If you haven’t noticed the newest trend of bold eyewear, then maybe you really do need glasses. Chances are, you’ve seen pairs of oversized and dark-rimmed spectacles on the faces of guys and girls on campus all the way to the red carpets of the Golden Globes and Grammy’s. They’re worn by popular artists such as the Jonas Brothers and Justin Timberlake, and even showcased by A-list actors like Johnny Depp and Scarlet Johansson.

You heard right. What used to get us picked on and labeled as “four eyes” when we were kids has become the ultimate fashion statement and cool factor. The way they add definition to the face and the infinite amount of shapes, styles, colors, and designs they come in, have transformed glasses into a unique accessory just as important as jewelry, shoes, and belts when it comes to completing an outfit.

So if you’re ready to take your style to the next level and hop on board to this new trend, then look no further than SEE, your friendly neighborhood eyeglasses store. SEE’s products were recently featured in SHEI’s “(A)Typical Male” photo shoot and they’ve graced the covers and insides of magazines such as Glamour, InStyle, and even O Magazine, where a pair of their bright spectacles made Oprah’s 2007 O List. But for the most part, this swanky company and its 20+ stores ranging from LA to New York like to keep a low profile with little to no advertising and no personal logos on their glasses. In fact, you’re most likely to hear about them through word of mouth, which is exactly what SEE founder Richard Golden wanted when he created the chain in 1998. It’s all apart of his concept of having small, accessible, and community-oriented stores with a boutique-feel that offer the most innovative and fashion-forward designs at “fashionomically correct prices,” or as SEE Ann Arbor sales associate Ayron Nelson describes it, “hip without the rip.”

Located at 308 S. State St. and within eyeshot from Angell Hall, the small and trendy boutique where you’ll find Ayron fits right into the downtown Ann Arbor scene. Customers walk into a sleek and mod white space and are offered yummy treats by friendly employees like Ayron and store manager Chrissy Stuba, who are dressed in all black and sporting tres chic glasses. Once inside, you’ll notice there’s nothing boring on their white walls and “…there’s a little something for everybody,” Ayron comments. This is because SEE acquires new products every month and they deal directly with small design houses in Japan, France, Spain, and even Germany (where they order glasses hand-carved from a solid block of acetate), which means that there won’t be a lot people on the streets carrying your pair.

Sales associate Ayron Nelson at SEE’s Ann Arbor Store

When it comes to shopping…

1. The right glasses should be the same width as your face, and the top of them should hit your eyebrows.

2. Next, you have to decide plastic or metal, or possibly even faux wood, which SEE now carries.

3. Then comes the shape and style: will you go for the square, architectural specs that are genuine geek chic, or will you grab some of the newer and rounder styles that channel a vintage 1940s vibe?

4. And last but not least is color: some like to go for the classic jet black pair that make their eyes pop, while others can’t go without some color found in the popular and stylish tortoise design.

SHEI model Joshua Yim sporting SEE’s newest products

Package pricing for regular glasses start at $169 and all sunglasses are only $99. With a 50%-off wall, a 10% student discount, and coupons in the Metro Times, Detroit Free Press, and other publications, you’re destined to find the right pair for you. And if you’re someone like Ayron and me who have 20/20 but still want to look geek chic, don’t shy away from a visit to their downtown store. Who cares if they’re not prescription…I won’t tell if you won’t.

Make sure to check out SEE’s preview party showcasing new products all day on March 27 during the Ann Arbor Film Festival weekend.  Above images courtesy of author.