Warby Parker

I've previously promoted Warby Parker on my Facebook page. Since Clark Kent is sporting Warby Parker frames in Man of Steel, it is appropriate I revisit the subject again.

Some background: my graduate research was on vision. Specifically on rhodopsin, the protein which senses black/white (essentially gray) vision. Rhodopsin is very sensitive to small amounts of light. This is the protein mammals use to see at night, i.e. when there is very little available light. Consequently this is why at night, everything is a gray hue. I could go on and on about our sense of sight :) It is an understatement to say vision is close to my heart.

Yet so is fashion. I am slightly near-sighted, so I require glasses to drive. My last pair of glasses I bought were Gucci frames mostly because I loved them and everything else I tried on paled in comparison. Let's just say I could buy 3 (maybe even 4) Warby Parker frames with the amount I paid for my Gucci frames 8 years ago. But I'm getting ahead of myself.

So what is Warby Parker? It is a company started by 4 friends who wanted to build a different type of business. They partnered up with factories who make designer frames and curated their own collection. Their glasses start at $95. If you are unable to visit a Warby Parker showroom, you can go to their website and request a home try-on kit. This is a free service they provide where a customer picks up to 5 frames they would like to try. Warby Parker will ship the frames for free and provide a return shipping label as well. The best part: for every frame sold, they provide a pair of glasses to someone in need. They are not the same pair of glasses a customer buys. Warby Parker partners with non-profits to provide this service.

As evidenced by Clark Kent in Man in Steel, Warby Parker frames are incredibly pleasing. I don't need a pair of glasses (I won't buy another pair until my Gucci ones are practically falling apart), but my sister did use the Warby Parker try-on at home service. It worked exactly as promised. I even tried on the frames and found a style I liked on myself. They now sell sunglasses. I tell everyone I know to try Warby Parker.

TOMS, the shoe company who gives a pair of shoes to someone in need for every pair of shoes sold, also has a vision program. TOMS sells sunglasses and for every pair sold, TOMS will provide  sight (in the form of eyeglasses, surgery, or medical treatment) to someone in need. I own 3 pairs of TOMS and thoroughly support their endeavor into vision philantrophy.

It should be noted that Warby Parker and TOMS are both for-profit companies. Not that they stand to makes billions due to their altruism. Just keep in mind both are companies with business plans that include doing good in our world.

Finally, please take care of your eyes! Wear hats in sunny California. Buy polarized sunglasses. Eat lots of carrots or anything with beta-carotene. We interact primarily by using our sense of vision. It is truly amazing to see.