Insights

We're living through an unprecedented time in our lives. In many ways, COVID-19 has put the world on "pause" and businesses around the world are looking to find ways to keep working and connecting with clients and consumers remotely while we wait out this pandemic.

For business owners, the best thing you can do right now is to keep the lines of communication open with your patients.

Reach out to them and let them know what your policies are for sanitizing your stores. Let them know what your interim measures are for handling their eyecare needs during this crisis and be a resource to them if they need you.

Last month we explored Pantone’s 2020 color of the year, Classic Blue, with a look at some of our top-selling-blue frames. But this month, we want you to fall in love with a new hue! Just in time for February, we dare you to rock the red, look pretty in pink, or step out perfectly flawless in purple. Whether you are an extrovert or an introvert, a fashionista or couch surfer, love-colored frames allow you to experiment with a pop of color and make a statement in your own wonderful way.

At Väri, we love how comfortable people tell us our frames are, and we certainly love the way they look on YOU, but we also know love is more than what we wear. It is the foundation for how we feel and how we interact with our world. Sometimes we can be our own worst enemy when it comes to loving ourselves. So, in celebration of Valentine’s Day we wanted to focus this blog on sharing a few ways you can remind yourself to be kinder and more loving to the all-important YOU!

Pantone may just have Keith Urban changing his tune about the color, blue.  Yes, despite what the crooner says in his hit song, “Blue Ain’t Your Color”, this year American-color company, Pantone, has named Classic Blue (Pantone 19-4052) as a universal favorite and the official color of the year for 2020.

The announcement came December 4^th and the crowd-pleasing hue will be celebrated all new year long in décor, fashion, logo designs and of course, near to our heart, eyewear.  Often found in nature, the color can make you gaze skyward enjoying the daytime sky, or perhaps the cast of an evening blue as the afternoon settles into dusk and then night.  Blue is the color of water and the sea, and often creates a calming, serene effect.  While psychologically the color blue suggests loyalty, confidence, trust and connection. Perhaps even a bit more popular with men than women, the color has global appeal and defies gender while bringing a sense of peace and tranquility to the psyche and spirit.

To celebrate the year of blue, we’ve pulled out all the stops, and all of our frames that pay homage to Pantone’s latest selection. So, when you’re ready to show off how cool you look in blue, try some of these on for size in our virtual try on!

Indeed, there are so many Väri styles and shades that incorporate this year’s chosen color!  But for now, we’ll FOCUS on one for you, and you can find the rest at varieyewear.com. 

Check out our HM-1.  Shown here in Crystal Blue, this style is an extremely lightweight, hand-finished frame constructed of superior-acetate plastic. The frame displays the unique titanium present on the temple.  The proprietary-manufacturing process for this frame produces eyewear that is both thin and well-structured, while keeping lenses seated in the bevel of the frames securely.  Designed in Portugal, the unmatched artisanship of these frames creates an exceptionally comfortable frame that feels light and balanced.  Yes, for all its popularity, certainly blue just may be YOUR color! To find out, check out our website and have fun getting tangled up in blue! Happy, New Blue Year to all!

Eyewear is a great gift idea, particularly around the holidays, that will give back every day during the coming year (and beyond)! 

It’s a great gift to get for yourself, and heck, it’s even a great gift to give the guy or gal that has everything (except another fabulous pair of glasses).

Just think, you could be a fashionista looking for a jump start on your 2020-eye style, or a practical-gift giver, looking for that “eye-deal” gift.  Regardless of why you consider buying new frames this holiday season, it is a banner idea! 

Avoid some of that mall madness and have a shopping experience that is truly FOCUSED on you by visiting your local-eyecare retailer!

Here are just a few reasons why buying eyewear in December makes your holidays happier!

• You’ll start the new year with an all-new look!
• Some insurance plans and flexible-spending accounts can cover the cost. Buying before the year’s end may mean you don’t have to hit your deductible again before you buy your next frame.
• New collections will be hitting the shelves as manufacturers get ready for the new year, so you can get a jump on the latest trends
• You can shop before you buy (with a great virtual try on)
• Eyewear makes a stylish gift for the person who has everything
• It’s the most wonderful time in the year to shop…for others and for yourself!

