APRIL 2008 SUNWEAR WELL SEASONED An Advertising and Editorial Partnership Presented by 20/20 and VisionMonday
ARE YOU BEING SERVED? I m not a big fan of the gym. While it s nice to see people trying to stay fit and active, all that running and walking in place makes me feel like I m in a giant hamster cage, albeit with fancier equipment. The truth is, for me it s kind of a joyless experience, so I recently joined the Y and started swimming again, an activity I loved as a kid. But before I could jump into the deep end, I needed to get a pair of goggles. So I headed over to Paragon Sports, a sporting goods retailer that has been an institution in Manhattan for about 100 years. What differentiates Paragon from some of the large chains is that their salespeople have an in-depth knowledge of the products they sell because they themselves participate in the activities. The man who helped me select my goggles was a scuba instructor. When I told him I was looking for goggles he immediately asked me where and when I d be swimming: In a pool? In the ocean? During the day? He showed me the most popular model for my purposes and explained how the well-known brand I was looking at was more expensive but not necessarily any better. He gave me a sample to try on and told me how they should feel and fit on my face. The whole process took maybe 10 minutes and I walked out not only with what I needed, but also feeling good about my purchase. It is so important for dispensers and their staff to have an intimate knowledge of the products being sold in their optical practice. For example, if you sell photochromics, you and your staff should wear them and have tried the various brands you offer. It is equally important to ask your patients lifestyle-based questions so all their eyecare needs are being met by you. Do they golf, ski, fish, cycle or spend a lot of time at the beach? While it does help if you or your staff participate in some of the activities you are speaking to your patients about, the very least you can do is learn about the products and follow up with patients when they try products that are new to your practice. This way if your patients ask you a question, you ll be able to give them insider knowledge. And when they walk out of your dispensary they will feel good about their purchase and readily come back the next time they have eyewear needs and wants. Jackie Micucci, 20/20 Executive Editor, jmicucci@jobson.com CONTENTS 6 Upfront SUNVISION FEATURES 10 LENSES: The Sporting Life 12 SUN SPOTS: Facts and Figures About Consumer Sunwear Trends 14 RITES OF SPRING COVER PHOTOGRAPHED BY Ned Matura EXECUTIVE EDITOR Jackie Micucci ART DIRECTOR Barbara Winters Supplement created by 20/20 magazine. EDITOR-IN-CHIEF James J. Spina GROUP EDITOR, LENSES & TECHNOLOGY Andrew Karp ASSISTANT EDITOR Melissa Arkin SENIOR RESEARCH ANALYST Jennifer Zupnick RESEARCH ANALYST Beth Briggs PRODUCTION MANAGER David Herman SunVision April 2008 3
UPFRONT CAR CRAZY The good folks at Wiley X mentioned that we ran a picture about the 2007 Jim Yates Pro Stock Pontiac in a recent story about the expectations and plans for the 2008 season. They wondered if we could update you with a picture of the new car in its full Sunglass Machine colors. Come on guys that s not our wait a minute. Is this the picture you want us to run? Don t even ask twice. And please try to catch Yates in action at some point during this NHRA POWERade season. James J. Spina THINK COOL THOUGHTS. ICE in a vast spectrum of colors. Feel the chill of the most vibrant mirror coatings to ever come between one s eyes and the elements. It is time to experience the fashion, form and function of ICE. Call 800.832.2628 to take advantage of ICE. Available in 8 amazing variations. icoat, Making lenses better, and ICE are registered trademarks of icoat Company, LLC. 2008 icoat Company, LLC. All rights reserved.
