This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2013, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Looking your best is a great way to feel your best. Keep your mood up by feeling and looking your best as the weather starts to warm and the flowers bloom.
Eyeglasses
You don't have to spend a fortune on attractive frames. Fashion frames on the Web for less? Visionary! We had 26 testers order specs, and then a pro examine the lenses for accuracy. Here, our eye-opening report:
Most Stylish • Warbyparker.com.
Frames: Lots of cool looks (their brand only); fashion satisfaction is all but guaranteed - they offer unlimited home try-ons (five pairs at a time), and you pick and order your fave.
Price : Almost all single-vision glasses — they don't sell multifocals or progressives — cost $95, and shipping is free.
Service: Glasses arrived less than a week after ordering. Don't like 'em for any reason? Full refund within 30 days.
Best Bargains • Glassesshop.com.
Frames: Peruse 500-plus women's styles.
Price: Average for our testers' single-vision glasses with anti-scratch and UV-protective coatings — $46.68.
Service: Helpful ordering tutorial online; support via phone, email or live chat, and speedy delivery — just over a week for our New York-based testers Full refund within five days, and if frames break, 50 percent back within 90 days.
Readers Only • Peeperspecs.com
Frames: More than 500 options in a rainbow of colors — some with rhinestones — as well as reading glasses.
Price: Most pairs cost just $21, which is comparable to drugstore prices. Free shipping on orders of $42 or more.
Service: The site's a snap to use, and talk about freedom of choice. You can view options by prescribing power, frame size, material or color. Refunds can be issued within 30 days.
Rain gear
With the rain falling and wind blowing in your face, it's hard to think about looking put-together. Here are some great options for staying dry and looking great:
City Slicker • Sporty and clean-lined, a salmon-hued anorak — $40, Unqlo — layers easily and can be stowed in its own carrying pouch. Another foul-weather friend: waxed-cotton jeans in on-trend lavender — $50, Simply Vera Vera Wang — they'll stay dry when its drizzling.
Weather or Not • Chic enough for clear-sky days, a trench — $150, Ivanka Trump — gets updated in mint green with black piping and an eyelet-lace hem. Too much? Snip it off.
Hot Spot • You'll be protected and put-together in this subtle polka-dot jacket — $40, Target — the snap collar shields you from wind-driven droplets.
Compact umbrellas
The only thing worse than getting caught in the rain without a brolly is being stuck with one that is flimsy or falls apart. Here, are some of the best and easiest to carry around. And, these purse-size protectors are designed to really weather the storm.
Windward Auto Open Close • Fabric held fast to spokes with more than 35 pounds of pulling force applied. Easy to operate — $30, Samsonite.
RainEssentials Auto Open and Close • Just 0.45 pounds, and durable in inversion and spoke tests. Provides good coverage, too — Shedrain, $32.
Micro 'Brella • This manual model has highly rain-resistant fabric and offers great coverage for a mini — Totes, $24