Whether you head into your local retailer to see the type of frames that they offer, or you do some window shopping online first, finding a pair that says “WOW” has never been easier. 

However, finding a pair that says “wow” and has you saying “wow, that is the most comfortable pair of frames I’ve ever put on” will mean you’re going to need to look for a Väri frame.

Visit your local retailer and ask for Väri.  If you can’t find a Väri retailer, we’ll help you.  And if your current eye-care professional does not carry Väri, we’d be happy to set them up! Just drop us a line at info@varieyewear.com and we can do the rest! 

Here’s wishing you a cool, comfortable and convertible holiday season that fits the many facets of your life! Happy holidays from all of us at Väri!

Remembering Thanksgiving.

Every year, for as long as I can remember, Thanksgiving morning for me has started with the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade – an extravaganza that would captivate me from the moment the parade ribbon was cut, to the arrival of Santa on his sleigh. 

The parade is a visual feast for the eyes, filled with balloons, floats, volunteers, musical stars, stage performers and marching bands.  Watching from the sidelines or from the comfort of home, you see parents, children and people from around the city, and around the world, bundled up in coats, colorful hats and scarves.  The crowd adds their own excitement to the parade as the news anchors turn on their holiday charm to guide us all through the streets of New York as part of this national day of thanks and giving.

Always a multi-tasker, I would use my “parade” morning and my three-hour couch surfing time to curl up in my most comfortable pajamas and write out my Christmas cards.  Meanwhile, in the kitchen, the delightful aromas of fresh turkey would fill the air and swirl around the house with other wonderful holiday scents…like apple, pumpkin and pine.

At noon, when the parade was over, I would listen for the creak of the front door, and the subsequent laughter of my children and their dad as they returned from a traditional “cousins” Thanksgiving morning football game.  A late breakfast would ensue, and then the Westminster Dog Show would replace the parade, while tired, flushed faces, took quick naps on the couch. A short while later, the afternoon and evening would be filled with more sights, smells and sounds as we would visit family, share dinner together, talk and laugh.  So much to be thankful for in the sights and sounds of the day.

Although not identical, I am sure that your memories of Thanksgiving are probably like mine.  I’m sure you have known a day where time with family trumps deadlines and where you could more easily find yourself in sweats than a suit.  I’m sure you’ve had a day where time is relative, and you find more of it to linger over a cup of coffee (or two), to make a late breakfast, and to enjoy…just being grateful for the little things.

Isn’t it amazing that out of 365 days a year, we really only have one day that is truly focused on being thankful?  Perhaps in the year ahead, we can SEE more clearly a way to bring a little more of that thankfulness  into our hearts, our families, our homes, our work and into the lives of others...every day.

From all of us at Väri Eyewear, Happy Thanksgiving!

This month, EYE HEALTH makes the News

Taking care of your eyes is something you should think about every day, but in October, it seems there are no shortage of initiatives.  The American Academy of Ophthalmology has a list of monthly Eye-Health initiatives throughout the year.  Look them up here: https://www.aao.org/newsroom/observances and read on for a few that make October a great month to FOCUS on eye health.

October is Children’s Vision Month

One in 4 kids are said to have vision problems. Many of these go unnoticed without a full screening from a qualified Eye-Care Professional. Since 80% of learning is said to be visual, eye exams can often make the difference for a kid’s success at school.

Depending on what calendar you consult, October is Children’s Vision Month.  The month-long campaign is designed to raise awareness about the importance of early-vision testing for children and the formative part vision plays in a child’s early-school years.

The main purpose of the October campaign is to educate and encourage parents to be vigilant in the eye care and eye exams of their children. With learning being mostly done through visual tools, it is extremely important to ensure children are getting proper-eye care so that they can do their best while in school.

Eye exams can begin as early as six-months-of-age and are important to detect and prevent vision loss and to protect eye health.  Children’s Vision Month highlights the importance of getting children’s eyes examined, preferably once a year.