PRODUCED AND DISTRIBUTED BY LUXOTTICA GROUP - MOD. RA 5031
UPFRONT hallof frames 1 THE EYES HAVE IT Ilori was at the Luxury Lounge during the recent Screen Actors Guild Awards. Scooping up limitededition sunglass styles from Luxottica are actress Allison Janney (1) from the Academy Award nominated movie Juno in Ray-Ban RB 4101; Bill Maher (2) of HBO s Real Time with Bill Maher in Persol PO 2864 and actor Cedric the Entertainer (3) in Miu Miu MU 18G WINNING WAYS 2008 Grammy Award winners showing off shades from Marchon are singer Amy Winehouse (4), who took home five awards including best new artist, in Fendi style FS411, Kanye West (5), who won four trophies including best rap album, in Michael Kors MKS101 and Rihanna (6), who won best rap/sung collaboration for the song Umbrella, in Fendi FS484S JUST SUPER Legendary Chicago Bears quarterback Jim McMahon (7) wears Ed Hardy sunglass model 010 from Revolution. McMahon led the 1985 Bears to victory in Super Bowl XX EYE-LIAS Actress Jennifer Garner (8) wears the Blinde Particularly Peculiar sunglass from Optical Shop of Aspen while out and about with her daughter. Jackie Micucci 3 4 5 6 7 8 8 April 2008 SunVision
SPORTING LIFE ENHANCING SPORTS PERFORMANCE WITH SUN LENSES THE By Andrew Karp While only a small segment of the eyewear patient population participates in sports at the professional level, literally millions play weekend sports such as golf and tennis while others enjoy jogging, swimming, cycling and rollerblading. Having a knowledge of sports applications for sun lens products can open your dispensary to second-, third- and even fourth-pair sales. Performance eyewear helps athletes in individual sports do better. Quick reaction time is critical. Every lens factor color, curve, glare-resistance influences the time is takes for the image to get from the eye to the brain. As the performance requirements and environmental conditions change for each sport, so does the performance of the lenses. SPECIALIZED LENSES FOR SPECIFIC NEEDS In sports eyewear, there is no such thing as an all-purpose lens. There is a lens treatment, material and/or design offered to address the performance needs of each sport. With the dye pigments, lens materials, quality of polarization, and mirror coatings available to us, there are a myriad of alternatives to actually be able to completely manage a person's vision enhancing sight in specific color ranges, dependent on need. Because of the impact-resistant nature of the material, polycarbonate has become the predominant lens material for sports use for safety reasons. Its inherent impact resistance offers athletes involved in racquet sports as well as outdoor sports such as biking, hunting and hiking important protection. Historically, however, the material s optics have presented problems for sports such as target shooting. But recent improvements to the material have cleared up peripheral distortion. The introduction of PPG s Trivex also impact resistant, but with a higher Abbe value than poly has provided another safe lens option for sports patients. Both materials are lightweight a big key for some athletes, particularly those concerned with issues such as speed and performance. Polarized sun lenses have become a particularly popular lens option among athletes because they are specifically designed to reduce or eliminate reflected glare off surfaces such as roads, snow, water or ice, making them ideal for activities such as water sports (i.e., boating or fishing) as well as driving. Reflected glare reduces visual acuity and depth perception. The most efficient way to block the horizontal reflected waves of light is with the use of polarization. CONTROLLING CONTRAST Contrast is fast becoming a most critical property of sports eyewear, and is particularly important for fishing and other water sports. Gray lenses provide a neutral-color, general purpose lens for boaters, but fishermen need different colors for different types of fishing. That's where contrast lenses can help. Contrast lenses create the ability to determine small differences in color, enabling the wearer to spot a fish in grassy, shallow water, for example. Contrast absorptions are developed by determining the color of the object being focused on, and matching the color of the lens to the object. The color of that item will become more vivid. The other option is to use a lens color that matches the background. That color will be enhanced, so the object being located will be more apparent in its difference. Gray lenses enhance dark fish. Amber lenses accentuate sandy bottoms of shallow water. Brown lenses bring out grassy water bottoms. These and other dark sun lenses benefit from a backside AR coating. Reflections off the back surface of a dark lens will cause discomfort and adversely effect acuity. A backside AR coating will 10 April 2008 SunVision
