Lady LUX

Mezzmer is taking the “ugh” out of buying prescription glasses. Now you can find eyewear looks to mix and match to suit your personal style with the click of a mouse. Stay chic with endless, affordably priced glasses from this new socially conscious company that has moved eyewear to the digital realm. At $99 each including lens, frames and shipping, it just may be time to make a whole closet for your eyes. (And with the coupon discount for LadyLUX readers below, they are even more affordable.)

The company grew out of sticker shock. Brothers Roger and Michael Lee had always been flabbergasted at the gigantic price tag of prescription eyewear, and Mezzmer was their answer. The two founded the company on the principle that buying eyewear doesn’t have to break the bank.

“Usually when I buy a pair of glasses, it costs anywhere from $400 to $600, and you’re obviously not going to have a second pair when it costs that much,” Michael Lee, co-founder, said. “It never really made sense to me considering a frame is pretty much made out of plastic and the lens isn’t a big thing and the process of cutting up the lens doesn’t really cost a whole lot. So we felt with the way the economy is going, we wanted to look at the industry and take the opportunity to push it forward and wanted to let people purchase high-quality, fashion-forward, hip lenses that were affordable.”

After much investigation into the hippest trends in eyewear, the company developed 24 looks ranging from retro to classic contemporary. Offered in a variety of colors and both men’s and women’s styles, the glasses manage to be fashion-forward with the sky-high prices. Young, old, male, female – everyone can find the perfect style.

“When somebody wears a really nice pair of glasses, people notice and it is a very understated, undervalued fashion piece that people don’t really pay attention to,” Lee said. “A lot of the time, it is clothing or shoes. We found it was an interesting space for us to be in. Especially considering the category itself had not moved into a modern and contemporary space, and we really wanted to pave the way for that.”

Finding contacts uncomfortable, Lee has always been a glasses man. He enjoys his own low prices, and has purchased a few styles with the intention to buy more.

“(Glasses) make me look more sophisticated,” he declared. “I like glasses. They’re very comfortable. I can change up colors. That is the reason we did this. You don’t have to spend a fortune.”

The brothers price their glasses low enough that customers can afford to buy multiple pairs, changing their eyewear more like they change their clothes.

“ I think people should be able to have different pairs of glasses, and it is important for people to show who they are and whatever mood they are in and have the flexibility to do that,” said Lee, who enjoys wearing a different pair every day.

Lee says it is not the styles, however, that make his company groundbreaking, but rather the prices and services. Although consumers turn to the Internet to buy contacts and shoes, most people have the habit of going to their eye doctor to purchase their prescription glasses.

“The thing we bring differently is the way you shop,” Lee explained. “You can purchase a pair of frames with lens and all the coatings on them for $99. And then we offer people to be able to shop from home. So they can order up to five frames to try out at home for free, free shipping both ways. You can try them on. If you like them, keep them. If not, you can order more.”

And if you change your mind, the company offers a 30-day return policy.

Founded on the belief that businesses should be socially responsible, Mezzmer donates a portion of the proceeds of each sale to charity. Customers can choose which nonprofit will benefit: Big Brothers, Big Sisters; Helen Keller International; Breast Cancer Research Foundation; Animal Welfare Institute; and Action Against Hunger.

“Especially with all the headlines about greed in big business, I just feel in America, and I know my brother feels the same way, that a lot of companies take a lot of profit and the businesses that they run don’t really spend enough time helping improve the world and community around us,” Lee said. “We felt by doing this, we put Mezzmer in a place where we feel good about being successful and making an impact at the end of the day.”

Mezzmer makes a commitment to use only quality materials. “There is very little difference between a lower-quality frame and a high-quality one as far as cost and manufacturing is concerned,” Lee said. “So our primary focus is to get the best materials, in the frames themselves as well as all the way down to the hinges.”

The business was created during one afternoon of shooting the breeze. The two brothers started to talk of doing something different with their lives. With Roger’s background in finance and Michael’s experience with advertising and e-commerce, the two figured they could create a company that would shake up the eyeglasses industry.

“We thought this business would be really great to get into the fashion world and do something that we can get our hands on. With eyeglasses, we really thought we can dive in and do a really good job with it,” Lee said. “We are both really practical people and felt that people would be interested in using that to our advantage and bringing a lot of practicality to the eyewear.”

To check out all 24 styles, visit www.mezzmer.com. Look for new styles to be released this spring.

Coupon Code for 10% Discount

First 100 customers receive a 10-percent discount (limit three glasses per order).

Enter coupon code 1027 to receive discount.

This promo code is for a 10% discount (limit 3 glasses per order) for the first 100 orders.1027This promo code is for a 10% discount (limit 3 glasses per order) for the first 100 orders.1027

Also, you can shop new eyewear at Shopbop:

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