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By Deirdre Carroll
Associate Editor

NEW YORK-- Historically the men’s fashion market has been slower to change than the women’s, but these days it seems the gap has narrowed considerably. The truth is, as one market observer noted, the men’s market doesn’t move slower, it just moves differently. From season to season, there is always movement in men’s eyewear business and retailers who give men options and present them with change will inevitably fare better than those who assume a one-frame-fits-all mentality.

As Aaron Schubach, vice president of 16 Standard Optical retail locations based in Salt Lake City, pointed out, the new challenge in the men’s eyewear market is no longer in attracting the customer, but in servicing mens’ ever increasing desire for stylish and functional eyewear. He said, “I believe the men’s business is not so much about attracting men now, as it is about capitalizing on them when they walk into the dispensary.”

Vision Monday interviewed eyewear suppliers and retailers to get their view on the current state of the men’s eyewear business. Our experts agreed that men are responding well to new brand collections, to the increased representation of males in POP and advertising and are expressing an ever-increasing desire for more fashion forward frames and an improved selection of trendy larger-sized styles.

 

Merchandising imagery from Standard Optical’s private label men’s collection, Schubach originals, designed by Aaron Schubach.

It’s a Man’s World
The most recent results from VisionWatch, a study conducted by Jobson/Vision Council, reported that in the 12 months ending Sept ’07, 67.9 percent of men over 18 currently wear eyeglasses and, according to the experts we spoke to, huge segments of that population have finally begun to embrace eyewear as a true fashion accessory.

“There has been a strong emphasis placed on eyewear as an important accessory from the fashion houses themselves, which has been a major factor in raising the male consumer’s consciousness,” stated Vittorio Verdun, vice president of marketing for Luxottica.

“The whole luxury movement with accessories in general has had a big impact on optical eyewear,” said Lisa Gear, director of product management for approximately 900 LensCrafters locations in North America. “Just as in the women’s market, men are looking at optical eyewear as an accessory that is part of their personal style. As the trend becomes less unisex and more gender specific, [today’s man] also wants to be sure that the style he selected cannot be mistaken as at all feminine.”

“The men’s eyewear market has evolved in much the same way the overall eyewear market has evolved, it is much more fashion focused,” added Dr. Ned J. Steinfeld, owner of four Bronx Eye Care Centers and the Westchester Vision Center in the Bronx and Westchester, N.Y. “Certainly, many men are interested in glasses that make a fashion statement, or at least project the image they have of themselves. These changes are mostly due to the changes in the general culture. We are a more fashion oriented, celebrity watching population. It stands to reason that this would impact areas such as eyewear.”

“The male eyewear consumer is in a word, ‘educated,’” agreed Blake Kuwahara, creative director of Base Curve and REM Eyewear. “They are design and fashion savvy and concerned about quality and value.”

“Men are looking for sophistication especially,” said Schubach. “Something that says, I’m modern, smart, and ‘I made it,’ but isn’t outlandishly flashy or exuberant. It is often easier to identify what they don’t want, things like large logos, bling-bling, bright colors, lots of temple detail, and frames that are delicate.”

“Men are generally more young-thinking than in previous generations,” stated Marj McGraw, co-president of Nouveau Eyewear. “‘Fifty is the new 40,’ and men now tend to look for styles that correspond to their psychographic age, not just their chronological age.”

"In the past year, I’ve noticed an increased interest in designer names and styles that help men look younger,” confirmed Anita Mizrachi of Eyeland in Voorhees, N.J. “We see younger men not being afraid to try hipper, metro looking plastic styles,” added Steinfeld. “There is such a wide range of styles out there that makes it very easy to satisfy every male patient’s eyewear needs.” In fact, since men today are more conscious of their overall look and open to trying more things, eyewear designers are capitalizing on these changes to broaden their men’s offerings.

“Men want to look modern and updated but not stand out,” said David Duralde, vice president of creative development for The Kenmark Group. “The designs for men do involve more innovative techniques and utilize the latest technologies but the eyewear market for men has moved from purely a function and technology story now to individual styling, more fashionable designs--wardrobe options. Men’s eyewear is now more unique and offers more segmentations.”

“The almost universal disappearance of the male office ‘uniform’ has helped men find their own unique styles,” concluded McGraw. ”At Mido this year, a new buzzword was customization. Men are still looking to fit in, to look professional, but they’re also looking for details that distinguish their look.”

“Bronx Eye Care has responded to these changes by carrying more fashion forward men’s frames. We still carry the more traditional men’s selection, but we have a large selection of designer men’s eyewear too,” stated Steinfeld. “Also, we try not to prejudge the patient. Just because the patient may be a man, we don’t assume that he isn’t looking for fashionable eyewear.”

“Men want a fresh look that speaks to the person they want to project,” added Mizrachi. “We try to have them try something different from what they came in wearing.”

Talking About Style
Vintage and retro-inspired styles have become such a part current fashion trends that classic shapes, like the wayfarer, are now considered fashion-forward and hip. Ovals, rounds and circles, as well as, more medium sized shapes with flatter bases and textured details are the direction men’s eyewear is headed in.

 
A recent print ad from LensCrafters that targets male customers.
“I think many people are tired of the rectangle,” stated Mizrachi. “Different face shapes demand a variety of options. A little larger frame, though not huge, gives a sense of presence. A tweed look or herringbone temple treatment goes over well and is still masculine. The combination metal front with thicker zyl temples is popular and sleek rimless, or drill-mounts, with a little more temple thickness seems to generate interest.”

