wear glasses? Even if you have had 20/20 vision your whole life, chances are that you may have eyesight issues as you get older and most probably need reading glasses. Or maybe you have been wearing prescription glasses forever. Join the club!
The search for the best eyeglass frames is a constant activity for me. I love switching up my look and typically purchase new frames every year or so. Usually, I gravitate towards the fashionable and bold frames. I don’t see myself going for the simple frames even as I get older. Don’t let anyone tell you that you should be wearing granny glasses because you are over 50. You do not!
Are you traditional or wild and trendy? Check out my list of best eyeglass frames for mature women – I’m sure you’ll find something to your liking.
My list of the best eyeglass frames for older women:
- Dolce & Gabbana – soft cat-eye styling and gold touch accents add elegant texture and interest.
- Coach – bottom-wired colorful cat-eye frames offer just the right amount of classic look and trend.
- Lydell Truffle Tortoise – elegant and classic tortoise eyeglass frames which will go with everything.
- Amelia Elderflower Crystal – transparent frames with a soft pink hue and look great on many face shapes.
- Ray-Ban Semi-Rimless – semi-rimless frames in five different colors.
- VOGUE Thin Rimmed Eyeglasses – the frames are classic with added embellishment rhinestones on the sides.
- Woodrow Rectangle Blue Eyeglasses – these rimless glasses are perfect if you want the most attention on your eyes.
- Ray-Ban’s thin-rimmed frames – just the right amount of classic and trend combined.
- Michael Kors Clear Frames – clear crystal frames which are very fashionable at the moment.
- Prada Multi-Color Frames – tortoise mix with the added red touch make these cool eyeglass frames perfect for the bold women.
- Ray-Ban Square Frames – this shape of eyeglass frame is all the rage at the moment.
- Percey Chestnut Crystal – a sheer frame which comes in a variety of color combos and patterns.
The Shape of Your Face
Choosing frames that suit your face is important. You don’t want the glasses to overpower your face or features. Try on several pairs and ask for advice. I often take photos (selfies) that I send to my closest friends and family and know that I will get honest replies. I send them some A, B, C choices, and they tell me which ones they like best.
Your Lifestyle
How you live your life will determine what type of frames you need. Are you an active person that does regular sports? Do you travel a lot? If you tend to break, scratch, or lose your glasses frequently then look for robust frames (and maybe inexpensive ones if you have to replace them regularly).
Your Personality
Your personality will determine the style and color of your frames. Match your eyewear to your clothing style for a well-put-together look. Have several eyeglasses with different looks if you can afford them.
Your Budget
Everyone’s budget is different, and eyeglass frames vary from a few dollars to well into the several hundreds of dollars. Designer eyewear will tend to be pricier but oftentimes offer better quality.
Purpose
Will you be wearing them every day, all day? Or do you need them simply for reading or for seeing things up close? This will determine how comfortable they need to be and also how much you want to spend on them.
Best Eyeglass Frames for Older Women
Best Cat-Eye Eyeglass Frames
Cat-eye frames are trendy and can suit you if you dress fashionably and youthful. Otherwise, if you dress very conservatively, the cat-eye glasses can make you look older (think granny glasses).
Here are our favorites.
DOLCE & GABBANA
I love the soft cat-eye styling on these Dolce & Gabbana eyeglass frames. The gold touch accents add elegant texture and interest. Great if you regularly wear gold accessories.
Coach
These bottom-wired colorful cat-eye frames from Coach offer just the right amount of classic look and trend. I adore this color combo, and it is great if your closet is full of color.
Lydell Truffle Tortoise
I love the elegant and classic look of these tortoise eyeglass frames. These go with everything, and the soft cat-eye effect is just perfect.
Amelia Elderflower Crystal
Transparent frames are very trendy now, and I feel that this look is perfect for older women as it softens the features instead of overpowering them. These have a soft pink hue and look great on many face shapes.
Rimless, semi-rimless, and rimless glasses offer a minimalistic and classic look. They accentuate your eyes and don’t draw too much attention to the fact that you are wearing glasses.
Ray-Ban Semi-Rimless
These semi-rimless frames from Ray-Ban come in five different colors, and there’s sure to be one combo that will catch your eye.
