“With my sunglasses on, I’m Jack Nicholson. Without them, I’m fat and 60.”
Don’t be fat and 60 (technically it’s fat and 79, these days).
Do be a guy with really excellent sunglasses.
Preferably your own sunglasses, that no one else has but everyone compliments.
Those are the sunnies you’ll find at Illesteva’s new Upper East Side brick and mortar, where they’ve got a “build your own” sunglasses bar that puts the design process in your hands.
At a remove from the Madison Avenue row where most shade boutiques live, the new Lexington location is big, bright and inviting. With bleachers in the back, guests are invited to mix and match a multitude of stylish frames with an equally variable choice of lenses, from blue mirrors to matte grey.
It’s the second Manhattan location from Illesteva (the first is on Prince — no build-your-own there, FYI), but the first to offer a live version of a program they have until now only offered on the web. Good call. Because as anyone who’s ever been bored at a rest stop knows, sunglass frames are definitely not one style fits all.
When it comes to sunglasses, you’ve just gotta test drive the look before taking them off the lot.
The store can turn around customized shades same day, and you’ll also find Illesteva’s optical collection, leather goods and umbrellas inside.
They can’t all be sunny days, after all.
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