Brookside Optical

Every couple of years when I need new frames I convince myself to shop around the city for the best options and prices– I always end up regretting this decision. Save yourself the hassle and just go to Brookside Optical. It’s truly the only place in town that I trust to help me find the right frames for my face shape. Joe helped my husband and I out the other day and made finding our new frames the most painless and surprisingly enjoyable experience. If I were you, I would ask for him by name when stopping in.

Okay, I have to say that the Brookside Optical shops, of which there are three, are very pretty, have a wonderful selection of designer (expensive) frames, and very helpful staff. Many of the frames are hip and trendy, but you can also find a more conservative look there if you want. The young man at the Prairie Village location was knowledgeable and very nice, and I had a generally good experience there.
My big beef about these shops is their design. The closest you can get to a big mirror is about six to eight feet because they are all behind the counters. I want to see myself in a big, well-​lit mirror from a variety of distances and angles. They also have small mirrors on the counter tops, but that is really not that helpful because we don’t view the world through a 9×12 inch oval. I am both near and far sighted, so I had a hard time getting a good view of myself in the big mirrors that were so far away. Maybe I’m the only one who thinks about eyeglass shopping this way, but it’s something I’ve noticed recently. I’ve been obsessively shopping for new frames because I really want to change my look. I’ve been to dozens of shops in the KC metro and even Lawrence. I’m amazed at how many shops have small, poorly lit and/​or inaccessible mirrors. If I’m going to spend $ 500 to $ 1200 on new lenses and frames that I will wear on my face every day, I sure as heck want to be able to see myself clearly before making a decision.