CJO Blog
While summer is one of our favorite times of the year, it’s also very important to realize the impact that the sun can have on our driving. If you’re a driver, it’s definitely a good idea to invest in a solid pair of sunglasses that protect your eyes from dangerous rays. But not just that: did you know that without proper protection, your eyes can become damaged from regular exposure to the sun’s reflection off of other cars on the road, buildings, even the road itself?
Sun glare impacts your ability to see what’s ahead of you on the avenues. Moreover, without a good pair of sunnies to help you out on a bright day, you could even have trouble seeing the directions your GPS is trying to give you, resulting in an accident. The moral here is simply: if you drive often in the daytime, you have a great excuse to get a fabulous pair of shades to keep you from having any issues while out there on the road. And many insurance programs and health savings accounts cover them to some extent. Don’t sleep on that.
Find your next pair of sunnies at Charlotte Jones Opticians.
CharlotteJonesOpticians.com
May we get nerdy with you for a few minutes? Promise it’ll be worth it.
So, we knew that eyewear was a huge thing. And getting huger every day. But now, the official numbers are out. Business Wire has just reported that in 2017, the global eyewear market’s value was $109 billion. Not shabby at all, right? Well, there’s a little more. OK, a lot more.
It is now projected that by the year 2023, that number will skyrocket to $167 billion. That’s some sick yearly growth. 7.4 percent, to be exact.
But when you think about it, all of it makes sense. Never before has eyewear design been so cutting edge, with design houses from theo to Jacques Marie Mage to Sama to Anne et Valentin and so many more transforming even the most spec-shy individuals into keepers of the frames.
Celebrities left, right and center are getting in on the gig, too. Talk show hosts (we see you, Ellen), athletes (calling Mr. Durant), supermodels (hey there, Kylie) and even a few pop divas (pick one. We pick Rih Rih) have entered the eyewear game successfully, prompting more of us to take notice of what new and exciting fashionable looks are out there.
Let’s also not forget the advent of new technologies, including glasses and contact lenses. This plays an enormous part in all of this growth, as well. You’ve read our blogs about the newest tech advances in eyewear - from glasses that help you to retain concentration, to ones that can help you to monitor your overall health on a daily basis – and how they will shape the market for years to come.
Or at least until 2023.
Find your next investment opportunity at Charlotte Jones Opticians.
CharlotteJonesOpticians.com
Today, glasses are considered a fashion must-have – even if your vision needs no correcting at all. It’s a far cry from days of yore when the mere threat of being called, “four-eyes” or being seen as a nerd could actually prevent those who really needed spectacles from actually wearing them.
But now, surf any website out there: you’ll see beautiful people and celebs ranging from rock stars to royalty to athletes to actors not only wearing glasses; they’re promoting full eyewear lines – even launching some of their own! Think: Gwen, Ellen, Rihanna, Kylie, Kevin… the list goes on. Glasses have certainly come into their own.
And why not? With such hot designers to choose from, such as Theo, Jacques Marie Mage, Frency & Mercury, Sama, Anne et Valentin and so many more – all available in the Charlotte Jones Showroom – glasses have become the designer accessory of the new age. And everyone can share in the glory. At Charlotte Jones Opticians, we’ll help you find your perfect new elevated look, whether or not you require assistance to see it. And trust: our collection of fashion sunglasses Will. Make. You. Gag.
We invite you to visit our Manhattan Showroom to check out all the new designer eyewear trends your friends won’t see coming. After all, 2018 is already proving to be The Year of The Spectacle, so why not have a little fun transforming into one yourself?
Find your next facial statement at Charlotte Jones Opticians.
CharlotteJonesOpticians.com
When Flexible Savings Accounts (FSA) and Health Savings Accounts (HSA) enter the conversation, often the mood in the room tends to just go dead. Truth is, it’s hard to give up our hard-earned money, every single paycheck – money that may or may not be used on eligible health items. Even though the money that workers contribute to both of these employer benefits is extracted before taxes are applied by the government, thereby lowering our taxable income (a benefit in its own right), we can still feel the sting in our pockets – at least when first contributing.
Another deterrent is burn. We all remember that coworker that year who decided to contribute to his FSA, but ended up having $200 left at the end of the year that just… went away. Well, we’re here with great news and ideas for how to get the most out of your HSA or FSA. First, here are the short definitions of how they work:
An HSA can only be used toward your own health expenses – not those of family members. That makes it a good option for single non-parents. And the best part? The funds transferred to a HSA never disappear. Whether you placed them there last week or five years ago, they’re available to you now. Conversely, funds transferred into an FSA can be used to pay for the health expenses for everyone in your family, but here’s the catch: if you don’t use them by the end of the year in which you contributed, you run the risk of losing that moulah forever.
But there are many reasons not to be afraid of an FSA. Often there is an extension grace period beyond the end of the year, giving you time to spend up the rest of that FSA dough. Check with your employer to see if you’re eligible, and if so, head over to Charlotte Jones Opticians to put the funds to great use before the grace period ends. After all, glasses are eligible health items. And we’ve got new styles and hues guaranteed to make you flip. Another piece of cool news:
As of pretty recently, employers are allowed to offer their employees an FSA rollover for up to $500 of funds that were contributed to the plan in the previous year. Doing this involves amending your 125 Cafeteria Plan – which we won’t get into here, but might be worth making an appointment with Sylvia in HR, pronto.
Make 2018 the year you decide to milk your FSA or HSA for all their worth, and get a whole new amazing look to boot.
Find your next FSA/HSA incentive at Charlotte Jones Opticians.
CharlotteJonesOpticians.com
What do you do when you’re the NBA’s Most Valuable Player, an eight-time NBA All Star, a two-time Olympic gold medal winner, a successful shoe designer, and you play ball for the top team in the entire country?
