It's a man's world

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Determined to discover whether this group of British men are as conservative in fashion as stereotypes would have us believe, Optician headed for a busy south London office armed with more than 50 of the latest frames. And, although many of the men pleaded ignorance to fashion brands and the latest styles, all were very decided on what they would and would not wear.

Opinions were evenly split over frame size. More than a few men were not convinced on the fashion merits of the chunky-style frames which have become increasingly popular over the last two years. However, there were just as many who reached straight away for the bolder styles. Of these styles, Paul Frank's chunky acetate frames - A is for Action and the coffee-coloured Self Preservation Society - were the most popular. Two other more substantial frames, the dark tortoise Bueill by Bollé and the black titanium Josef by ic! Berlin, were also chosen by several men.

Fine, light frames

At the opposite end of the spectrum, many men opted for very fine and light frames. Among the most popular was the Lindberg model 3010, a classic titanium supra with cut-outs at the sides.

Peter chose these frames for their understated but modern look. 'I'm not an extrovert, I'm not into making a bold statement with eyewear. I prefer frames which are understated and suit my face shape,' he said.

Anthony, a matt grey titanium frame by ic! Berlin, was also picked out by several men, including Shahkti. 'I like the lightness of the frame, and its sophisticated structure. I particularly like the sides as they sit very well on the face,' he said. Steve agreed and added: 'It is modern without making an overstatement.'

The Lotus Elise 031 by Andrew Actman, Orsay by Bollé and Charmant model CH10716 were also among the finer frame styles selected. Even finer, was Ordo by Sceye, the only rimless model on display. However, the squared lenses and the silver sides with modern patterns caught the attention of Neil and Geoff, both of whom noted they liked the way the frames seemed to 'almost disappear on the face'.

The vast majority opted for metallic frames - or at least frames with metallic fronts - and most of these were in dark, neutral colours such as bronze, silver, gunmetal or black. Very few selected colourful frames, save Keith, who settled on Jaguar model 33507 from the Menrad Group. The frames featured a bronze supra front with a layered chocolate, yellow and tan acetate sides.

'I think these coloured sides are flattering and not too way out at all,' Keith said. Robert, however, was drawn to the flashes of orange metal down the dies of the Oga model 1803-GU000 by Caseco. 'It's the unassuming sophisticated look of these frames that appealed to me. The sides are detailed, which I like but they are not too over the top,' he said.

Side details

Industrial-style detailing also proved a point of interest. Laser-etching could be found on the popular Austin Reed model ARO6503-003 by Inspecs, while the temples of the Skaga 9356 model by Scandinavian Eyewear featured vertical black and silver ridging which gave a 'bar code' effect. The mesh inserts along the sides of the Men'z 1020 model by Orange Eyewear gave the classic supra a modern twist. This was appreciated by Alexis who described his choice as a 'conservative and fashionable at the same time'.

The red and silver OWP model 8545-400-5120 featured slightly larger mesh down the sides. This unusual detailing caught the attention of Des. 'It's a sophisticated frame and I really like the detail. It's also very different to what I currently wear and so I am quite surprised at just how much I like it,' he said.

No designer brands were among the Vox Pop selection, but from the feedback given, it is unlikely this would influence the men's decisions.

Most said they did not look at a brand and simply chose what looked good. Chris - who selected Charmant 10716 - said he did not always see the logic behind buying designer brands. 'I have spent a lot of money in the past on designer sunglasses before and have not always been impressed. This year I found a pair of cheap £2 sunglasses in Spain, and they looked great. Now I always go for what looks the best,' he said.

While the designer brands were absent, there was a lot of interest in some of the more unusual boutique brands such as Sceye, Scandinavian Eyewear and Lindberg. Neil - who chose Ordo by Sceye - commented that he struggled to find frames he liked in UK opticians.

'I have to say I can never find anything different in opticians in the UK, yet when I go to Europe I see so much more variety,' he said.