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Thread: Recommendations for classic, progressive friendly female plastic frames

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    Master OptiBoarder DrNeyecare's Avatar
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    Recommendations for classic, progressive friendly female plastic frames

    Looking to add some new classic female zyle frames. Currently have some Tura and Silhouette. Must be deep and progressive friendly. Something that I can fit an 18mm progressive into. Any recommendations?
    Last edited by DrNeyecare; 06-23-2007 at 05:55 PM.

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    This is a tough one. I struggle with this. I hate to have ANY $$ tied up in mens or ladies "classic" zyls. Silhouette use to corner the female, more mature, zyl arena. There styles have all but dried up. Have you looked into what Silver Dollar, Kenmark, Royce, or any other number of value type companies?

    It will be interesting to see the replies on this one!

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    Are your patients mostly senior citizens? Or are you thinking something for the 40 - 60 age group. If it's the former you might try REM. Senior women like them larger and deeper than baby boomers unless you are in an upscale area where even the elders know fashion trends. For the boomers you want something more colorful and with shallower B measurements since you can use a short corridor progressive with these. Jones New York has a few nice zyls for women as do most every mid-range designer line. Look for names that are also associated with fashion clothing lines for the age group you are marketing to.

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    Master OptiBoarder DrNeyecare's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by cocoisland58 View Post
    Are your patients mostly senior citizens? Or are you thinking something for the 40 - 60 age group. If it's the former you might try REM. Senior women like them larger and deeper than baby boomers unless you are in an upscale area where even the elders know fashion trends. For the boomers you want something more colorful and with shallower B measurements since you can use a short corridor progressive with these. Jones New York has a few nice zyls for women as do most every mid-range designer line. Look for names that are also associated with fashion clothing lines for the age group you are marketing to.
    The target group for this is the 55+ ladies who loves the classic silhouette type xyls.

    Fezz, I haven't tried Silver Dollar or Kenmark yet. Reason being, I don't want to see a rep unless I am 100% I will buy something from them. What line does Kenmark have that would fit this style?

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    Why don't you do yourself a favor. Call Kenmark and any other frame manufacturer that you can think of and ask for a catalog and price sheet to be dropped off or mailed within the week. Then you can peruse at your leisure. If you already have Sillohuette you have the nicest of this genre for the age group you mention.

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    Master OptiBoarder DrNeyecare's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by cocoisland58 View Post
    Why don't you do yourself a favor. Call Kenmark and any other frame manufacturer that you can think of and ask for a catalog and price sheet to be dropped off or mailed within the week. Then you can peruse at your leisure. If you already have Sillohuette you have the nicest of this genre for the age group you mention.
    Thanks for the suggestion.
    I've done that many times, and it seems everytime the actual glasses are nothing like the one pictured in the catalog. I don't want to look thru a catalog, or even browse the various homepages, see a frame I like, order it, then be disappointed b/c it looks different or its made poorly. Also, I don't really want to sit thru a couple of hours, or have my office manager sit thru a frame presentation, and not buy anything. That's why I'm posting here, hoping that the good folks here would give me some recommendations, based on personal experience, of these frames that I desire. Yes, I am aware that Silhouettes are possibly the best out there, but I would like to add another line to my office.

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    Ophthalmic Optician
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    [quote=DrNeyecare;193742]. I don't want to look thru a catalog, or even browse the various homepages, see a frame I like, order it, then be disappointed b/c it looks different or its made poorly. Also, I don't really want to sit thru a couple of hours, or have my office manager sit thru a frame presentation, and not buy anything. /quote]

    Get on the phone and call around to your competition and find out if they carry any of the lines you're thinking of carrying. Drop in and check out the lines in person.

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    I think we are having trouble with suggestions because most of us do not see a market for large women's zyls. Senior women (65+) do like a larger frame but generally prefer metals and especially semi-rimless. Perhaps you could call REM or Kenmark and explain the situation. Ask them to send their top six re-ordered generic women's zyls in larger sizes on approval. You will be able to return them within 30 days. Or you can call the rep, tell them that you only want to see this type of frame and to stop by with some samples so you can actually feel them. Most reps are pretty obliging.

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    registeredoptician Refractingoptician.com's Avatar
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    Last edited by Refractingoptician.com; 05-08-2008 at 07:26 AM.

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    Quote Originally Posted by cocoisland58 View Post
    Ask them to send their top six re-ordered generic women's zyls in larger sizes on approval. You will be able to return them within 30 days.
    Silver $ doesn't have reps. This is way they show all their frames. They even include a postage paid return mailing label! Never had a backorder, and many times they have 2 or 3 different temple lengths. Who does that anymore?

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    Master OptiBoarder OptiBoard Gold Supporter DragonLensmanWV's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by MarcE View Post
    Silver $ doesn't have reps. This is way they show all their frames. They even include a postage paid return mailing label! Never had a backorder, and many times they have 2 or 3 different temple lengths. Who does that anymore?

    I have a Silver Dollar rep.;) For us Royce Optical works the way you state.

    The ladies 50+ is a large demographic for us. We consistently sell out the Jessica McClintock ladies frames from ClearVision.The Oleg Cassini frames from Avalon do well for us too in that market.
    DragonlensmanWV N.A.O.L.
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    Remember the old Liz Claibourne 19?

    Safilo has two similar huge zyls in their revamping of the line.