eliminate the annoyance. Many ardent fishermen are faithful to glass lenses. They believe that glass has the best acuity, and the lenses don t fade or scratch. Regularly wiping salt water from spectacles can quickly cause damage to plastic lenses. As fishing is often an all-day activity, photochromic lenses are quite convenient in varying daylight conditions, if the fisherman chooses to purchase only one pair. The advent of tinted polarized lenses has allowed for further specialization of polarized dispensing, with colors matched to specific sporting tasks. Another important development in recent years has been the introduction of polarized polycarbonate lenses. Because the film is added to the base material when it is still in liquid form (as opposed to laminated on the surface of the lens), polarized polycarbonate lenses tend to be more durable than polarized lenses made from other materials. LOOK INTO MIRRORS Like polarized lenses, mirror-coated lenses reduce glare, particularly off reflected surfaces such as snow, ice and water. In fact, a mirror coating can be an add-on option for polarized lenses for wearers who need additional protection in bright sun situations. Because of these benefits, mirror-coated lenses have become very popular with sports enthusiasts, particularly those participating in activities such as skiing, paragliding, snowboarding, skeet shooting, fly-fishing and mountain climbing. When combined with a polarized filter and AR coating, mirrors arguably provide the best in sun and glare protection. On their own, mirror-coated lenses absorb anywhere from 10 percent to 60 percent more light than uncoated lenses, depending on the type or degree of coating. TINT TACTICS Tints applied for sports-specific applications should act as filters, reducing the overall amount of visible light reaching the athlete s eyes while, in some cases, filtering out specific wavelengths of light. Some lens tints also enhance contrast sensitivity, allowing the eye to see greater definition between colors. Yellow tints, for example, are said to brighten low light situations and improve contrast, which makes them a favorite of skiers and some sport shooters. Recently, shooters have found they benefit from other tints such as orange, reds and browns, depending on their targets and the environments they are working in. For example, hunting is often done early in the morning, or during the limited light situations found in autumn and winter. Therefore, a yellow lens, like the classic Kalichrome, would be most useful. It lights up the viewing area along with providing the contrast. This color is also most successful with skeet-shooters. An anti-reflective coating on both sides of the shooter s lenses will maximize the transmission of light. Lighter tints work well for golfers who need to discern slopes on greens. They improve visual attenuation, visual discrimination and eye-hand coordination, and they still offer good glare protection. Keeping one s eye on the golf ball is aided by polarization and attenuating some blue light. When blue light is reduced, both the sky and the grass are muted, making the ball more obvious. Polarization will remove the glare from the surroundings. This, of course, will affect the perspective of seeing the water traps. As with skiers, the quality of the athlete should help with the choice. Tints are generally not stand-alone sports lens products, however. Rather, they are most often used in combination with other lens treatments such as photochromics, polarized filters and mirror coatings as well as AR lenses. Sports vision dispensers say it s important to research which colors work best for which sports before selling them to their sports-playing patients. EVALUATING PATIENT NEEDS As is always the case with lifestyle dispensing, it s up to the eyecare practitioner to evaluate an individual patient s needs and match those needs to the proper eyewear. When it comes to sports, the practitioner can simply ask a few questions or have the patient fill out a questionnaire in order to determine which lenses or lens treatments will enhance the patient's performance in a particular sport. Once the patient is educated about their options, both the spectacles and the performance will be up to par. SunVision April 2008 11
