Designer Brands

Our optical boutique in Carolina Forest carries over 700 frames, and the brands below are where they come from. Some of it is on the wall because it lasts, some because it looks good, and a fair amount because a patient asked for it and we listened. Logos only tell you so much, so there is a short guide to each group underneath them.

Sunglasses built for the water and the sun

Myrtle Beach is hard on eyes, and this is the group that gets the most use. Maui Jim and Costa both built their reputations on polarized lenses that cut glare coming off water, which is why you see them on boats and along the surf line. Oakley is the one to reach for when the frame has to stay put while you move, on a bike or on the course. Ray-Ban is Ray-Ban: the Aviator and the Wayfarer are the two most recognized shapes in eyewear and they have never needed much changing. Most of these can be made up to your prescription, and our lens lab is in house, so you are not choosing between seeing clearly and seeing comfortably. If you are shopping for the beach specifically, we wrote about what actually matters in a beach lens.

The fashion houses

Gucci, Prada, Tom Ford, Christian Dior, Giorgio Armani and Jimmy Choo are here for the people who want the frame noticed. Bolder shapes, heavier acetate, hardware you can pick out across a room. If you have worn small wire frames for years and want a change that people will comment on, start in this group. It is also the group where trying them on matters most, because a shape that looks striking on a shelf can sit completely differently on your face.

The light and quiet ones

The opposite end of the room. Silhouette makes rimless titanium frames in Austria with no screws and no hinges to work loose, and they weigh next to nothing, which is the whole point if you have glasses on from breakfast to bedtime. Oliver Peoples goes quiet in a different way: thin profiles, warm tortoise, and no logo anywhere on the frame. There is more on where Oliver Peoples came from if that appeals.

Color, pattern and detail

Coco Song sets silk, feathers and stone into the temples, so two pairs of the same model are rarely identical. Lilly Pulitzer brings the bright resort prints it is known for. Kate Spade tends to hide the fun on the inside of the temple where only you see it. Tory Burch puts its double T on the side, Coach borrows detailing from its leather side of the house, and Tiffany & Co. uses that blue. This is the group to look at if your last three pairs have all been black.

Not sure where to start?

Most people walk in with no idea and leave with something they like, because that is what our licensed opticians do all day. If you want to do some thinking first, we have guides on which frames suit which face shapes and how to narrow down a style. Otherwise just come in. Call (843) 796-1155 or request an appointment and we will make sure someone has time to sit with you.