How to choose the best eyeglasses. Below are seven steps to help you find the P-E-R-F-E-C-T fit for your eyeglasses.

1. PARALLEL TO BROW LINE - the top of the frame needs to follow or relate to your brow line (You don?t need two sets of brow lines above your eyes.) With the fashionable smaller frames, it might be necessary to have the line of the frame below your brow line. At best these two lines needs to be parallel; at least, they need to be related in some way.

2. EAR PIECE - The ear piece needs to come directly from the ear to the frame ? if the design of the ear piece is intended to be parallel to the floor. (It should not slant up from the ear to the frame, or slant down from the ear to the frame.)

3. RELATED SHAPE - The bottom of the frame needs to relate to:
a) the angle of the jaw-chin line (either repeat the angle or invert it);
b) the line of a dominant hair line.

4. FRAME WEIGHT - The visual weight of the frame needs to relate to your optical weight (which is how you appear). Most women need light- to medium-weight frames.

5. EYE PLACEMENT - From the top to the bottom of the lens ? your eye needs to be relatively in the middle.

6. COLOR ? For your everyday pair of glasses, it is best if the color of the frame relates to your skin tone or eye color.

7. TEMPLES ? The frames need to be as wide as your temples. Check this by noticing the ear pieces. Do they come straight out from your ear? Or, do they bend in if your frames are too narrow, or spread out if your frames are too wide.

The above is for styling only ? the opticians understand about bridge width, how to grind the lenses and what frame weight and size will relate to your prescription. If you have not had a new pair of frames in the past two or three years, it is definitely time to update your look.