But when it comes to eye fashion, he strides into an optical store as
confidently as if he were Anna Wintour, glances imperiously at a wall
display of 500 frames, points his finger, and without hesitation says,
"Those."

His picks are always inspired. He somehow even knew that bright pink plastic
frames would flatter my 14-year-old daughter. But like any artist, he is
always trying to push himself toward new, more experimental work.

As a result, in the 1990's I wore a pair of flamboyant tortoiseshell frames
that made the trademark bull's-eye look of Carrie Donovan, the fashion
editor, seem understated.

So last week, after a visit to the optometrist, I decided it was time to
assert my individuality by sneaking around. I quietly went online, where the
selection of eyeglasses is much greater than at a typical store. Comparison
shopping for the best price is easier, too.

I started at framesdirect.com, which sells more than 400 brands;
peepers.com, which specializes in sunglasses; and vintageiwear.com, for
original cat's-eyes and retro styles in never-worn condition.

I know it sounds like a wacky idea from the get-go. After all, you're
thinking, wouldn't I need to try on the glasses and then look in a mirror
before making a decision?

But for me, the look-in-mirror process has always been a Catch-22. In a
store I have to take off my own glasses to try on a new pair of frames. And
without my glasses, I can't see myself in a mirror. So I've never known how
a new pair of frames actually looked on me until they arrived with the
lenses in them.

I found a solution at eyeglasses.com. There I could upload a digital image
of myself and superimpose various frames on the picture to see how they
looked on my face. With a couple of clicks, I was able to center the frames
directly over my pupils.

I also was able to search the site by style of frames (I tried on dozens of
pairs of cat's-eyes) and material (plastic, metal or combination). This kept
me entertained for at least an hour; the site sells 15,000 products.

But after a while I realized that none of the frames looked quite right on
me. They all looked too small for my face, in fact. What was I doing wrong?

Luckily, the site offered a "Live Chat" customer service feature. I
explained the dilemma to a helpful representative named Marci, who suggested
I look inside my own frames to see the size of the lens, the bridge and the
temple. Then I could limit my online search to similar-size frames.

She also pointed me toward a section that offers advice based on the shape
of your face. For my round face, for example, the site advised, "Look for
angular, narrow frames that will lengthen the face."

I still couldn't decide. If I ordered a pair and then hated them, the site
would give me a full refund.

"People often order four pairs, pick the one they like, send them all back
and say, 'Put lenses in the pair I like and give me a refund for the rest,'
'' said James Hilford, the chief marketing officer for eyeglasses.com.

I still couldn't decide.

Then I started thinking about how getting the right lenses can be tricky,
too. In fact, there are so many variables involved that a spokesman for the
Opticians Association of America suggested buying frames online, then taking
them to a bricks-and-mortar store to have the lenses made.

Providing an accurate, up-to-date prescription is just the first step. You
also have to have an accurate P.D. measurement, the distance between your
pupils. It enables the lensmaker to center the lens correctly for your eyes.

Don't even consider trying to take your own P.D. I squinted into a mirror
while holding a ruler three times, and got three drastically different
measurements.

Then there is the issue of the lens type: single, progressive, bifocal,
reading glasses. For example, eyeglasses.com will install single-vision
lenses, but for multifocal lenses, the site recommends that you see an
optician.

Next you must decide on materials (Plastic? Polycarbonate? High-index?) and
coatings (Ultraviolet? Anti-reflective?). Have I mentioned tint?

None of this was making it easy to decide on frames. Maybe a vintage style?
At allynscura.com, more than 50,000 frames from the late 19th century to the
1970's are for sale, but the site does not carry lenses. Frames are
categorized by color. I was enamored with two reasonably priced ($70 and
$75) green plastic cat's-eye styles.

If only the site would let me upload a digital photo to try them on. Without
that feature, I was reluctant to buy, because the lens sizes and bridge
measurements were so different from the pair I currently wear.

When I phoned the site for advice, I learned why the measurements were so
different. A helpful co-owner, Scott Iseyama, told me that the vintage
frames were designed to hold heavier glass lenses. So they were sized
differently from modern frames that usually have plastic lenses.

In vintage pairs, the frames tended to be bigger in relation to the size of
the lenses. For example, my current eyeglasses have a bridge measurement of
18; a vintage pair sized correctly might have a bridge measurement of 20 to
22. My advice? Call Scott before ordering.

I realized that there was no way I could decide on glasses without advice,
so Scott offered to measure several frames that looked promising.

My plan is to order several pairs that seem as though they might fit; there
is a full-refund policy for merchandise returned within 14 days of purchase.
Then I'll try them on in front of a mirror. And keep whichever pair my
husband likes.

Copyright © 2003, New York Times