I have been wearing glasses for as long as I can remember. In fact, I can still think back to the day I realized I would need glasses, but I no longer remember what it was like to live without them. Let's go back to kindergarten, I was 5 or 6, probably in my last year before starting school. It was just a regular weekend - I woke up early and watched cartoons on TV until my parents got up and made breakfast. But when my mum came into the living room, she asked me why I was sitting so close to the TV. I wasn’t on the sofa but instead sitting on the floor, halfway between the TV and the sofa. And I guess that was when she realized there might be something wrong with my vision. When she asked me about it, I said I could see well, but we went to see a doctor a few days later. That’s how I got my first pair of glasses, and I’ve been wearing them ever since. I wore contact lenses when I played football or swam, but most of the time, I wore glasses. I still sometimes wear contacts, but not so often, and usually only for sports activities.

As my personal style developed throughout my twenties, I started to learn and research more about how clothes are made and their role throughout history. At one point, I also began to pay more attention to glasses. I realised that there are way too many brands, and it’s almost impossible to spot well-made glasses until you understand the basics. The first step was making a conscious decision that I didn’t want mass-produced, cheap glasses, which eliminated a lot of brands. The next step was to eliminate all the mainstream brands owned by big corporations. The final step was to start searching for small, independent brands. There are two ways these independent brands get their glasses made: some make them themselves, while others have them made by small, family-run workshops, usually in Italy, France, or Japan. These families have been making glasses for generations, and their products are of the highest quality. The only way to go beyond that is to choose bespoke, but even then, it doesn’t necessarily mean better quality. Most of the time, you are paying for the bespoke experience - from expert advice to fitting and all the work that goes into crafting custom frames.

By the end of summer this year, I started working on my list of best glasses, but it is taking a lot of my time. Currently, it is also not my first priority, as sunglasses are not the most needed accessory in autumn and winter. With that in mind, I have a goal to slowly complete all the articles about eyewear by the end of winter, so they should all be published during the spring.

But there are always exceptions, like this article, where I get a chance to try something and like it so much that I have to talk about it almost immediately. It all started when I posted a photo of my Rolex Weekender bag on Instagram. Robin, the co-founder of Bennett Winch, replied to my story, which led to a conversation about bag production. Since I had been talking about sunglasses brands a few weeks earlier, he also asked if I was familiar with Banton Frameworks. If I was interested in the brand, he offered to connect me with Jamie, the co-founder of Banton Frameworks.

I was not familiar with the brand, so I first had to learn more about it. The brand was founded in 2012 by Jamie and his partner, Lucy. They craft their acetate frames themselves and release them in small batches about six times a year. They offer optical glasses and sunglasses, and you can get prescription lenses for both. They are one of the few quality eyewear brands that offer prescription lenses directly with their frames, which is very convenient and one of the reasons I became even more interested in the brand. Like me, many people prefer to receive their premium frames with fitted prescription lenses to avoid extra trips to the optician and save time and money. After learning all that, Robin connected me with Jamie.

Jamie was kind and super helpful from the start. He introduced himself and told me that Banton Frameworks is just him and his partner, Lucy, and they take care of all the operations, from crafting the frames to packing and shipping orders and replying to all customer service emails. He offered to make me a pair of glasses, so we started talking about it.

This was during the last weeks of summer, so we agreed that maybe sunglasses were not the most practical choice for the next couple of months. I thought I should consider tinted spectacles instead. I asked Jamie about all the options for tinted lenses, including which colors were available and what percentage of tint would still work for normal daily use - both in light and in the dark. We ended up deciding on tints between 20% and 25%. 

But I then went through all the options they offer again and noticed they also have photochromic lenses - Transitions. So I asked Jamie all the questions that popped into my head, and he patiently answered them all. I learned that photochromic lenses today really work perfectly and respond to UV light very quickly. If there is not much UV light, they act like regular glasses, with the lenses completely clear. In daylight they start to tint, turning completely dark when fully exposed to the sun. So you basically get spectacles that turn into sunglasses, with different shades of tint in between. I was sold.

The next step was to choose the right frame and lens color. Here, I have to point out that their frames are, on average, a little bigger than many other classic makers. Buying frames online is already a lot more stressful than trying them on in person. Luckily, they have all the measurements on the product page for each model, so the best way to visualize the fit is to compare it with your existing frames. They even have a complete size guide, where they explain everything you need to know about sizing your frames. This is how I did it. The frame I initially wanted, unfortunately, just got completely sold out and will not be made again, so I needed to compare and pick again. I ended up with two options that I was unsure about, but after discussing it with my girlfriend, I decided to go a little out of my comfort zone and try a color that was not the obvious choice but is also much more interesting. So I decided on the Linea C model in Spiced Quartz acetate and brown photochromic lenses with my prescription.

They were quick with my custom order, less than 2 weeks later, they were already delivered. The unboxing experience and the full presentation are exactly what you wish for in every premium item. They came double-boxed: first, there was the shipping box, and then their branded box, and the glasses were inside their branded glasses case. All these steps make sure they are completely safe in transit. I will admit I was a little nervous because I had never had any frames in a brighter color. But when I put them on for the first time, all my doubts immediately went away. I really love how they fit my face and how the colors work on me.

The frame is crafted from Europe's finest acetate - 4mm cellulose acetate temples and an 8mm cellulose acetate front. It is traditionally hand-riveted with anti-loosening German hinges. They also have anti-warp metal temple cores. All their lenses have anti-glare, anti-scratch, hydrophobic (to prevent fogging), and anti-static (to prevent fogging and dust accumulation) coatings, as well as UV and blue light protection. Because I have significant farsightedness, my lenses had to be thinned as well, and mine also have a photochromic layer in brown. After having photochromic lenses for the first time, I don’t think I will ever get any “regular” lenses again. I think it’s really useful how the lenses react to the amount of UV light and darken when needed, so I don’t always have to think about whether I brought my sunglasses with me or not.

These glasses come at a premium price point, which is why I try to think of prescription glasses as an item in our life that we probably use the most. We wear them throughout the entire day, from the moment we wake up and until we place them on our bedside table at night. They are always on our face, so they become a part of our visual image and who we are, whether we admit it or not. That's why I also consider factors like cost per wear. Taking all of this into account, I believe it's worth spending more on glasses than on most other pieces in menswear. Still, if someone doesn't see it from this perspective, I can understand why they might disagree.

I am really happy with the quality of the glasses, they are on par, if not better, than most glasses in the €400-600 range, or even more expensive. But we have to keep in mind that for the price you pay, you can also get prescription lenses for free. This alone would otherwise cost you a few hundred euros. So, in my opinion, it will be almost impossible to find a better option for well-made frames with prescription lenses than what you can get from Banton, of course, considering that their style and offerings suit you. 

I should also mention that they offer Unlimited Adjustments for comfort and performance, promising to adjust your glasses for free after purchase. They also provide Lifetime Repairs - promising to repair your damaged or broken acetate frames for a small fee wherever possible. While browsing their website, I also learned that once a week, you should wash your glasses with soap under lukewarm water. This was something I had never heard of before, but after thinking about it, it makes sense. You can read more about it here.

As I mentioned earlier, they open their online shop only a few times a year, so if you are interested in trying their frames, you should probably give them a follow to avoid missing the next drop, as they usually sell out within a few days. Jamie also told me that they usually change the whole collection every 1.5 to 2 years, so in 2025, they will have new frames available, and I am excited to see what they come up with this time.

I am already thinking about which color lenses I should choose next. I am leaning towards green but might consider blue or orange. If you wear glasses, what are your preferences - “normal,” tinted, or transitions (photochromic lenses)?