October is Eye Care Awareness Month 

Eye Care Awareness Month takes place each October to raise awareness of the importance of eye health and preventable and treatable blindness. It is said that up to 80% of blindness is avoidable through prevention or treatment.

As part of Eye Care Awareness Month, people are encouraged to have an annual-eye exam. Most health insurance plans cover basic-eye exams every 24 months, and most vision plans cover annual-eye exams. Eye exams by qualified Eye Care Professionals (ECPs) are important to maintain eye health and to prevent vision loss.  Find out more by searching #eyecareawarenessmonth.

Blindness Awareness Month
October is also considered Blindness Awareness Month and was established to help people understand the realities of living without sight. The World Health Organization estimates that almost 285 million people suffer from blindness or visual impairment worldwide. In the United States, about 4 million Americans are blind and 47,000 (1 person every minute) become blind each year.  At least 40 of the 50 United States and countries worldwide organize events through the month of October as part of World Blindness Awareness Month to bring awareness to blindness and related blindness issues. You can follow the conversation on twitter by searching #BlindnessAwarenessMonth.

World Sight Day – October 10th
Kicking off the month is World Sight Day (WSD), held on Thursday, October 10.  Coordinated by the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness under the Vision 2020 Global Initiative and supported by eye-health organizations worldwide, WSD has become an annual event focused on raising global awareness for blindness and vision impairment

As part of raising awareness, a major fundraising campaign coordinated by Optometry Giving Sight, the World Sight Day Challenge raises funds for several different projects including those which deliver eye-care services for the blind or vision impaired, those in need of an eye exam or a pair of glasses, as well as providing training and establishing vision centers.  In fact, every $5 contribution to World Sight can provide an eye exam and a pair of glasses. For more information about World Sight Day, the World Sight Day Challenge, and to learn how you can help a child see, visit www.givingsight.org. You can also find out additional information at https://www.iapb.org/advocacy/world-sight-day/.

Halloween Safety Month
For October, it is Halloween Safety Month and the American Academy of Ophthalmology is warning the public against wearing costume contact lenses purchased without a prescription. These illegally sold cosmetic lenses may not be sterile and can cause a host of serious-eye problems capable of morphing a fun Halloween night into a nightmare.  So, this October and every month, keep an EYE on your eye health to avoid a real-life Halloween horror story - damaging your eyes, or worse, going blind because of a costume accessory.

Ok, so it's the unofficial end of summer, and that means it’s time to head back to the classrooms. Most college ‘kids’ are already set in their dorms and well underway with their studies at this time, but for the K-12 students, and yes, the teachers too, the fun begins with back-to-school shopping!

Looking back at my youth, I loved summertime. There was nothing better than having two months to hang around with my friends, going to the beach, and having no real-time constraints. And while I didn’t really look forward to the summer coming to an end, I did look forward to hitting the stores and seeing what was hot with the latest back-to school fashions. It was exciting to browse through the racks of clothing and pick out new styles, even if they were Fall fashions and I really wasn’t ready for the change of the weather!

But clothing isn’t the only item on our back-to-school shopping lists. Of course, there are notebooks, back-packs, lunch boxes, and all that type of stuff. But let’s not forget about accessories! Sure, you have shoes, belts and jewelry, but how about dressing up our eyes? Eyewear can be a fun addition to our everyday style, and each outfit might call for a different pair of frames!

Speaking of accessorizing our eyes, Väri has some great options! Take, for instance the classic line, VR1 through VR7, where there’s something for everyone, like the VR4 (shown right) made to fit smaller faces such as tweens.

Another great option with is Väri’s VR13 frames in Light Blue Rose (shown right), and the VR18 in Slate Blue Fade (shown below).

So, choose your style, and choose your color…and get back-to-school cool with Väri Eyewear. With the many new colors added to our favorite, best-selling frames, it might be hard to choose just one pair. But that’s ok, because after all, two is better than one!

Music is as good for the soul, as these new fade-away colors are for your face!