“Although men are also stepping out, the color tends to be on the backside of the frame--similar to a jaunty inner lining of a jacket,” said Gear. “’Decor’ on the temple is increasingly popular for men, as long as the frame itself remains masculine.”

Schubach added, “Kenmark’s Jhane Barnes collection is spot on. It features good men’s sizes, great dual coloration that’s not too flashy, combination zyl and metal frames and smart detailing. It gently shouts sophistication.”

“Men are demanding more fashion styling, but in the larger eye sizes they are comfortable with and we’ve begun seeing great styling in larger eye sizes. Oakley Ophthalmic is a great example,” added LensCrafters’ Gear.

“Larger men are delighted to find something that fits them well and looks fresh,” said Mizrachi. “Understated elegance is a common theme with men and A&A Optical’s XXL line is great for stylish larger men’s eyewear.”

Function vs. Fashion
Function is still most important when it comes to eyewear meant for activities. In fact, men are still focusing on functionality across the board. “Function, comfort, fit and durability are still overwhelmingly large draws for men,” said Verdun. “But function, if it is attached to a brand name, is a huge plus. Providing those characteristics on top of the reassurance of a brand can close a sale.”

“Men often focus on features and benefits, functionality and durability,” agreed Schubach. “Flat-metals, matte finishes and titanium work well for men. But we need more men’s zyls and I see this segment continuing to grow. It offers the dispenser a chance at a multiple pair sale, as a zyl may not likely be an ‘all-the-time’ men’s material.”

“Traditionally, the older man is more functionally oriented and the younger man more technically and fashion driven,” stated Steinfeld. “But these lines are changing. Brand recognition is important to many men. Just like the car a guy drives, his eyewear can speak to his self image and a Prada frame is a lot more affordable than a new Ferrari.”

“Function generally is the closer between choices,” added Mizrachi. “But if they like a style and feel empowered in a certain look, as long as they know and trust that they will be satisfied with the quality, they can be convinced to try style over pure function. Men do notice what other men are wearing and want to be a player in the fashion game.”

“More and more men are becoming label-conscious brand shoppers,” agreed McGraw. “Brands assure men of a certain degree of quality. They want to look good, and they want to purchase smart. They’re interested in the tangible differences that make frames perform better. Ask questions to help them zero in on the features and the look they want.”

POP Culture
As styles have become more sleek, retro and colorful, marketing and merchandising has become a big part of communicating the brands’ story. There has been a movement toward a bigger offering of POP and providing more images that feature men and women paired together. Pieces that feature both men and women not only attract male consumers to brands they may have once perceived as predominately female but also allows retailers to merchandise for an entire collection without too much clutter, according to market observers.

 

 A male specific ad from Eyeland in Voorhees, N.J. featuring A&A’s XXL collection.

“Designers such as Armani, Ralph Lauren, Prada, and Ray-Ban have clearly identified their specific niche and their posters and modeled pieces of advertising speak well to the individuals looking to be a part of the lifestyle those images portray,” said Mizrachi. “Most companies will offer you some male point-of-purchase pieces, but you have to make a statement in your dispensaries that let’s that man know you have what he wants,” added Schubach. “Male merchandising needs to reflect the everyday male, the business man, part-time athlete, fun fashionable father, etc.”

“At LensCrafters, men can either shop by eyewear brand, or in the LensCrafters male-specific section we call ‘Men’s Classics’,” explained Gear. “This is a specially curated section with more conservative or traditional looking male styles. Our Web site, lenscrafters.com, also devotes a section entirely to frame suggestions for men to help them do their research.”

Marketing and advertising across the board is getting more aggressive as men have become just as subject to the images they see in the media as women are. Actors, musicians, politicians, sports figures and prominent businessman, all have an affect in forming a man’s personal expression of style.

“Certainly, Hollywood has an impact on what we wear, but today’s man wants to look and feel good,” said Schubach. “Taking part in the Sundance Film Festival phenomenon has helped us understand what the celebs are wearing, and what might hit our market next. Celebrities have also become our fashion icons and influencers. The Young Hollywood Generation is very much in touch with fashion, as are musicians. The relationship between Hollywood, music and fashion is a very direct one.”

Since men are also influenced by the images in the advertising they are subject to, a larger ad presence in male targeted publications and programming has also had an impact on the men’s eyewear market.

“There has been a big increase in advertising eyewear for men,” said Verdun. “We do a lot of placements in magazines that target men and we’ve noticed as a whole that the total number of pages with eyewear has definitely grown.”

“We have responded to the ever-changing fashion landscape of the men’s business by concentrating on our frame collections and advertising to the male consumer,” stated Schubach. “We do some targeted media in radio and TV and at Utah Jazz games against popular teams like the Lakers, Celtics, and Spurs. We also do some direct mail media for ‘Men’s Only’ trunk shows. This coming year, subliminally, our TV spots will show more men.”

“Men’s frames and male images are an integral part of all of our marketing, from our TV and print ads to direct mail, our front door and in-store images to the lenscrafters.com Web site and more,” stated Gear. “Our advertising also includes male focused versions of our ads in male oriented magazines such as Golf Digest and Men’s Journal.”

“To target men we do local restaurant guide advertising with clip art from A&A’s XXL line and sponsor our local semi-pro baseball team, the Camden Riversharks,” added Mizrachi.

“We continue to carry a large selection of men’s frames and are always shopping the lines for new men’s eyewear, which we advertise both in print and on cable TV,” volunteered Steinfeld. “We recognize men as an important part of our business.” ■