Attention Four Eyes: Adventures in narcicissm, part two.

Some of you may recall my first adventures in narcissim post from February, in which I talked about getting contacts in order to make running, biking, and swimming easier. When I went to the opthamologist to get fitted for the contacts, I got some bad news: my prescription had changed, meaning I needed new glasses.

This was bad news not only because my already-abyssmal vision is getting worse, but also because glasses are really expensive. I have worn glasses since third grade, but my parents paid for them until I got out of college. Thus, I was stunned the first time I went shopping for new frames post-college and paid around $300. (That was in 2002.) To make matters worse, only a few months after I got those glasses, I walked into a plate glass window and snapped them in half. D'oh! (As an added bonus, this occurred during a first meeting with a new client.)

I had those '02 glasses for such a short time that I can't even dig up any photos of me wearing them. I have lots of pictures of my next pair of glasses because I wore them for a very long time:

At a party with fellow Bryn Mawr alums/Yalies in New Haven, 2004.

I don't remember exactly how much those glasses cost; I just remember that I was very careful with them around plate glass windows.

I got my next pair of glasses in summer 2005:

I bought these at one of those cheap, 2-for-1 places. I got them and a pair of sunglasses for something like $180. Unfortunately, I think I got what I paid for. I loved the style of these glasses, but I felt like I was a little cross-eyed for the whole three years I wore them. Also, about a year after I got them, the paint started flaking off. Not wanting to buy new glasses, I actually used model paint to touch them up for a good couple of years.

Finally, in 2008, I got sick of the model paint and bought new glasses:


With my beautiful niece, Summer.

This time, I went to a "real" place instead of another cheap place. The quality of the glasses was definitely better, but I also paid close to $500. I was pretty appalled by this. It was virtually impossible to buy anything in the store (which was a regular mainstream place, not a fancy boutique) for under that amount. As a non-profit worker/student, $500 is about 25% of my monthly income. Heck, my mortage payment is only $800!

So, back in February, when I heard I would need new glasses, I immediately started worrying about cost. Right now, my very minimal extra income is going to tri gear and summer travel, and I did not want to drop a big chunk of it on glasses.

Fortunately, help arrived from an unexpected source: Real Simple magazine. I read Real Simple primarily for recipes (which are consistently good), but it can also be a good source for bargains. In the March issue, they mentioned an online company called Warby Parker, which sells glasses for $95. Not only that, but they donate a pair of glasses to charity for every pair they sell. I was a little wary of shopping for glasses online, but the price was so great, I had to check it out.

I logged on and quickly discovered that the Warby Parker site is an ideal place to go if you have a few hours to kill. Its chock full of interesting info about why glasses cost so much and how access to glasses can change someone's life. Even more addictive is the "Virtual Try-On" feature, which allows you to upload a photo of yourself and see how you look in any of Warby Parker's frames.

Still, I was a little skeptical. If you know me, you probably know that I love to hate hipsters, and the Warby Parker aesthetic is hipster all the way. They even got their name from the journals of Jack Kerouac. (Hear that? That's me rolling my eyes.) I thought I might be a little too old to pull off the Warby Parker styles. Also, the vast majority of their frames are really big, and big frames can be a disaster on a small person like me. Just as I was about to log off, I noticed a link for the "Home Try On" option. This is pretty awesome: Warby Parker will send you any five pairs of their glasses to try on for five days totally free, with no obligation. You don't even pay to ship them back. Once I saw that, I thought "What the heck?" and placed an order for the five smallest frames I could find on the site.

When I ordered the home try-on box, I got a message warning that Warby Parker is backlogged with orders, meaning my order might take awhile to fill and might be slightly modified. I got the box of frames about two weeks later, and learned that "slightly modified" was an understatement. Of the five frames I ordered, only two were in the box. The other three were seemingly chosen at random. I emailed customer service, who, to their credit, were super-responsive and nice. They suggested that I could send the first glasses back and try again for the ones I wanted, though I might have to wait awhile. I found that a bit frustrating.

Still, I had the glasses in the box, so I decided to give them a go. I ruled out three pairs as totally wrong right away, but kept two as contenders. Then, I took pictures of myself wearing the the finalists and started a surprisingly vigorous and fun online discussion.

This is the "Zagg," one of my two finalists.

Ultimately, I decided to give one of the try-on box frames a try. Warby Parker has a pretty solid money-back guarantee, so I had little to lose. I placed the order online (which just required me to know my prescription) and also faxed my prescription so they could confirm that I had entered it correctly. To my great surprise, after the delay in getting the try-on box, my actual glasses shipped (for free) in less than a week. I had them 8 days after I placed the order.

The "Japhy," winner of my online glasses search.

It took me a few days to get used to the style of these glasses, but the quality is great. They are absolutely as nice as any glasses I have paid $500 for, and they are made even nicer by the knowledge that I won't be paying credit card interest on them.

As an added bonus, I learned through this process that Warby Parker is rapidly developing a cult following online. If you visit them on Facebook, you'll see daily postings from people showing off their new glasses or soliciting opinions on their home try-ons. Despite the high hipster factor, I have to admit that its pretty fun. A few days after I got my glasses, I spotted another woman in Ikea also wearing Warby Parkers and I very nearly approached her to share our special bond.

So, if you need new glasses, give Warby Parker a try! You'll feel like a bargain-savvy hispter, and who doesn't want that?