Whithering Glance: Specs Appeal

Rick Nelson and Claude Peck dispense unasked-for advice about clothing, relationships, grooming and more in a weekly dialogue.

CP: Between the two of us, Withering Glance is an "eight-eyes." But when we add in your biforcals, readers, distance glasses and prescription shades, the count goes even higher. Those Prada frames I made you buy, btw, are very good-looking.

RN: I was a tad wary when we were at the store, but as in all things I am the better man for having wisely deferred to your judgment. By the way, I'm bifocals-free, at least until next month, when I fear that my eye- exam results will deem me officially ancient.

CP: When it comes to eyewear, I'm often flabbergasted at the battered condition and terrible designs being worn even by your more upscale types.

RN: Tell me about it. It's an accessory that requires constant updating. Nothing makes a guy look schlumpier than a dated pair of specs. Memo to significant others everywhere: Drag your man down to the eyewear store, stat.

CP: How often do we observe people wearing glasses with temples that are an inch too short? When a CEO is photographed in a pair of Fritz Mondale aluminum aviators the size of a retro ski goggle, you have to wonder what they -- or their handlers -- were thinking.

RN: My only memory of that brief 2002 Coleman-Mondale Senate race was their last-minute televised debate. I can't recall a single word -- OK, I do remember the former V.P., my idea of an all-time-great Minnesotan, rather amusingly referring to his opponent as "Norman" -- but the image of Fritz's windshield-sized eyeglasses are burned into my brain. Let's face it, politics is perception, and those babies screamed "Norman is eons younger and more energetic than I am." Calling all candidates: InVision has three convenient Twin Cities locations.

RN: Look at University of Minnesota President Robert Bruininks. Granted, he's a good-looking man, but he also manages to look years younger (he's 65) because of his flawless eyewear choices. 'Course, glasses aren't cheap -- otherwise, I'd have hundreds of pairs scattered all over the house -- but a great set is the best investment the vision-challenged can make. For savvy consumers, the Web is making eyeglasses cheaper, with sites like goggles4u.com, optical4less.com and 39dollar glasses.com. Our perspicacious colleague, professional penny pincher John Ewoldt, gives them his thumbs-up.

CP: At Macy's, a pair of designer frames for men ranges from $150 to $425. With lenses, which these days come with more add-ons than an Escalade, they do get pricey. But Macy's seems always to have deep discounts on frames and lenses. Also, I found some pretty cool frames at Pearle for much less. Get a hard-shell case and take good care of them, and they'll last several seasons.

RN: Well, maybe for you. Like my shoes, I'm pretty hard on my glasses. I'm lucky if they last the year it takes to replenish my flexible spending account. These Pradas you pushed me into are already pretty banged up.

CP: Must be all that power reading you do. My brother-in-law goes through so many reading glasses, between losing and breaking them, that my sister recently was threatening to buy him a six-pack of readers at Sam's. Those puppies were so not Oliver Peoples.

Click on W.G.'s weekly podcast at www.startribune.com/withering. E-mail W.G. at witheringglance@ startribune.com.

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