It’s a New Year, and with many of us having new insurance dollars kicking in, now is the perfect time to start thinking about reasons to stop wearing our old glasses. Here are 5 reasons that you should get a new pair. 

1. You are wearing the wrong prescription
Your eye doctor is able to give you the examination schedule for your eye health, but a clear rule of thumb is if you’ve been wearing a prescription for over a year, you need a new test to ensure the health of your eyes.

2. Your glasses do not fit
If you purchased a frame just for the style but find it falling down your nose, or pressing into your temple, it’s time for a change. Frames have sizes that can guide you to find your best fit. Learn more from our Find Your Perfect Fit page.

3. Your frames are missing pieces
Missing arms and nose pads that are missing or moldy affect not only your comfort but also your vision; when a frame isn’t sitting correctly you won’t be seeing through the optimal prescription point in your lens.

4. The lenses are damaged beyond repair
Even if you invested in coatings, over time they can become scratched or even begin to peel. In some cases we can retreat your lenses, but when lenses are damaged beyond repair it's always best to get a new pair of glasses.

5. It’s time for a style update
Most of us have multiple shoes and bags, but only one pair of glasses. New shapes, materials, and styles can update your wardrobe and provide a showcase for your eyes. We love helping you find something to update your look! 

Ready to start finding your new glasses? Contact Us

Sunglasses, like many accessories, stemmed from a very practical purpose: protecting your eyes from the intensity of light to enhance your vision when it’s impaired by light or glare. Today, they are no longer just a practical tool. They are, without any doubt, a way to showcase personal style and flair, with some owning multiple pairs so they can match the right pair of shades with their outfits, occasion and mood. In most scenarios, eye doctors will recommend wearing protective eyewear such as sunglasses anytime the sun is out regardless of the season.

Here's where sunglasses show up in History: 

Dating as far back as prehistoric times, the Inuit people would cover their eyes with rudimentary, slatted goggles made from walrus ivory that would help to shield their eyes from the harsh rays of the sun. 

Roman Emperor Nero would watch the gladiators battle through emeralds he placed in front of his eyes. While they would distort his vision, but they provided him some much-needed relief from the reflective rays of the hot summer sun. 

In China, people would use smoked quartz crystals to combat the blinding glare. 

The judges in China’s top courts would wear prescribed sunglasses, not as a method of sun protection but to conceal their eyes while questioning witnesses on the stand. Sunglasses have since become synonymous with James Bond-style secret agents and Secret Service bodyguards charged with protecting high risk or affluent members of society. 

In 1752, a man by the name of James Ayscough began to experiment with tinted lenses by placing them in spectacles. According to documentation, Ayscough believed that glasses tinted in a blue or green color could correct the eyesight of visually impaired people. 

When syphilis became widespread throughout the early twentieth century, doctors would begin to prescribe amber and brown tinted glasses, since the sensitivity to light was such a pronounced symptom of the disease. 

​By the 1900’s, sunglasses had achieved widespread appeal and critical acclaim by the masses. As the trend hit America, movie stars began wearing them in public to prevent fans from recognizing them. This trend in Hollywood, like any trend in Hollywood, increased the mass appeal, and film buffs from around the world began adopting the large framed sunglasses worn by the Hollywood elite. 

To read more about how sunglasses work, the types of sunglasses, how sunglasses should fit, and more read the full article on Sunglasses Guide For Men from Gentleman's Gazette

Have you been eyeing a new pair of glasses to replace your old, worn frames? Christmas is coming up; it is a fabulous time of year to treat yourself (or a loved one) to the perfect pair of new glasses! 

When is gifting a new pair of glasses a good idea? 

- When it's someone's first pair of glasses. 
Getting your first pair of glasses can be a daunting ordeal! Especially if your son or daughter has apprehension on what they will look like with their new glasses. Many of our designers, these days, feature fun colours and designs. We are certain we can help make the search for the perfect pair of glasses an enjoyable one. 

- When someone is a registered student
Students up to the age of 19 are covered by Ontario Health to receive annual eye exams. Since eye health plays such an important role in learning, a new pair of designer glasses is the perfect gift for anybody who is still in school.  

- When you need a gift for your spouse or partner
Looking for a luxury gift for your hubby? We've got designer frames, sunglasses and the top of the line frame technology. If you are looking for something in particular we can order from any number of our European designers. You tell us what you want, we'll see what we can do. 

- When Mom or Dad is over the age of 65
Take note, when was the last time Mom or Dad got a new pair of glasses? For most people, vision loss is a very gradual process, so many seniors are not aware of how compromised their eyesight can become. It is important to discuss any noticeable changes in vision with your loved ones and make an eye appointment. 

If you would like to treat someone to a new pair of glasses, call now to book your appointment. 

​Ottica Veneta, an Italian eyewear company, is a small consortium of families located in the Veneto region in Northern Italy. Founder Riccardo Lamon guaranteed 100% production of Ottica Veneta be from Italy which is why the brand is known as Ottica Veneta | Eyewear from the Mountains of Italy. 

The Sospiri® collection represents Ottica Veneta’s signature luxury line of optical and sun wear. 

This limited edition collection captures the elegance and opulence unique to Italy’s city of Venice.  The intricacies of Venice’s architecture, textiles, Murano glass, Burano lace and infamous masquerades are captured within the rich patterns of laserwork intertwined with Swarovski crystals.

