frame
by frame
BOLDNESS OF SPIRIT
By Jackie Muise
A few years after becoming a relatively
young widow, Janet Stubbert made
the daunting decision to sell her house,
quit her full-time job and begin a new
life, in a new city, with a brand
new partner.
Eventually, Janet settles on a stunning
pair of rectangular metallic Viva
frames in an intense cherry red. The
Viva’s are a perfect reflection of her
personal taste and style - and a hint,
too, of that boldness of spirit, still
lurking just under the surface.
Ten years later, she and her husband
Frank, both now retired, are thriving in
Lawrencetown, Nova Scotia, a suburb
of the Maritimes’ biggest city, Halifax.
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“It was such a huge change in my life
back then,” says Janet, “and, honestly,
a little scary at first, but I am so glad
I mustered the courage to do it.”
Today Janet is looking for another bit
of change, although nothing nearly
so profound.
Vogue Optical in nearby Cole Harbour
is Janet’s venue of choice for eyewear.
This particular Vogue outlet is one of
about 60 across the country and part
of a national enterprise that originated
out of Prince Edward Island.
For Janet, the store’s impressive stock
of in-house and designer frames
thoroughly suits her penchant for
colour and style.
Janet begins her shopping excursion
by trying an intriguing pair of
Change-Me eyeglass frames. With a
simple press and click at the temples,
the arms of the Change-Me brand can
be replaced in seconds to create a
virtually new pair of glasses. Janet
likes the square black frames with a
set of red, white and black arms.
Next, a pair of designer Dolce &
Gabanna’s in a deep, marbled purple.
36 Optical Prism | October 2015
3
2
Although the square shape is flattering,
this specific shade of purple is a little
too dark. Instead, Janet tries two
styles in the Ice-Cream brand, both
oval, the first in vivid blue/grey and
the second a bright orange/red with
cat-eye extensions at the temple.
The colours are striking, but neither
shape is exactly right and so Janet
returns to a squared Dolce & Gabanna
in an unusual cheetah-print with lime
green accents. She loves the strong
design and colour, but the frames are
really a bit too big.
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1/ Change Me 2/ Ice-Cream
3/ Dolce Gabana 4/ Viva