The Frame is the Star: Why Your New Glasses Need Custom Lenses

If you’ve ever purchased new glasses online or in a boutique, you might have been met with a surprise: they arrive with clear, plastic "demo" lenses that essentially just hold the frame's shape. You might have thought, “Why do I have to buy the frame and the lenses separately? Aren't they already included?”

That is an excellent question, and we have a simple yet crucial answer. You haven't just purchased a frame; you’ve purchased a blank canvas for your vision. At GGV, we focus on bringing you the most stylish, high-quality acetate frames and metal designs. However, your eyesight is something that requires an absolutely personalized approach.

Your Frame is a Fashion Statement, Not an Eye Prescription

Our job is to select the best design and eyewear trends and offer them to you in premium quality. We sell frames because we know the frame is the part that defines your style, while the lenses define your vision.

If we sold frames with final prescription lenses already installed, we would have to guess your prescription. And as you know, every eye is unique. The power of the lens, the cylinder, the axis, and most importantly, the optical center (where you look through the lens) is different for every person.

The Problem with Pre-Installed Lenses

There are a few critical reasons why pre-installed lenses just don't work for quality eyewear:

• Customization is Key: Your lens is crafted specifically for you. It’s a precise optical device. The lenses that come with the frame are purely placeholders. They protect the empty rim and show you what the final product will look like, but they offer no UV protection or optical correction.

• Material Choice: You need to decide on the lens material (high-index thin plastic, standard, polycarbonate), coatings (anti-reflective, anti-scratch), and any special features like blue light filtering. The "demo" lenses are simply cheap plastic, sometimes even with small printed branding on them.

• The Power of Sunglasses: The same principle applies to best sunglasses. While our non-prescription sunglasses (like our polarized sunglasses collection) come ready-to-wear with high-quality lenses already installed, if you need a prescription in your sunnies, those lenses still need to be swapped out for a custom polarized prescription lens.

Investing in the Right Lenses

When you buy a new frame, you are investing in a durable, stylish piece designed to last. The lenses, in contrast, may need replacing as your prescription changes over time. Your investment is in the high-quality structure, be it sleek metal for a minimalist eyewear look or vibrant, hand-polished acetate frames.

The process should always be:

1. Choose your Frame: Select the frame that fits your aesthetic and complements your face shape (using our face shape guide). We love the current “Avenue” Acetate Frame for its versatile shape.

2. Get Fitted: Take your chosen frame to your optician along with your current prescription.

3. Customize Lenses: Your optician will measure your Pupillary Distance (PD) and fit the perfect lenses into your new frame.

This two-step process ensures you get the style you want and the perfect vision correction you need.

Final Look

So, the next time you unpack a new pair of glasses with those clear temporary lenses, remember: the frame is the beautiful foundation, the piece of art. The lenses are the technical core that turns that foundation into a functional tool for perfect vision. By leaving the lens choice to you and your optician, we ensure you get the absolute best of both worlds, style and optical precision.

Ready to find your perfect foundation? Explore our latest eyewear trends collection. Which frame shape are you considering for your next custom lens installation?