Here we are mid-summer and things are heating up outside! The summertime blues are upon us, and in a good way. We’re talking summer-concert-series blues, as in outdoor-music festivals. And what better way to enjoy the summer than with live music?

For those of us old enough to remember Woodstock, perhaps to have even attended Woodstock, that famous outdoor-music festival is what gave true meaning to summertime. Talk about people being happy, getting along with each other and just enjoying being outdoors together. It was all about the music. It’s amazing what music can do to your soul, and to your mood.

The mood back in the sixties was certainly colorful. People donned tie-dyed tees and faded-denim jeans. Some wore boots, and some went barefoot as Janis Joplin took the stage, feelin’ near as faded as her jeans. The crowd had it ‘made in the shade’ with not a care in the world when the music was playing.

Fast forward to today. The music still has that carefree effect on people, and faded jeans are a wardrobe staple for many …and we are right in line with the fade-away concept. So much so that we’ve added several new fade-away colors to some of our most popular frames that will make you feel like you’re back in Bethel, NY attending the most memorable concert in history.

Visit our website at www.varieyewear.com and check out our VR13 frames in Lilac Fade, Slate-Blue Fade, and Blue Rose. See our VR14 frames in Black Fade and Tort Fade. Look at the VR17 frames in Black Fade, and the VR18 frames in Lilac, Slate Blue, and Blue-Rose Fades.

When you’ve got it ‘made in the fades’ with Väri Eyewear, who says there ain’t no cure for the summertime blues? Not us! Now, let’s let the music do the talking this August! Happy Summertime Blues everyone!

In honor of the July 4^th holidays, we want to celebrate Independence Day all month long with a shout out to independent-eye-care professionals across the nation that are the heart and soul of their communities and fan favorites of their local prescriptive-eyewear clientele.

In this day-and-age of box stores, and on-line retail experiences, being an independent in the eyewear industry or any industry for that matter is not always easy.  Best practices, building healthy inventory, staying on top of fashion trends, educating others about overall eye health can be a full-time job for today’s ECP and all while you try to leverage, grow and retain your existing client/patient base.

True, there are several benefits to being an independent ECP. Flexibility, brand control, the ability to make your own decisions regarding the lines you carry, who you hire, and how you run your practice are just a few.  In addition, being a “smaller” company allows you to move fast since not everything has to be done by committee or with the approval of the “board”.

At Väri, we celebrate many of these same things, but from a manufacturer’s perspective.  Of course, owning our “brand identity” and what we stand for is important to us, but so is being able to provide service to our ECP’s more quickly and efficiently than they are probably used to getting from some of the bigger manufacturers.  Indeed, we may not have the same advertising budget of these industry giants, but dollars to donuts if you have a question, a challenge or an idea you want to discuss, you’ll be able to get the Väri president on the line to hear you out. 

And we certainly LOVE hearing from our ECP’s!  Sometimes we get the best ideas and feedback from the very people that love selling our line!  Like our unstoppable clipables….they were already a smash hit with many of our retailers as a go-to fun in the sun and plano option when we got the suggestion that we might add an additional stabilizer to the clip.  We thought this was brilliant and it provided a fail-safe so that the clips never “pop” off the frame when the frame is “flexed”.  So, we added it to our next mold, updated the style and we offered it in our new clipables the VC3 and VC4.  Product line change…yep, just like that.  Being small enough to move on a dime can be a really good thing.

Being David and facing Goliath can be daunting as a manufacturer, but we know that we have a lot of fans on the professional side of the business and with the patients that walk into your stores!  We know that as the industry continues to change, independent retailers will still appreciate the responsiveness and the extra-mile that independent manufacturers like Väri provide.  After all, our success depends upon YOUR success and we’ll do everything in our power to help you SHINE!  Whether it is a service issue, or you need a replacement part to a frame because a customer’s dog chewed off a temple, we are here to make YOU look like the HERO you are! 

So, this month, let’s give a cheer to all the independent spirits out there – on both sides of the channel!  Wishing you a great summer!