Sospiri and Ottica Veneta are committed to using time-honored methods to create the most untraditional of eyewear. Wholly dedicated to maintaining the same standards of quality to which artisans of centuries past were committed, each model is created with a rare blend of old world craftmanship with the latest in Italian fashion.

Sospiri® is sold worldwide to a select number of fine boutiques, opticians and luxury department stores.

Eye diseases like macular degeneration, cataracts, glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy can have a significant impact on a senior’s functional abilities and quality of life. For some, impaired vision may even result in depression, withdrawal and inactivity.

According to Pris Rogers, program manager of VisionAware.org, an informational website for individuals living with vision loss, caregivers are often equally confused and overwhelmed by their loved ones’ visual changes. They do not know where to turn or how to help their elders who are struggling to accept new limitations.

“Many older adults believe that there is no way they can cope with this loss, since it affects almost all aspects of daily life,” Rogers explains. “But, caregivers and persons with visual impairment need to know that there is hope, and life, after vision loss.”

We tend to take our eyes for granted. The fact of the matter is that it's important to protect your eyes in order to maintain the best vision. 

Here's why you should get an eye exam at every stage of life:

As soon as babies are born, eyesight starts to develop allowing them to distinguish faces, simple shapes and the colours black and white. But most people don't know that optometrist visits should start in infancy—between six and nine months.

There are certain problems that if left untreated could lead to lazy eye and possibly surgery. An eye exam can determine early intervention that can completely correct the problem. 

Toddlers and school-aged children (six to 18) should also have regular checkups with the eye doctor. Vision issues can arise during these years, but it may not always be obvious that eyesight is the problem.

Parents should watch their children for complaints of headaches, rubbing of the eyes, short attention span or difficulty concentrating. All could be signs that a youngster needs to be fitted for glasses.

School-aged children should visit an optometrist annually, as studies have shown that up to a quarter of children that age have vision problems, which, if untreated, could lead to avoidable learning difficulties in important subjects such as reading. 

From young adulthood onward, people should be vigilant in both keeping up with checkups to ensure serious vision difficulties and diseases are detected. During an exam, optometrists check the front of the eye for changes that can occur to the lens, which can then be corrected by updating prescriptions or contact lenses, and the retina, or back of the eye.

After age 40, the risk of eye disease increases. One such silent eye ailment is glaucoma, which is caused by too much pressure in the eye. There are no warning signs for the condition which is why it is vital for adults to have regular vision checkups.

Visiting an optometrist regularly as you get older can also help detect other serious diseases which can lead to vision loss, such as Type 2 diabetes, cancerous tumours of the eye or high blood pressure.

Virtually indestructible and highly flexible handcrafted sunglasses and corrective frames. 

OVVO Optics’ eyewear is 100% manufactured in family-owned plants in Europe, where each frame goes through 65-85 steps before it is complete. First, using German engineered laser technology the frames are cut out from raw steel sheets imported from Sweden. Then, they pass through the various stages of hand-manufacturing. With great precision and attention to detail the frames are hand-polished, painted, decorated and assembled by a crew of 250 dedicated eyewear production experts. At each phase, they are inspected with care for highest quality assurance.

Learn more at https://ovvooptics.com​

Most people know the sun’s rays are bad for our skin. But did you know they’re just as bad for our eyes?

​Sunglasses are a great fashion accessory, but their most important job is to protect your eyes from the sun’s ultraviolet (UV) rays. Some of the sun’s effects on the eyes include:

• Cataracts, a clouding of the eye’s lens that can blur vision. An estimated 20% of cases are caused by extended UV exposure.
• Macular degeneration, resulting from damage to the retina that destroys central vision. 
• Pterygium, a tissue growth over the white part of the surface of the eye that can alter the curve of the eyeball, causing astigmatism.

​When purchasing sunglasses, look for ones that block out 99 to 100% of both UVA and UVB radiation, so you can keep your vision sharp and eyes healthy.

Newborns have all the ocular structures necessary to see, although these are not yet fully developed. At birth, your baby can see blurred patterns of light and dark.

During the first four months, their visual horizon will expand from a few centimetres to many metres. Their vision will become clearer and colour vision will begin to develop. Their two eyes will start working together. By four months of age, an infant’s colour vision is similar to an adult’s, and by the sixth month, your baby will acquire eye movement control and develop eye-hand coordination skills.

For the first six months, an infant’s eyes can appear slightly crossed or out of alignment, but this is usually normal. But if your infant’s eyes appear significantly crossed or remain misaligned after six months of age, contact your Doctor of Optometry right away. Your child may have strabismus, commonly known as crossed eyes, a condition that needs to be treated with eyeglasses, contact lenses, prisms and/or vision therapy and, in some cases, surgery. In time, if not corrected, the ignored eye will become unable to function normally and will become largely unused. This may result in the development of lazy eye.

Lazy eye, or amblyopia, is another condition that becomes apparent within the first six months of your baby’s life. This condition describes weak vision or vision loss in one eye as a result of an uncorrected prescription. If detected or treated before eight years of age, it will often resolve completely. It’s important to treat amblyopia early – with vision therapy, eyeglasses and/or contact lenses, or patching – as treatment becomes very difficult later on. Untreated, amblyopia can lead to blindness in the affected eye.
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Visual abilities play a big role in early development. doctors of optometry recommend infants have their first eye exam between six and nine months of age. Children should have at least one eye exam between the ages of two and five, and yearly after starting school. An optometrist can complete an eye exam even if your child doesn’t know their ABCs. A doctor of optometry can use shapes, pictures and other child-friendly ways to evaluate vision and eye health.