bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

articlePageQuery

filter

article

articleBaseAdvertisingInfoArticle

articleListArticle

articleSeoArticle

helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle

hooksArticleAcknowledgementGateOverlayArticle

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

hooksContentInterestArticle

articleLinkingDataContent

hooksAmpRedirectArticle

articleSchemaContent

liveArticle

advertZone

sentiment

contentLock

topics

types

sections

moreOnThisArticles

urlAlias

commentCount

authorLocations

authors

corrections

sponsorType

displaySlideShow

multimediaEmbed

printHeadline

seriesContainer

socialHeadline

headline

flag

firstTopic

glossary

flattenTypeIds

publishedDate

additionalInfoBoxes

quizIds

images

image

relatedLinks

relatedNewsletters

__typename

createdDate

sponsor

paywallTypes

pdfFiles

seriesReverseOrder

series

disableOffPlatformContent

published

updatedDate

summary

subHeadline

body

keywords

readingTime

customTimezone

liveContents

Mark Bayley

SUCCESSFUL modern executives don't see the world through rose-tinted spectacles - well not yet anyway.

  Next season's colours are more likely to be pale blue, green or grey, according to Stella Lee, marketing director of the Optical Shop chain.

  She believes that when it comes to spectacles, Hong Kong trends are not quite as flamboyant as those in Europe.

    ''Business executives here [in Hong Kong] are fairly conservative on the whole,'' Ms Lee said.

  ''They tend to stay with the styles which they feel suit them best.''     Up to 50 per cent of people in their 20s and 30s in Hong Kong wear spectacles, and the core of the Optical Shops' clientele comes from the young business community.

   However traditional the market might be, quality is high on the list of requirements when it comes to choosing an accessory which, more than any other, has to look and feel right.

   The frame of a good pair of spectacles may comprise up to 60 per cent of the price, depending on the choice of materials used.

    Wire rims were by far the most popular choice, particularly among the executive clients, Ms Lee said.

    ''Metal frames give a positive, intellectual look and create a good impression,'' she said.

  ''Men, in particular, go for the timeless style and clean lines of fine gold rims.

  ''Plastic frames have never found wide acceptance in the executive sector of the market in Hong Kong, although female designs do use different materials to provide a wide range of fashion styles.''     In general, frame shapes have remained constant over the years but the focus has changed to a smaller lens, accentuating the eyes.

    The ''retro'' look is increasingly popular this season, recapturing the feel of the 1950s and 1960s in both shape and decoration.

  It uses the effect of tortoise shell and bone to provide subtle highlights, particularly in the women's range.

    Executive clients seeking new spectacles look for changes in detail and finish rather than radical re-styling.

  Decorated hinges and strongly styled arms, rather than the actual frame of the lens, offer the chance to wear an individual look without deviating too far from the generally accepted style.

  European names such as Dior, Armani, Trussardi and Missoni feature prominently in the windows of the 40 Optical Shops in Hong Kong.

   Ms Lee said Japanese designers such as Matsuda and Kata were becoming more popular.

  ''Our clients are increasingly conscious of the background of the labels they buy; aware of the fashion statement that they are making,'' she said.

    Fashion does not always come from the obvious places, though.

   The strong geometric lines of Pascal Morabito's new designs, for example, display his background as an architect - in strong contrast to the classic, soft rounded lines of Christian Lacroix.

    Although brand names were important, with some customers buying several pairs of spectacles as accessories for different outfits, Ms Lee said there was one overriding factor governing their buying decisions.

    ''The primary criteria is that the frame fits the face, because it has a huge impact on how people feel and act.''     Ms Lee said that having recently returned from Europe, she believed the new look there would be coming to the territory soon and would be much more quickly accepted than former styles.

  ''The trend there is back to fine metal frames finished in subtle colours other than gold,'' she said.

   The current fashion in Europe is to have muted hues of silver, green or blue frames in a matt finish, with lenses in contrasting colours.

  Ms Lee believed the new style would first be adopted in sunglasses, which tended to be worn outside the office, before becoming an essential executive accessory.

    ''I think they will become popular, eventually, as long as the colours are chosen carefully to complement the wearers' complexion.'' 



Looking the part is the key to success