There's no time like new glasses time. Ever since I started wearing optical eyewear more than twenty years ago the purchase of a new pair of glasses was a personal highlight every two years. And although I have never hidden my distorted vision and always felt quite confident wearing glasses I do applaud the days of eyewear as a health necessity being long gone. Both sunglasses and optical eyewear have become important statement pieces and fashion forward accessories, smartening up the dullest outfits.

I myself have recently added a chic touch to my daily looks as I got myself a new pair of prescription glasses at the local GrandOptical store. I was invited at GrandOptical Wijnegem last week and next to the warmest welcome I received an introduction on the new eyewear trends for fall and winter; indian summer, vintage nerd, smart chic, retro round, cat eye, classic deluxe and cool winter. As I overlooked the enormous range they had in store and started trying on different frames I realized I had to narrow down my choice. And so I decided to focus on the 'smart chic' and 'classic deluxe' trends, both offering that perfect balance between modern and classic I was looking for. The GrandOptical optician advised me to take a look at the shape of my face and my skin tone and so I finally managed to end up with a final of three glasses I had to pick my ultimate favorite from.

As I tell you tortoiseshell acetate has been a favorite for decades and I was on the hunt for a timeless and chic yet slightly oversized pair, which one do you think I took home?