Would you wear trainers to a dinner party, or stilettos for a long walk, flip flops to mountain climb or wellies to work? (unless you’re a farmer!). I’d hope you wouldn’t! All of us wear different types of shoes to suit different occasions and activities. The choice we have is endless and is the main reason we own so many pairs. Which leads me on to the question.... How many pairs of shoes do you own?
A survey carried out last year discovered the average woman owns 17 pairs of shoes and the average man owns 10 pairs. A third of us even admit that we own two or more pairs that have never been worn! Based on those stats, my betting is you own a fair amount of footwear!
Now, how does that compare to the average amount of glasses we own??... (And I’m not talking tumblers or champagne flutes here!) Back in 2018 a study of 300 spectacle wearers looked at where glasses sat in a list of priorities against other items. The survey revealed that 38% owned only 1 pair of glasses and just 8% had 3 to 5 pairs - this included spares, prescription sunglasses, occupational lenses and so on. Just 1 in 12 of those surveyed owned multiple pairs. By comparison, 5% of these respondents had just 1 pair of shoes and 33% had 3 to 5 pairs. The most resistant to having a spare pair of glasses are usually those who need them the most. People with very high prescriptions, who drive for a living and those who can’t legally drive without any glasses don’t have a spare. Or if they do, they rely on an older prescription in very poor condition.
People so often have only one pair of glasses hoping that one pair will do for all things. When we advise our clients to have more than one pair of glasses, we often get a look of bewilderment! But like shoes, eyewear can be worn for different occasions and activities and this can dictate the style of frame or lens type that is best needed.
So, don’t be surprised if we recommend more than one pair of glasses. There is usually more than one solution to take care of all your eyewear and visual needs. We could advise a pair of sunglasses, eyewear for a specific use or hobby, glasses to make life easier and more comfortable for your work or an alternative style for a different look - just for the love of glasses!
Comments