SUN SPOTS ( FACTS AND FIGURES ABOUT ) CONSUMER SUNWEAR TRENDS They say April showers bring May flowers. But this fabled month of rain is the stuff of nursery rhymes; there are many viable hours of sunshine, this month and year-round. Sunglasses are always a necessity. Let the numbers from Jobson Optical Research about optical s consumer attitudes light the way to great sales. Melissa Arkin METHODOLOGY This sunwear survey was run in December 2007 as a custom study appended to the large-scale continuous consumer-based VisionWatch study conducted by Jobson/Vision Council. VisionWatch surveys 100,000 respondents annually. All respondents are over 18 and live in the United States. For more information about this study or how to run your own survey please contact Jobson Research at (212) 274-7164. 18.4% 22.7% 27.5% 31.3% 18-34 35-44 45-54 55+ 28.2% 35.9% 35.9% Under $40K $40K up to $60K Over $60K 38.1% 19.6% 17.3% 25.1% Northeast South Midwest West *Brands costing $30+ Percentage of adults currently wearing sunglasses, by age & gender In the 12-month period ending in December 2007 (12 ME Dec 07), a majority of respondents kept their eyes protected from the sun. Of the 83.5 percent that reported wearing plano sunglasses during this time frame, slightly more than half (53.5 percent) of respondents going sun-bespectacled were females. The sunglass wear was spread out among the age groups. The youngest respondents, ages 18 to 34, peaked with the highest concentration of plano sunglasses wearers with 31.3 percent of all sunglass wearers fitting in this age group. There was no method to this clad-ness, however. The oldest of the respondents ranked second in plano sunglass wear, with 55-and-over group representing 27.5 percent of the total wear. The 35 to 44 and 45 to 54 age groups were 27.7 percent and 18.4 percent respectively. Percentage of adults currently wearing sunglasses, by income group It goes to show that you don t need to have all the money under the sun to keep your eyes safe from it. Among the respondents wearing sunglasses in the 12 ME Dec 07, those representing the lowest and highest income groups reported the same amount of plano sunglass wear. In fact, the percentage of those making under $40K exactly matched those making over $60K each with 35.9 percent wearing shades. The midrange income group actually had the smallest representations with only 28.2 percent. Total sunglass sales by outlet type, by region* In the 12 ME Dec 07, the plano sunwear industry witnessed some serious Southern hospitality 38.1 percent of the plano sunglass units costing $30 or more bought from retail outlets were bought in the South. The West comprised a fourth (25.1 percent) of units sold. The Northeast and Midwest showed less enthusiasm for sunglass shopping during this time period. Over half (51.5 percent) of plano sunglass units costing $30 or more sold were in sunglass specialty stores. The sales from other types of retail locations paled in comparison. Optical independents sold 13.9 percent of the total plano sunglass units costing $30 or more; department stores accounted for 11.5 percent; optical chains, 9.1 percent; and sports retailers sold 8.0 percent. 12 April 2008 SunVision
Impel Ultra-light, secure-fit performance eyewear 2008 NIKE Inc. Marchon is an authorized licensee of Nike Vision
RITES OF SPRING PHOTOGRAPHED BY NED MATURA TRENDS BY JAMES J. SPINA With the April showers bringing May flowers and warmer temperatures it s time to step outside in sunwear. Whether going for a bike ride, a day on the golf course or just a leisurely stroll, these sun styles are the perfect remedy for spring fever. Jackie Micucci BEYOND TORTOISE Madame Lafont is inventively busy creating new and glacier-like versions of color blends that build on eyewear s tortoise heritage in bold yet subtle new ways. VENCE 403 from Lafont 14 April 2008 SunVision
FLOWER POWER Delicate zyl cut details are soaring in frame popularity and a spring timing is perfect timing for these flower cuts. VERA WANG V213 from Couteur Designs/ A Division of Kenmark Group SunVision April 2008 15
Protect Your Eyes with America s Most Trusted Suncare Brand LifeRx, Tegra, Continua, Outlook, Illumina and SunRx are trademarks or registered trademarks of Vision-Ease Lens. The Coppertone logo and the Coppertone Girl and Dog Device are trademarks of Schering-Plough HealthCare Products, Inc. used by Vision-Ease Lens under license. 2008 Schering- Plough HealthCare Products, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 2008 Vision-Ease Lens. All Rights Reserved. VISION-EASE LENS PRODUCT FAMILY
