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Frames of mind
Discover the real you or
Practically speaking By Ruby Mata-Viti
try on a new role using
feng shui and summer's
cool accessory
Star-BulletinSUNGLASSES are now windows to the soul . First in the home, then in the office, feng shui -- the ancient Chinese art of designing one's environment to promote prosperity and joy -- has gone to our heads by way of shades.
Carole Meltzer, a feng shui consultant based in New York, said sunglass frames "are like windows, taking in what you see and what you're attracting." The shape, tint and other details of the accessory symbolize the longings of the individual, representing things a person desires to bring into his or her life.
"When people see you with glasses that (have a fun) look they say 'Gee that's fun'; and they approach you with lightheartedness. When you're approached that way, you give that back," Meltzer said in a telephone interview.
Most of us head for the closet by rote and grab clothes at random, said Meltzer, who has been featured on ABC's "The View" and MTV's "Stressed Out." If we know what we want to attract or change in our lives, we can hone our choices of clothing and accessories accordingly.Sunglasses are a good accessory to start with. Their function is eye protection "but they're used to be seen as well." she said.
Put a pair on and you put on an aura of either passion or power--one yin, the other yang--or a fusion of both. Plus, it's an instant way to change an attitude and look this summer.
Chi notes
Feng shui suits fashion as well as the home because "the body is the home of our spirit, our internal self," said Meltzer, who studied the philosophy in China.The gist is that everything has chi energy and is connected. Good chi balances extremes of yin, things feminine, and yang, things masculine.
Somewhat like astrology, five elements of chi--wood, fire, water, metal and earth--are assigned colors, shapes, animals and personality traits. (see "Chi Elements" at right). Wood and fire are yang, they shoot from earth and are expansive, Meltzer says. Water and metal come from within, are introspective and yin. Earth contains all; it supports.
Our features and personalities embody both yin and yang but one is usually predominant, she said.If you draw an imaginary line from your forehead to your chin and your features run toward this line, they are yang. Eyes are close, deep set, cheekbones pronounced, jaw square. Yin features diverge from the line. Eyes are wide set and may even protrude, mouth large, lips full.
"Yangs" get their point across through actions. "Yins" express themselves mostly through thoughts.
The color and the shape
Whether you want to bring out the movie-star (yang) in you or tone down with mysterious allure (yin), aim for frames with qualities that enhance or tame your yin/yang traits.Traditional guidelines of matching eyeglass frames with face shape coincide with feng shui ones.
Round faces (yin) should try angular (yang) shapes and vice versa said Meltzer.
A workaholic (yang) should choose a round frame. Round and oval frames resemble waveforms, which connote spiritual, harmonious forces that help with relaxation, she said.
If you're a workaholic with a round face, don't despair. Color and material factor in as well, says Meltzer; a blue, yin-colored frame or tint can give balance.
Quiet people (yin) who yearn to break out might try a red-toned frame (yang).
Those who want to attract money and power should try green, Meltzer says, which is the color of prosperity. It kicks up the wood energy, associated with growth. "Notice business people at outdoor power breakfasts, they're wearing sunglasses with dark green tints."
If money is no object and you still want more of it, Lenscrafters Ala Moana carries a frame by Cartier's made of Kenya wood for $1,390. Or if you're after support, they also carry a $2,000 frame by the same line made of buffalo horn (earth energy.)
Career-oriented types should go for tortoise-patterned (earth energy) plastic frames (wood energy). Because wood attracts power and earth is nourishing, the combination will back your efforts.
Meltzer, who also has appeared on E! Channel's "World of Fashion," uses blue lenses in reading and sunglasses. "Blue is the color of communication, it mirrors the sky and goes outward," she said.
The joy of specs
Individual personalities are multi-faceted and we need to strike a balance within our many sides, said Meltzer. There are days you don't want to be bothered and days you want to play and be crazy, so she suggests a wardrobe of sunglasses to suit your many moods.This doesn't have to be costly, Meltzer says. Experiment with cheaper drug-store versions of that pricey, funky pair you always wanted to buy but couldn't afford.
"This is a simple way of trying to find that little child within us, to go out there and play and see what happens (with our personality and lives). It's better than saying, 'Gee, I like that look but ...' "
If you take her advice, you just might find yourself with a new attitude to go with those shades.
Carole Meltzer's web site is www.fengshuispirit.com
Practically speaking
By Ruby Mata-Viti
Star-BulletinEnlightenment aside, Diane Myslicki of The Eyeglass Shoppe on Atkinson Drive, says there are no rules when it comes to selecting sunglass frames.
Unlike prescription frames, which require more thought because they're on your face for most of day, Myslicki says, "When people choose sunglasses, they're choosing an attitude.
"I've seen those wraps on people, and most look awful in them, but they'll wear them anyway because of the attitude it projects."
You don't have to be a feng shui expert to match face shape with frames. Christopher Ball, an optician at Lenscrafters Ala Moana, said the basic guideline is to get a frame that complements face shape. A person with sharp features should stay away from square shapes to tone down the angles, he said. Round or oval frames would work better. Round-shaped faces do well with rectangular and square frames.Ovals and cat eyes work best with people who are wide at the cheekbone area, Myslicki said. "You want the outer part of the (frame's) bottom to kick up" at the outer edge of the face. It makes the face seem less wide.
Gradient lens were once the trend, but frames and lens this summer are monochromatic with more metal, bronze and copper tones she said. Green and plastics were popular in the '70s and they've come back, she added.
Retro is in. Even for men. Ball says, "Aviators are back. Remember 'CHIPS,' with Eric Estrada and his gold-rimmed aviators?" Now they are modified, smaller, not as tear-dropped.
Sports styles like wrap-arounds, which block out wind, and the Oakley brand are still popular, says Ball. But what's big is large frames for women, like the Jackie O-type frames.Myslicki said a person's life-style should dictate his or her choice of glass tints. A tennis player would choose bronze because it offers more contrast; avid boaters want polarized lens to reduce water glare, she said.
Ball said polarized lens are now mainstream. Drivers use them for the clarity they provide as well as good glare reduction.
Myslicki said dark-gray tints work better for bright, sunnier days; brown, for overcast ones
For shopping, the new light-colored lens in purple, blue and yellow tones are fine. You can see prices tags and don't have to take your sunglasses off when going in and out of stores, she said. "Besides, color tints are fun."
For non-decisive types, there are even lenses that change color, from pink to purple, yellow to orange and blue to green. These Splitz specs are $139 non-prescription or $149 prescription at Specs Unlimited in the Hawaii Kai Towne Center.
Tell the world you're...
Spiritual: Wear round or oval frames. They give off warm vibes. Think John Lennon or Gandhi.
Source: Carole Meltzer Chi elements
Source: "Feng Shui Step by Step," by
T. Raphael Simons (Crown Trade), $20
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