How LINDBERG Has Ruined Me For All Other Sunglasses

If you know me, you know that I break things. And if you were to meet me, you'd probably guess after a few minutes that I break things. I don't try to be clumsy but I am. And while age and experience have taught me to walk slower and to generally take better care of my stuff, I can't help but trip on things, spill things, and sit on things every once in awhile. When I'm not doing the above, my kids seem to carry the clumsy torch for me. And so, aside from a pair of designer aviators that have miraculously managed to endure two years of trauma at my hands, my sunglasses collection is strategically low-end. 

I've heard about LINDBERG for years, the award-winning Danish eyewear company who specializes in insanely gorgeous glasses but for all the reasons listed above, I've chosen to ignore the awesomeness. Why invest in a pair of glasses that I'm guaranteed to destroy? Still, when I get the call to interview Peter Warrer of LINDBERG, I have to say yes. I've heard all the hype and am super curious to see how the other half live - you know the part of the population who can actually take care of things.

Peter is here from Denmark for a special event at Josephson Opticians to preview the new optical collection from LINDBERG. He comes at me all cool and Danish - I can tell it's him right away because he's wearing the raddest pair of glasses I've ever seen on a man. Peter has been with LINDBERG since the '80s but from the moment we sit down, I can tell that he isn't remotely jaded about the brand. He talks passionately about the company's philosophy - 'discreet elegance' and 'carefully considered simplicity' - and how their obsession with great design shows itself in everything they do. From the brochures to the display cases to the glasses themselves, the LINDBERG aesthetic is clearly on another level. 

In a hushed, almost reverent tone, Peter eventually asks if I'm ready to see the glasses. I don't know that I am but I whisper 'I think so' anyway. He whispers back, 'Are you sure?' Yes, definitely yes. With a flourish, he opens the case and after the dry ice clears and the angels stop singing, I see them - the most beautiful glasses I've ever come across in my whole entire life. Pair after shiny pair of perfect shades beckon me to try them on. I am definitely going to destroy them all. But I can't help myself. I gingerly pick up a pair and oh em geeeee they are so light! Like statement and oversized yet impossibly light. And sooo comfortable. My world is rocked. My mind is blown. 

Peter explains that LINDBERG frames are made of titanium, giving them incredible strength and flexibility without the weight. Plus, as Scandinavians are prone to do, they've done away with anything non-essential - meaning their patented, award-winning designs have no screws, rivets or welds.  You can literally bend the arms and bridge in every direction and I'm pretty sure even I couldn't break them. He then explains that every pair of Lindberg glasses is custom - meaning that not only is each pair measured and made to perfectly fit your face but you also choose the frame shape, materials, and lens colour. Once each frame is customised to your preferences, it's hand-finished, individually numbered and even monogrammed. The moment I tried on my first pair I was sold, but now I'm fully in it. Now to decide...

The patented screwless design up close. 

Cool epitomized. 

Truth: macarons make hard decisions easier. 

Debating the pretty pink ones. 

I decide on a pair of tortoise cat-eyes with a gold browline detail - modern and cool but classic all at once. I order them, then go home and camp out by my door for a few weeks. Once they arrive, we sit down and I make a solemn promise to take care of them forever, to not drop, scratch or destroy them. And while I can't promise that my kids won't somehow track them down and rip them apart with their sweet little hands, I vow to store them on a very high shelf in my closet - just in case. As I'm admiring my new LINDBERGs, I find a sweet surprise engraved inside...

Right?? This. Is. EVERYTHING. 

Ready to experience LINDBERG for yourself? Check out all things LINDBERG here, then head to Josephson Opticians to try them on. You might fall in love. You'll probably walk away with the most beautiful pair of glasses you've ever owned. You've been fully warned ;) 

Clearly a Great Giveaway

Wearing my new Kam Dhillon gold frames. 

All accessories have the power to make or break an outfit. Glasses, though - glasses should never be underestimated. After all, they sit squarely on the bridge of your nose, making them literally so in-your-face that they can't be overlooked. While I wear contacts most days, I have a small (tiny, wee, rivalling my shoe obsession) obsession with fun glasses. Whether prescription-filled or not, I can't handle wearing glasses that make me look older/more serious than I am. I own round pink glasses, clear squares, and oversized tortoiseshells but I felt my collection was missing something. 

Luckily, Clearly.ca saved the day. The new Kam Dhillon collection is loaded with tempting peepers and they offered to send me one of their on-point pairs to test out. From gilded to pastel to boho, the collection hits on all of the season's top trends. I immediately honed in on the gold cat-eyes. So shiny, so sexy and so much fun - I had to have. Suddenly my other glasses look all kindsa boring. And I've officially stowed away my contacts for the fall. 

Thanks to the kind team at Clearly.ca, I'm giving away a pair of Kam Dhillon glasses to one lucky reader. Whether you're in need of a new pair for fall or just like to change things up like me, you're going to love this new collection. 

HERE'S HOW TO WIN:

1) Leave a comment below telling me which pair of Kam Dhillon glasses you want to take home from the options below

2) Follow @realliferunway & @clearlyca on Twitter and tweet the following for a bonus entry '@realliferunway & @clearlyca are giving away a pair of Kam Dhillon glasses & I want to #win! http://bit.ly/1h4nFeS'

3) Must be a resident of Canada to enter this contest. 

4) Contest ends Friday, October 2nd at 5pm

5) Good luck!

Kam Dhillon Claudia Bare

Kam Dhillon Theresa Hazel

Kam Dhillon Sophia Gold