Style is important no matter a person’s age.

Eyewear companies are well aware of this and have developed many style and design options for seniors who want versatile and trendy eyewear that matches their personality.

“Style, comfort and functionality are key as today’s seniors are more active,” says Pierre Bessez, general manager of Marchon Canada. “They are looking for eyewear with classic appeal that incorporates current trends.

“Eyewear that can transition their look from active to social, indoor to outdoor, day to night, or on-the- go with portable smart devices function best.”

Marchon’s revolutionary Airlock eyewear collection features a strong design aesthetic with a minimalistic look.

The collection features eyewear looks from sporty to sophisticated and elegant to simple.

The men’s Airlock Wisdom model 201 appeals to the modern man. They are titanium strong and lightweight. The thin, bevelled temple design creates a sleek, minimalistic look that complements the modified rectangle and rectangle silhouettes.

“Plastic and memory metal eyewear in an array of shapes and seasonal colours are popular amongst boomers,” says Bessez.

The Sincerity series for women, meanwhile, features six elegant styles with lightweight, stainless steel construction. Sophisticated silhouettes, such as teacup, round, oval, modified rectangle and butterfly beautifully complement all face shapes.

The Flexon Evolution collection by Marchon continues to enhance its unique eyewear offerings with innovative technology.

The series consists of two new styles that are available with a flat metal stainless steel front and flat metal Flexon bridge. The modified square and rectangular silhouettes for models E1010 and E1011 are complemented by a satin-matte dual finish colour palette available in black, gunmetal, brown and navy.

Toronto-based Centennial Optical is noticing that many seniors are drawn to frames that incorporate both past fashion trends and current styles.

“For boomers, what we are seeing are remnants of the past colliding with the future, giving way to mixed pieces that are classic with an artsy-modern edge,” says Linda Mulford-Hum, director of product development at Centennial.

This type of look can be seen in the Alfred Sung Vintage Amber collection.

“These shapes are breaking gender barriers like the old-school Wickets and Clubmasters, the round and teardrop silhouettes, all adorned with textured patterns, industrial metals, leather appliques and rugged wood finishes,” says Mulford-Hum.

Colour is also crucial to baby boomers.

“Hot colours are earthy and elegant reds, coppers, opaque ambers and jewel tones demi’s. Handcrafted and natural looks are also on-point trends for this age group,” she says.

“In general, I recommend colourful glasses that bring out the natural tones in your face for a more youthful and playful look.”

Mulford-Hum says shape is also a pivotal choice.

“Let’s face it, eyeglasses can be aging but the right pair can turn back the clock. A thicker, rounder edged frame can help conceal puffiness or wrinkles we don’t want to show.

“Cat-eye shapes and softer upsweeps can instantly give the illusion of a facelift by highlighting your cheekbones.”

WestGroupe has noticed that seniors not only look for comfort and functionality, but also for bright colours and interesting style.

“Today’s seniors are more fashion-conscious than ever and are not afraid to develop their own sense of style and let their personalities shine,” says Beverly Suliteanu, vice-president of product development at WestGroupe.

There are many styles available from WestGroupe for the Baby Boomer.

The Stepper Eyewear men’s model SI-60055 is a full-rim frame with a rectangular eye shape. Women’s models offer either a full-rim or semi-rimless front, such as model SI-50103 which comes with a modified rectangle eye shape.

In WestGroupe’s Superflex collection, the men’s model SF-457 is a full-rim frame with a double brow bar and saddle bridge. It has a square/aviator eyeshape and is made of stainless steel.

The women’s model SF-466 has an oval eye shape with stainless steel front, acetate temples and decorative stones on the temples.