One pair of shoes doesn't go with every outfit, so why should we be restricted to making one pair of glasses work every single day for our personal style? As a glasses-wearing adult, I have a total of 6 pair in my current prescription - from versatile clear plastic to a bold black and white tortoise with red details for when I want my eyewear to make a statement. But for kids, whose prescriptions can often change dramatically from year to year, investing in multiple pairs of glasses for stylistic purposes often seems like a luxury that can be hard for parents to justify.
With a wish so moving, her mom went to work with a big idea. Jessica Darcy is the creator and president of Funoogles Eyewear, an innovative children's eyewear line manufactured in partnership with ClearVision Optical (who celebrates their 70th anniversary in the industry this year!). I had the chance to meet with Jessica at Vision Expo West back in the fall, and her personal zeal for bringing her daughter's inspiration to life was so contagious! She was also very thrilled to find a partner in Hauppauge, New York-based ClearVision Optical and to be able to share with her customers that her eyewear line was not only locally owned, but designed and distributed in the USA.
The concept of Funoogles is deceptively simple: you start with a base frame in clear plastic, and then you can switch out colorful add-on's like temples or face plates to create a personalized frame that could be different every day. Each accessory to personalize the frames is affordably priced at $20 so investing in just one pair of glasses easily becomes many different looks without a financial burden.
Besides the fun colors and the affordable price point, the whole system is easy for kids to change out by themselves so they can be in control of their eyewear style and look forward to wearing their glasses and seeing the world clearly every single day!
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| Founder and President Jessica Darcy shares her Funoogles collection at Vision Expo West |
Ella-Jane Darcy is one such glasses-wearing kid that craved variety in her day to day look. Born with congenital cataracts, she depended on her glasses to be able to achieve the vision needed to enjoy a normal life. Her eyewear was an essential part of her personal identity - none of her friends, classmates, or family ever saw her without her glasses on - but she was relegated to wear the same frames every day with no chance to express her personal style, emotions, or feelings. She complained to her mom about the issue, and her wish to be able to have a pair of glasses that she could mix and match depending on her outfit so she felt less confined and defined by her eyewear, and more like she owned her personal appearance.
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| Ella-Jane clearly has a strong sense of fashion and self identity, and her eyewear style is always on point as evidenced by the @Funoogles Instagram account. |
With a wish so moving, her mom went to work with a big idea. Jessica Darcy is the creator and president of Funoogles Eyewear, an innovative children's eyewear line manufactured in partnership with ClearVision Optical (who celebrates their 70th anniversary in the industry this year!). I had the chance to meet with Jessica at Vision Expo West back in the fall, and her personal zeal for bringing her daughter's inspiration to life was so contagious! She was also very thrilled to find a partner in Hauppauge, New York-based ClearVision Optical and to be able to share with her customers that her eyewear line was not only locally owned, but designed and distributed in the USA.
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| Jessica Darcy demo's how to change out different frame add-ons at Vision Expo West. |
The concept of Funoogles is deceptively simple: you start with a base frame in clear plastic, and then you can switch out colorful add-on's like temples or face plates to create a personalized frame that could be different every day. Each accessory to personalize the frames is affordably priced at $20 so investing in just one pair of glasses easily becomes many different looks without a financial burden.
Step 1: Choose Your Base Frame
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All base frames are clear plastic made from a flexible and durable material. They come in two sizes (small or 46mm eyesize and medium or 48 mm eyesize). An optician will be able to fit your child in the proper size for their eyewear to make sure the frames aren't too big or too small for their face.
Step 2: Choose Your Temples
Temples easily snap on and off from the base frame! There are currently 17 different colors to choose from.
Step 3: Add a Full Frame Clip, Eyebrow Clip or Outline Clip
These different accessories attach to the front of the base frame to create a whole new appearance, and can be easily snapped on or off.
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| For more great style inspiration on how to make your Funoogles pop, head to @funoogles on Instagram |
Besides the fun colors and the affordable price point, the whole system is easy for kids to change out by themselves so they can be in control of their eyewear style and look forward to wearing their glasses and seeing the world clearly every single day!
Looking for an optical near you that carries Funoogles eyewear? Head to the store locator here or contact the company directly by emailing hello@funoogles.com.