Why, of course: you start a fashion eyewear line. Kevin Durant has added yet another hyphen to his title with his latest endeavor. He’s teamed up with Nike to debut the KD Optical Collection, which features styles and colors that complement his thriving Nike Zoom KDX shoe collection.
Kevin is, of course, an avid eyewear user, so his newest venture makes perfect sense. The KD Optical Collection designs are sharp, and feature Durant’s laser-etched signature in the metal core wire, as well as Nike’s famous swoosh insignia inside the temple. As of right now, you can’t get sunglasses in the Collection, but that could change in the future. If you’ve got a special basketball-loving eyewear-er in your life, a choice pair of frames from Kevin Durant could be the perfect stocking stuffer.
Find your next gold medal winner at Charlotte Jones Opticians.
CharlotteJonesOpticians.com
You’ve heard. The iPhone X is coming.
And while – along with its $1,000 price tag – it offers a myriad of new features, including a cool camera and a brand new design that includes more screen space than ever, it also comes with a feature that no doubt caught your attention just like it did ours: face recognition. Called Face ID, this special something allows you to unlock your phone just by staring at it. The future is now. But here’s what we’re plenty mind-blown about…
Apple has just confirmed that Face ID will even work while you’re wearing sunglasses. Well, most sunglasses, anyway.
Their software chief has just confirmed that most sunglasses allow in enough IR light for Face ID to recognize you while you’re wearing sunglasses – even when those glasses appear to be completely opaque. What! We are collectively stunned. In a good way.
So, if you do decide to throw down the cash and get you one of these little numbers, rest assured that owning one could potentially up your designer eyewear game. And what could be sweeter than those apples?
Find your sweet spot at Charlotte Jones Opticians.
CharlotteJonesOpticians.com
Wooden designer eyewear is the new new in fashion. Boasting a stylish elegance found nowhere else, the natural beauty of wood enhances your facial features, bestowing you with a unique look that just can’t be duplicated. And when it comes to the chicest wooden eyewear brand around, you needn’t look any further than Campbell Marson.
Guess what? Charlotte Jones Opticians is the exclusive retailer of Campbell Marson Eyewear in the United States.
Based in London, Campbell Marson has been known for its bold bespoke designs since 1924. They have worked with the world’s top architects as well, as eyewear is only a portion of their solid wood game – and a portion they do oh, so well. Their wood is carefully picked out, and each frame goes through an 80-step quality assurance process to ensure excellence. On top of that, every piece is hand-finished in either a gloss or mat lacquer, then buffed to perfection.
If you want to turn heads out here in these streets, snatch up some envy while wearing a lovely piece of art, and looking great doing it, check out Campbell Marson Eyewear, exclusively at Charlotte Jones Opticians in the US. It’s a match made in the stars.
Find your next star mate at Charlotte Jones Opticians.
CharlotteJonesOpticians.com
We never thought we’d be talking about football in our blog. But…
The Detroit Lions dropped more passes last season than nearly any other team in football. Not good. So, this year, the players have begun to initiate a new eyewear technology into their practices that will hopefully help to improve their game, big time.
Coined by one of the players, “Flashing Glasses,” the tinted blue visor does just that: flash momentarily, thereby blinding you, then suddenly lighting up your line of vision to escalate your focus as a ball is being thrown your way. While that might sound weird, it’s a sensory skill-boosting mind trick that in their opinion seems to be worth trying out. Though the technology isn’t new, more Lions are utilizing it during practice than ever before.
Come this fall, we’ll learn if it actually worked. Well… someone will learn.
Find your next sense-boosters at Charlotte Jones Opticians.
CharlotteJonesOpticians.com
The upcoming total solar eclipse of the sun is getting lots of buzz. And why wouldn’t it, given its rarity and awesomeness? People from around the globe will be heading to America’s Heartland in August to experience this truly incredible and breathtaking phenomenon. Some of them even made their hotel and travel plans three years ago. A total solar eclipse is the one brief time (we’re talking minutes) that you can look directly toward the sun with your naked eyes. But doing so is still ill-advised by many experts, as even just a partial glimpse of the sun as the eclipse shifts can cause retinal damage.
This is serious business, so it requires some serious eye protection. But there are already companies out there taking advantage of the uninformed eclipse audience by selling bogus “eclipse-watching glasses.” The problem is so bad that the state of Wyoming – which will be among the best places to see the event – has issued a warning to attendees, complete with a list of authentic eclipse glasses brands and retailers. The state is asking people to stay away from sellers who didn’t make the list.
If you’re planning to head over to the solar eclipse, check out Wyoming’s website first to ensure that you’re wearing the perfect gear for this amazing occasion.
Then find your perfect and amazing spectacles at Charlotte Jones Opticians.
CharlotteJonesOpticians.com
Google Glass is back.
Do you remember that failed consumer product that fizzled upon release, then tanked about two years ago? Well, it’s returned – but with a slight twist. Google Glass is now being marketed in a customized form for just businesses. Called, “Glass Enterprise Edition,” the new endeavor was officially launched this week. Some new bells and whistles include a longer battery life and a more comfortable fit that is touted to be cool for long-term wear.
Jay Kothari, the lead on Glass, says that the product uses software that compiles animated and video instructions from sources, then projects them directly into a worker’s line of view so that they don’t have to pause their work in order to check a binder or a computer to move forward toward their work goals.
Glass EE has already received a seal of approval from companies, including powerhouses Boeing and Volkswagen.
Behold, the future of the workplace.
Find your future frames at Charlotte Jones Opticians.
CharlotteJonesOpticians.com