INDEPENDENT. IT S WHY WE CARE. SUN PROTECTION FOR YOUR EYES. INNOVATION AND PROTECTION A leading American polycarbonate lens manufacturer unites with America s #1 suncare brand to deliver a lens that satisfies increasing demand for greater sun protection. Coppertone polarized lenses protect beyond UVA and UVB light guarding against harmful high energy visible (HEV) light. Coppertone polarized lenses help protect the delicate skin around the eyes against the UV rays. Exposure to UV rays may contribute to premature skin aging caused by sunlight. Coppertone polarized lenses provide added protection against UV and HEV light which may contribute to the development of common sunlight related maladies such as cataracts and macular degeneration. CASH REWARDS: Win up to $20.00 instantly for every pair of Coppertone polarized lenses you sell. MONTHLY PRIZES: Your chance at a Yamaha Waverunner, Sunfish Sailboat or a Kayak Package for two. GRAND PRIZE: Vacation for four to the Atlantis Resort on Paradise Island ($10,000 value). For details, registration and official rules contact your Vision-Ease sales representative or log onto www.vision-ease.com The Skin Can cer Foun dati on reco mmen nds t his prod uct as an eff ffec fec tive UV filter rf for t he eyes es and surroun rounding ng ski n. Meet et s AOAsp specifi cat ions for bloc kage of UVA and UVB rays. QUALITY AND LEADERSHIP Vision-Ease Lens follows the highest optical standards in the lens industry. All lenses are manufactured under strict ISO 9000 guidelines and inspected to an industry-leading 2.0 AOQL quality standard for greater processing efficiencies for our customers. With 47 lens technology patents and over 75 years of proprietary technology, Vision-Ease Lens is the leading American manufacturer of premium quality polycarbonate and polarized lenses. Make sure your patients are getting the best lenses on the market and you are getting the best support for your business. Choose Vision-Ease Lens the innovation leader. www.vision-ease.com 1.800.328.3449
BACKGROUND CHECK Look to sunwear brands steeped in a rich heritage of sport sponsorships, tech achievements, identifiable logos and equally identifiable styling. DRAPHT from Wiley X 18 April 2008 SunVision
HELLO YELLOW Yellow tortoise rules the resurgence of tortoise as a powerful sunwear mainstay. SANFORD HUTTON MATAHARI C921 from Colors in Optics 20 April 2008 SunVision
RAIN MAN The protective sweep of modern sun wraps affords both sun and rain protection. GARGOYLES Balance from Quantum Optics 22 April 2008 SunVision
PAIN IS TEMPORARY. IT MAY LAST A MINUTE, OR AN HOUR, OR A DAY, OR A YEAR, BUT EVENTUALLY IT WILL SUBSIDE AND SOMETHING ELSE WILL TAKE ITS PLACE. IF I QUIT, HOWEVER, IT LASTS FOREVER. -LANCE ARMSTRONG MASTERS OF VISION VISIONARIES>LANCE ARMSTRONG - CYCLING RADAR WITH POSITIVE RED POLARIZED LENS THE ROAD IS HARSH. THE LIGHT COMING OFF IT IS NO DIFFERENT. THESE NEUTRAL TRANSMISSION LENSES FEATURE A UNIQUE IRIDIUM COATING AND POLARIZATION THAT COMBINE TO REDUCE INFRARED LIGHT AND GIVE YOU MAXIMUM PROTECTION FROM THE GLARE REFLECTED OFF PAVEMENT AND ASPHALT. THAT MEANS REDUCED EYE FATIGUE EVEN IN VARYING LIGHT CONDITIONS AND ON THE LONGEST RIDES. BECAUSE FOR SOME, QUITTING IS NEVER AN OPTION. OAKLEY.COM/VISIONARIES 1.800.733.6255 2008 Oakley, Inc.
BAMBOO YOU Organic details (and nothing says organic better than bamboo) deliver a modern message that is refreshingly current in eyewear trends. RALPH LAUREN RL7018 from Luxottica Group 24 April 2008 SunVision
JIMMIE JOHNSON 2006, 2007 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series Champion BALANCE GARGOYLES G7 TRUE VISION SYSTEM In 2008, we continue to offer the most advanced, optically correct sunglass lenses available worldwide, wivth realigned focus for Work, Sport, Outdoor and Military applications. We also introduced the G7 Gargoyles True Vision System, a new off the charts compilation of optical technology packaged in a way our team has always desired. For more information on G7 Gargoyles True Vision System, Gargoyles and Jimmie Johnson request a catalog at (800) 426-6396 or visit www.gargoylesinc.com View the collection at Vision Expo East Booth #4022 Fabricator Draft Torque Traction Downforce
THE GRAYING OF AMERICA Gray is indeed the new black in eyewear. EVERLAST ES1 Brookln from Optimate 26 April 2008 SunVision
Chris Brown for Rocawear Optical Sun featuring the Real Estate frame
SWOOSH Be it ever so small at times there is no brand symbol more identifiable, dependable and venerated than the revered Nike Swoosh. NIKE Inspire from Marchon Eyewear 28 April 2008 SunVision
Happy as a clam Tickled pink Truly delighted Flying high Thrilled to pieces Pleased as punch GT2 Progressives by ZEISS Precision Engineered for Total Satisfaction. For more information, contact your Carl Zeiss Vision Representative or call 1-800-358-8258.
FLOWER POWER Ed Hardy blossoms with this impressive homage to tattoo skin gardening. ED HARDY SUN EHS024 from Revolution Eyewear 30 April 2008 SunVision
Vera Wang is a trademark of V.E.W. LTD. 2008 Kenmark Group. Style shown: V208. www.kenmarkoptical.com 800.627.2898