BoomerGirl Diary

Reading glasses might as well be in the same category as braces for the style-obsessed fashionista.

Imagine the horror of needing spectacles just so you can read the designer labels while shopping or the menu at a hot new restaurant!

Those plastic frames from the drug store just won't do. If you have to wear reading glasses, you might as well go for a pair that will make you feel sleek and snazzy. Designers such as Gucci, Fendi, Donna Karan and Ralph Lauren make small, lightweight frames that make ideal — and yes, pricey — reading glasses. But retailers such as Anthropologie and Amazon.com, too, offer affordable eyewear in the $30 to $100 range known as "readers" that look more like accessories, with details like crystals, floral enameling and mosaic-like insets.

Whether you have a prescription pair made for you or opt for something off-the-rack with the right magnification, the frames this season complement fall's bold urban clothes. Elongated plastic rectangles in bright colors and smallish round and oval rimless glasses with colorful touches at the temples or on the earpieces say fashion-forward, while the slender and stark black or brown frames are professional and flattering. Just choose a pair that suits your coloring and the shape of your face.

To be "framed and fabulous," the Vision Council of America recommends that women in corporate settings should choose strong frames that won't be a distraction.

Mature women might try frames with an upsweep or detailing at the temples, which gives a more youthful look. To minimize the look of crow's feet or dark shadows, consider a light tint to minimize fine lines.