    Careful though of going too big, sometimes it increases vertex distance and can cause a problem with progressive adaptation.

    Harry

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    Master OptiBoarder OptiBoard Silver Supporter Jubilee's Avatar
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    I do well with Liz Claiborne in the baby boomer type Zyls..

    With Kenmark, their Vera Wang line has a few nice and deep zyls that work will for an seg.
    "Some believe in destiny, and some believe in fate. But I believe that happiness is something we create."-Something More by Sugarland

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    Ellen Tracy
    Liz Claiborne
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    I try to avoid using short-corridors when possible, but I'll agree there isn't much area between a 16 year-old's zyl and an 80 year-old's zyl.

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    Master OptiBoarder optigrrl's Avatar
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    With Silhouette discontinuing their entire zyl line you may just want to try going to VEW to see some of the lines everybody has mentioned. Liz had a small handful of the frames over a 34 B but a decent selection that have between a 28 - 30 B measurement. Silver Dollar has a rep in AZ, and when I was dispensing (oh, say 4 weeks ago :p) our number one line was Silver Dollar - women's zyls. They typically sold to the 70+ group.

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    Master OptiBoarder optigrrl's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by DrNeyecare View Post
    The target group for this is the 55+ ladies who loves the classic silhouette type xyls.

    Fezz, I haven't tried Silver Dollar or Kenmark yet. Reason being, I don't want to see a rep unless I am 100% I will buy something from them. What line does Kenmark have that would fit this style?
    As a rep I truly appreciate this! But I would still like the opportunity to show my products even if it didn't result in a sale that day. I would know for sure to stop calling on you if the product didn't meet your needs and you would have a visual understanding of my lines in case anything ever changed in your practice in the future.

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    Optimentor Diane's Avatar
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    Liz

    Quote Originally Posted by Jubilee View Post
    I do well with Liz Claiborne in the baby boomer type Zyls..

    With Kenmark, their Vera Wang line has a few nice and deep zyls that work will for an seg.
    With the death of Liz Claiborne, I believe there will be some folks wanting her brand right now. Let's watch and see. Just my thoughts.

    Diane
    Anything worth doing is worth doing well.

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    Stepper

    Quote Originally Posted by DrNeyecare View Post
    Looking to add some new classic female zyle frames. Currently have some Tura and Silhouette. Must be deep and progressive friendly. Something that I can fit an 18mm progressive into. Any recommendations?

    I recommend the Stepper seires of women's zyl frames. We do fairly well with them. Most of them have titanium temples with a spring hinge. They are incredibly light weight and come in a nice range of colors and traditional women's styles. These frames are lighter than silhouettes zyl IMO. At a slightly lower price point I would agree that Kenmark has some nice offerings.

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    Quote Originally Posted by optigrrl View Post
    With Silhouette discontinuing their entire zyl line you may just want to try going to VEW to see some of the lines everybody has mentioned. Liz had a small handful of the frames over a 34 B but a decent selection that have between a 28 - 30 B measurement. Silver Dollar has a rep in AZ, and when I was dispensing (oh, say 4 weeks ago :p) our number one line was Silver Dollar - women's zyls. They typically sold to the 70+ group.
    I just called Silhouette and that is NOT true!

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    Quote Originally Posted by Diane View Post
    With the death of Liz Claiborne, I believe there will be some folks wanting her brand right now. Let's watch and see. Just my thoughts.

    Diane

    She stopped designing years ago they just have the rights to her name.

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    Optimentor Diane's Avatar
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    Yes, I know...

    Quote Originally Posted by cocoisland58 View Post
    She stopped designing years ago they just have the rights to her name.

    but it could have the same effect of having an artist die. Their artwork is more valuable after they die. The name will be hot in the media for a while, and I think it will bring out the brand groupies.

    Just my thoughts.

    Diane
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    [quote=KStraker;194423]I recommend the Stepper seires of women's zyl frames.


    I second the Stepper recommendation. Your contact in Southern California would be Margie Roehm. Her number is 760.598.0634. She has been a rep for many years so she won't be hurt if you tell her that Stepper don't meet your needs.

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    Master OptiBoarder OptiBoard Silver Supporter Jubilee's Avatar
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    I just saw the Saks collection from Safilo (hey no bashing here!) and I saw some very nice boomer friendly zyls in there as well. Rich colors with just enough depth... modern styling, and some nice detailing.

    Cassandra
    "Some believe in destiny, and some believe in fate. But I believe that happiness is something we create."-Something More by Sugarland

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    Master OptiBoarder optigrrl's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by CME4SPECS View Post
    I just called Silhouette and that is NOT true!
    My rep told me that Silhouette was discontinuing their entire zyl frame line and that it would impact his business by over 25%. Last month. I swear.

    He was very unhappy about it and I can't see why he would lie because we didn't carry the zyls, only the rimless. Sorry if that's erroneous info - I thought I was quoting a knowledgable source.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Diane View Post
    but it could have the same effect of having an artist die. Their artwork is more valuable after they die. The name will be hot in the media for a while, and I think it will bring out the brand groupies.

    Just my thoughts.

    Diane
    Did she ever have brand groupies? Unless the quality has improved over the past ten years I always thought it was a bit "tinny". The one I actually owned popped a screw every other day. I do have one Liz t-shirt that I love though for the right price....

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