VOGUE Thin Rimmed Eyeglasses
Vogue makes quality and affordable eyewear, and these frames were designed for their Bijoux project. The frames are classic and have added embellishment rhinestones on the sides.
Woodrow Rectangle Blue Eyeglasses
These rimless glasses are perfect if you want the most attention on your eyes. This type of frame (or lack thereof) suits practically every face shape.
Ray-Ban Thin-Rimmed
Ray-Ban’s thin-rimmed frames are just the right amount of classic and trend combined. I love the blue and silver combo.
Go for trendy glasses if you enjoy fashion and switch up your eyeglasses often.
Michael Kors Clear Frames
Clear crystal frames are very fashionable at the moment. I am in love with the two-tone colors and the square cat-eye shape of these Michael Kors on-trend eyeglass frames.
Prada Multi-Color Frames
Prefer color? These frames from Prada won’t disappoint. The tortoise mix makes these cool eyeglass frames perfect for the bold women over 60.
Ray-Ban Square Frames
Square is in! This shape of eyeglass frame is all the rage at the moment. I love that they give off a slight 70s feeling. Never wore square glasses before? Give them a try, you might be surprised.
Percey Chestnut Crystal
Another sheer frame that I really like! They come in a variety of color combos and patterns but I particularly like this one that has a wood grain effect.
LensCrafters
LensCrafters offers a variety of discounts on new eyeglass frames, including a senior discount for AARP members. You can get an eye exam from an independent doctor of optometry near each LensCrafters store, and LensCrafters also offers a 90-day Unconditional Guarantee to give you a full refund on your new eyewear in case you are not completely satisfied.
Warby Parker
Warby Parker is a unique online store to shop for new stylish glasses for women – they sell really creative designs that also tend to be more affordable than most boutique-style eyewear, with prices starting at $95.
Are you worried about buying glasses online? No problem – Warby Parker makes it easy to “try before you buy” – they’ll send you up to five pairs of eyeglasses to try on at home, or you can take a photo of your face, upload it to the website, and see how your choice of glasses will look on your face.
Warby Parker also has a philanthropic mission – for every pair of eyeglasses that they sell, they donate a pair of eyeglasses to poor people throughout the world who cannot afford their own glasses. Warby Parker makes for a great story – you get a wonderfully stylish pair of glasses, while also contributing to a charitable cause.
Boomer Eyewear
Boomer Eyewear is another online site that offers designer glasses frames in updated and retro styles, as well as simpler reading glasses or lower-cost eyeglasses. Buy online and take the frames to your optician to get fitted with your prescription lenses – but check first, as some frames are too fragile for a lens to be changed.
There is a wide variety of eyewear designs available on this site, and all orders within the U.S. ship for only $5.99 – this is cheap shipping, compared to what many websites charge to ship items to your house.
Opticians
Your local eye doctor might have a great selection of fashionable glasses, but the prices are often higher than what you can find online. However, if you can find a one-of-a-kind pair of stylish eyeglasses, maybe it’s worth spending a bit extra. Plus, you get the reassurance of having the glasses fitted directly for your face, right there in the shop.
Boutiques
Again, there are often some incredibly cute and stylish eyeglass designs on sale at small boutique shops, But the prices are often higher than you can find online. It’s all a matter of balancing your budget with your personal sense of style. When you think about how many years you’re going to wear those glasses, perhaps it’s worth splurging on a truly unique look.
Thrift Stores
If you want a trip down memory lane, you can often find some wonderful vintage eyewear designs at thrift stores or consignment shops – just buy the frames (often for a cheap price), and then have the lenses replaced with your own prescription. But again, be careful – old glasses frames cannot always withstand having new lenses inserted.
Remember: Not all frames are suited for some prescriptions. Progressive lenses and high prescription lenses limit your choices of eyeglasses. Talk to your eye specialist who can direct you to the frames that are best suited for your needs.
Which frames are your favorites? Are you more traditional and prefer simple eyewear or do you go for the colorful and bold cat-eye frames? Tell us about your eyeglass frame shopping experiences in the comments below.
