While men are concerned with style, many indicate that the comfort, fit and durability of their eyeglasses as well as the material and technical aspects of an eyeglass frame are much more relevant to them when choosing eyewear.

About 88 percent of the respondents to a Vision Council of America (VCA) survey* indicated that the comfort of fit of the eyeglasses was the most important factor in choosing an eyeglass frame. And 59 percent said that the durability of the eyeglasses was most important to them, while 8 percent said that new state-of-the-art materials (such as titanium and memory metals) were their deciding factor. Additionally, many men indicate that the special features of an eyeglass frame are particularly important to them.

When asked what adds value to their eyewear choice, 52 percent of the survey respondents said that spring hinges (that prevent you from stretching the fit of your eyeglasses) are most important. And 50 percent said that frames that are flexible and bend so they won't break easily are most important.

Many men are also interested in the relatively new-to-the-market magnetic sunglass clip-ons. While clip-on sunglass lenses have become popular and are offered as an available add-on to most eyeglass frame purchases (and there are also companies that will make a customized clip-on for any frame), the magnetic clip-ons have gained particular attention because of their ease of use. They work with two magnets (typically) affixed to the clip that attach to two metal points on the frame front.

And as women's eyeglass frames are becoming more feminine, men's frame styling has taken a decided turn against unisex design and has become much more masculine.

The top five trends today in men's eyeglass frames are:

1. Masculine shapes such as aviator glasses and double brow bar styles.

2. Larger eye sizes and frame shapes to balance better with larger body types. The small, John Lennon glasses are still around, but many men are opting for larger, more masculine sizes.

3. Rimless and semi-rimless styles (where the eyeglass lens is held in place to the temple simply by a screw or a wire) that highlight your face.

4. Materials! Used in golf clubs, bicycles and space shuttles, titanium is also a big draw for men as an eyeglass frame material. It is super lightweight, non-corrosive, and very durable. Other options such as stainless steel and aluminum are also popular and have lightweight and durable properties when formed into a frame. These materials are often used in designer eyeglass frames because of their high-quality finish.

5. Plastic eyeglasses are also popular for men, and a wide variety of styles are available: thin plastics, bold, black '50s style frames, layers of colored plastics laminated together to create a unique effect and even classic shapes in tortoise plastic.

Color Analysis

In addition to the face shape analysis explained in the Women's Eyeglass Frames article, men (as well as women and children) can choose the best frame for them based on their coloring. According to VCA, the three keys to color analysis are that: all people have either a warm (yellow-based) or cool (blue-based) coloring; everyone looks best in their own color base; and eyewear color should complement personal coloring. The main factors to determine the best color palette are the colors of the eyes, skin, and hair.

Eyes: Eye colors are either warm or cool and are usually a secondary element in determining coloring because of the wide range of eye colors. For example, blue eyes can range from a cool almost-violet to a pale blue-gray, which is warm. Brown eyes can vary from a light cider shade (warm) through a medium-brown, to a cool, almost-black.

Skin: Skin tone is the prime element in determining coloring. All complexions fall into one of two color bases - blue (cool) or yellow (warm). A cool complexion has blue or pink undertones, and a warm complexion has a "peaches and cream" or yellow cast. Olive skin is considered cool because it is a mixture of blue and yellow. (In the United States, cool, blue-based complexions are more common than the yellow-based warm complexions. About 60 percent of the population are "cools.")

Hair: Hair colors are also considered warm or cool. Strawberry blond, platinum, blue-black, white, salt-and-pepper, and "dishwater" brown are cool. Warm hair colors include golden blond, flat black, brown-gold, "carrot" and "dirty" gray.

Eyeglass Frame Colors: Once you have determined if you are "warm" or "cool," then you can find the eyeglass frame colors that will suit you the best. Some examples of frame colors best for warm coloring are: camel, khaki, gold, copper, peach, orange, coral, off-white, fire engine red, warm blue, and blond tortoise. For cool coloring, the best eyeglass frame hues are black, rose brown, blue gray, plum, magenta, pink, jade, blue, and demi-amber (darker) tortoise.

*VCA's recent study of Americans aged 35 to 64.