Here at ShopTalk we’ve given a lot of press to Tom Davies and his fashionable eyewear. First it was a Q&A with the man himself. Then it was a Friday Giveaway featuring a pair of his frames. Mostly, this was because I thought his glasses looked sleek and stylish and because the custom-fit concept intrigued me. But until I had a personal consultation of my own, even I didn’t know my hype was so well deserved. Plus, I’m pretty sure Tom (I call him Tom) is my soul mate. Jump for my recap of the eyewear designer’s meet-and-greet at Occhiali Modern Optics last night.
When I arrived at Occhiali yesterday a little before 5, the place was already filling up, and Tom was in the midst of his first fitting. Glancing from the corner of my eye, I could see him put a sample frame on his client, then lean back and stare. His face serious and his pace quick (though not quick enough to fit his consult into the allotted 10-minute slot), he used measuring devices to gauge a number of facial features: head width, nose width, etc. It all seemed very technical.
I was in the market for a new pair of sunglasses, so I tried on a few styles and eventually settled on a pair I liked. As I waited for my turn with Tom, more vision-impaired and style-conscious souls filed into the small store—including one woman who came not to purchase new frames but simply to extol the virtues of her current Tom Davies glasses to the folks around her. She was adamant. I believed her.
Then my time came. I’m not sure what I expected, but I can tell you I did not expect such passion and perfection. Tom agreed that the frame I had chosen worked well with my coloring. Then he went to work. The nose piece was too small for my bridge. The lenses were too long yet also too narrow. Tom said he was going to have to make more adjustments than he usually likes to. Suddenly I was a problem child. Then, with the following exchange, Tom officially cemented my love.
Me: Maybe I should go with a different frame.
Tom: But don’t you like this frame?
Me: Yes.
Tom: Then you should have it.
So I did. My new shades should arrive in the next month or so. They will be made just for me, to my specifications. No one else will have a pair like them. And, as if that weren’t enough, my name will be etched inside the earpiece. It’s going to require a lot of work. But what can you do? It’s what I wanted.
Tom Davies, I like the way you think.
