Warby Parker's Retro Chic Spring 2017 Collection
- adrienne490
- Feb 13, 2017
- 5 min read
*This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links.
I think all great companies start with a pretty great backstory and Warby Parker is one of these businesses, one out to change a traditional business model while providing a quality product and doing good, all at the same time.
Imagine four friends on a backpacking trip. One breaks his glasses but, being a poor grad student, doesn't have the money to replace them. He is then forced to endure a semester at school without eyewear. The friends resolve to fix this scenario, not just for him, but for all people struggling with this same predicament.
So in 2009, with necessity being the mother of invention as they say, Warby Parker was born, named after a combination of two Jack Kerouac characters. By the way if you dream of working for a company that hands you a copy of Dharma Bums on your first day, then you might also want to submit your resume to them as well - just a suggestion.
Pictured above is one of my favorites from the Warby Parker Spring 2017 Collection, a cool assortment of geek-chic/retro vintage frames that are available for both men and women. The frames here are Daisy and the color is Aurelia Tortoise, a beautiful blend of mottled shades of purples, pinks and yellows. I really love their subtle cat's-eye shape.
As a blogger, I have partnered with several companies as an affiliate. I choose the companies I decide to work with very carefully. Generally, I like to support companies that are founded and/or run by women, have a strong independent vision, deliver terrific product along with outstanding customer service and also do something wonderful to give back to their communities or the world at large. Outside of being founded by four dudes (not holding it against them, lol) Warber Parker certainly deliveries on all of these fronts.
To start, I am a WP customer myself so I have experienced first hand their seamless ordering processing, how easy and hassle-free their Home Try-On program is (more on that in a moment) and what a terrific product they offer. I've worn glasses on and off for years and I have spent far more money for a greatly inferior product. I, too, can related to not being able to afford replacement glasses. But I was initially attracted to work with Warby Parker due, not only to their funky cool image, but in large part because of their "Do Good" program.
The company prides itself on offering high quality designer eyewear at a "revolutionary" price - standard Rx lenses WITH frames are $95 - while acting as leaders for other socially conscious businesses. They have several dozen brick-and-mortar locations throughout the country, but right now the bulk of their business is carried out online, supported by an impressive customer service protocol.
For each pair of eyewear that is purchased, WP gives a pair to a person in need. They share the surprising statistic that over 2.5 billion people in the world have vision issues that warrant prescription eyewear. Of those, 624 million have lost the ability to work or attend school due to their impaired vision. Not something most people take the time to consider.
WP seeks to rectify this by providing those in financial need with the necessary eyewear so that they may live productive, fulfilling lives, unimpeded by their lack of glasses. The eyewear is distributed through partnerships with non-profits such as VisionSpring. It's been an immensely successful program and I enjoy knowing that I am helping them in some small way.
They have even differentiated themselves in how "green" they have chosen to be, as they are one of the only eyewear manufacturer in the world that is completely carbon-neutral.
So after browsing the Spring Collection online, I had narrowed down my favorites. I don't have a Warby Parker store nearby (I could have gone into Manhattan where they have several locations), so I opted to sign on for their Home Try-On program. That allows you to choose 5 frames for 5 days to try on at your leisure in your own home. All frames are sent with non-prescriptive lenses so you get a true feel for the weight of the glasses, which at least for my frames, was barely perceptible.
Your 5 frames are mailed to you free of charge, and then when you have completed the 5 days, you ship them back to WP, completely free of charge - whether or not you have opted to buy any of the frames or not. Just slap on the enclosed return label. When they say there is no pressure to buy, they really mean it - no annoying follow-up emails or phone calls which I greatly appreciated.
On top is me wearing the Daisy and below I am wearing the Nash frame in Whiskey Tortoise, a dark brown/black mix. Each frame style comes in several color options. I was hoping to try the Nash in a deep blue tortoiseshell as well, but they were not available for Try-On at that time. Either way, I love the frame as the size and width balance out my large face and head quite nicely.
The perks just keep getting better - all lenses offer 100% UV protection, are smudge-proof (huge for me), have an anti-reflective coating and come with a one-year scratch-proof guarantee (also huge for me). Not near a WP store and need some minor adjusting? Go to a local eyewear shop and they'll reimburse you any fees up to $50.
I have not been to the eye doctor in over a year so once I have my next eye exam and get an updated Rx, I will place my order for the Daisy. I think they will look great with my own Spring wardrobe since I wear so much purple and pink, but yet they are neutral enough to work with pretty much anything. A few months down the line I'll order the Nash as well, probably in the Whiskey. It was tough choosing between the two but I think the Daisy are really unique. I got tons of compliments from the photos I posted online so I think I chose well. I hope you'll choose to give them a try, too.
Shop the Spring 2017 Collection here: http://bit.ly/2jMw9gA
Note: All opinions in this post are my own and I was not compensated in any way to purchase glasses from Warby Parker in relation to my affiliate association with them.
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