Shopping for answers: Fashionable frames for bifocal lenses.

Byline: Leigh Grogan

Feb. 28--DEAR SHOPPING: I hope you or your readers can recommend a store or eyeglass frame brand that offers a selection of frames large enough for progressive bifocal lenses (at least 30 millimeters in height). The smaller glasses are all I can find, and they are too small for progressive bifocals. -- Linda, Sacramento DEAR LINDA: First, thanks for enclosing the photo of actress Annette Bening. That helped me get an idea of the size and style of frame you're looking for. I also wear glasses for reading and have found that companies are really stepping up to make fashionble frames that are as much of an accessory for both women and men as a handbag or briefcase. You didn't mention any optical store where you had looked, but I spoke with an optician at Visions Optometry in Sacramento, and she says there are several brands that make fashionable frames large enough for your bifocal lenses. They include Versace, Kate Spade, Oliver Peoples, Calvin Klein and Sigrid Olsen. She added that it isn't just about buying "a bigger frame, but how it sits on the face." In other words, you still need to get an adequate amount of reading vision. Visions Optometry is at 535 Fulton Ave., Suite 1. Another store you might want to ...