Thursday, March 2, 2017

DIY: Cheap Fashionable Glasses

Let's take a break from all the travelling stuff because I just wanted to share this thing I do whenever I'm faced with the inevitable: "I need to change my eye glasses".

Photo grabbed from here




When I was in high school (man, I feel so old), I always pretend that I need to wear glasses. So I bought those cute frames which has lenses with no grades as part of my everyday look. Come college, I found out that my fashion sense will become my reality.

When my first official glasses was given to me, I was so shocked to witness that there really is a difference! It felt like my world before was somewhere in 240p but then with my glasses on, it suddenly went HD! Anyway, since I was still a newbie, I always lost my glasses (sorry mama, HUHU) so my mom will be needing to buy a new one. Eventually, since she got tired of having to buy me a new one every single time I lost or break it, she had one lens made that is shaped like the generic ones you see on the sidewalks. This was advantageous since I simply have to buy frames from time to time whenever it broke and not the lenses. And since I got used to it, I also took better care of my glasses. It was funny and cool too because it easily breaks and I have to fix it with tapes and I actually dig what it looks like afterwards :))

Anyway, I told you guys that I lost one of the lenses of my glasses so I had to buy new ones. And because of the technique I learned from my mom, I decided to DIY my new glasses instead of buying a set from clinics. However, what I wanted to achieve is to have a fashionable one!

I always bought my frame from fashion stores. Always. Because in this way, I can pick the style that I want and not be limited with the ones displayed on clinics. For my latest glasses, I bought my frame on i2i's branch in Robinsons Galleria. The model is from their Retina collection.


This frame cost me 400 pesos and I think it was worth it because it looks sturdy and quite flexible. The attendant also told me that it is highly recommended for changing of lenses due to its flexibility. It comes with its own (2) cleaning cloths, a cute pouch, and a circular hard case.


Now, I only need to look for a clinic for the my lenses. I checked out Executive Optical (EO) first to canvass for their price. I honestly got shocked when they said that the lenses alone will cost me 1,950 pesos (as base price so it could still go higher depending on my grade)! So I said I'll look somewhere else because it's just too pricey. They said that I should've just bought the frame on their store to save money, well I could've done that if their frames looked good!!!

So I was debating with myself if I'll be going to Quiapo, the center of all eye glass manufacturing, but since it was already getting late and I'm practically blind without my glasses, I decided to just check out nearby clinics.

I remembered seeing this one particular and eye catching clinic along Sapphire St. on Ortigas Center called Verona Optical and decided on inquiring there.

Photo grabbed from here (told you it was eye catching)

I was greeted inside by their kind attendants and got offered with different promotions. I told them that I already brought my frame and I'm just looking for a clinic to manufacture my lens. They informed me that their base price of the lens for the frame I bought was only 800 pesos! SCORE! Imagine the difference! Anyway, I immediately agreed and the doctor checked my eyes. Bad news though, my grades kept getting higher. From below 100, I'm now up to 200+ :(

After getting my eyes checked, they told me that my glasses can be picked up by the the following day. They provided me a stub to which I need to present once I claim my new glasses.

Well, right now, I'm very glad of the choices I made! I'm totally enjoying the look of my new glasses!


I know there had been optical stores popping around which offers a set of good looking frame and custom lenses but if you're like me who feels that these stores are a bit overpriced, then please try the technique I did :) Since most fashionable eye glasses set will cost you around 2K up to 4K++, my technique will just cost you around 1,200 at most! Just be sure that the frame you'll be buying is sturdy! Skip the ones being sold in tiangge.
If you think 1,200 pesos is still a bit too much for your tight budget, you can still go and look for optical clinics in Quiapo. I remembered I bought my college glasses there and it only costed around 800 pesos :)

You can find Verona Optical in Ortigas Center on this address:

Sapphire Rd, Ortigas Center, Pasig, Metro Manila
Contact # 0917 851 7780
Store hours: 10AM–9PM

They also have branches all over Metro Manila. They have one in Malate, Pasong Tamo, SM Rosario, San Lazaro, and in Makati.

Also, i2i New York have kiosks all over famous malls in the Metro so be sure to check them out!

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