Since an early age I needed glasses to see the lesson board in school. In a time when eyewear wasn’t designed or bought for style, I seemed to transition into the same bland tortoise shell frames for years. However, always diligent with my eye care, I made sure my exams were timely and my prescription always up to date. When I look back on the $$ I’ve spent on vision care in the last 15 years, it’s enough to make me cringe however necessary it is. So I was excited I heard about Bailey Nelson opening a new shop in Calgary.
Originating in Bondi Beach, Australia, this eyewear company follows the simple principles of quality product at an affordable price. Optical and Sunglasses range from $175-$285 and that’s with your prescription lenses included! I on numerous occasions have paid well over $500-600 for the same type of glasses at a store. One thing I noticed on my travels in Australia, they are very serious about sun care, including their sunglasses. From a trend and style perspective they are on top of their game and I couldn’t believe the number of stylish and cute frames they carry compared to most of the dowdy optical stores you venture into at the mall and online.
And the customer service was impeccable! The team immediately started asking what I was looking for, my answer was something different than what I usually pick and they quickly steered me away from any tortoise shell frames to these light and dainty rose gold ones. Not something I would ever pick for myself, but once they were on I was in love. The other wonderful thing is they will take the time to ensure the fit of your glasses. In the past I have tried in vain to order lower cost glasses online- only to have them ill fitting and ultimately uncomfortable on my eyes which led me to wearing my contacts a lot longer than I should have been throughout the day. So I can’t say enough about having properly fitted eyewear.
My last question to the Bailey Nelson team was regarding Blue Light Filters. Without getting too far down a technical rabbit hole, blue light that reaches the retina, also affects our psychological well-being. That is why light therapy is successfully employed to treat winter depression and insomnia. But, as is so often the case, the axiom “everything in moderation” still applies. Exposure to too much light also carries certain risks and can even be damaging. It can led to inflammation of the cornea and even macular degeneration of the retina. In addition, tablets, smart phones and other digital displays are not only changing the light spectrum we are exposed to – they are also changing our visual behaviour and sleep patterns. Ever stare at your phone, tablet or computer a few hours before bed? Yes well this exposure to blue light has been found to suppress the production of melatonin more than any other type of light. I have found in the last 5 years, I have had an increasingly harder time to get consistent “restful” sleep and given all this information decided to put a blue light filter on my glasses. I can say after wearing these consistently for the last few weeks (at least 3 hours before bed- no contacts) that I am having a much easier time getting to sleep and staying asleep for most of the night). A placebo effect? Maybe, but the longer I wear these I’m finding myself less likely of falling back into my old fitful sleep patterns.
