Marcus Smith understands that most products aren’t made for bigger people. From clothes to furniture, plus-sized folks struggle to find things that work for them. After finding out that he needed glasses, but not finding anything he liked in a size that fit, Smith, a former project manager for Nike and Adidas, took matters into his own hands, starting his own eyewear brand, called Alexandros Eyewear.
Alexandros Eyewear specializes in creating frames for consumers with larger heads. There aren’t many premium offerings on the market that put a specific focus on style and fit for bigger heads, which is exactly where Smith wants his brand to be. He tells us that frames and glasses have traditionally been created for smaller faces. “[While] the traditional size has always worked for their target consumer, it’s the American and minority faces that are changing the business,” says Smith. “Our hands, heads, and faces are shaped differently, so we need products that work for us.”
We designed each temple longer, each nose bridge wider and the overall frame bigger to hit consumers that are looking for options in their optical frames.”
In short, Alexandros Eyewear is unique for two reasons: high-quality materials and fit.. Smith took the time to perfect the sizing and fit. “Without giving away my sizes to the marketplace, [our frames are] bigger and have a better quality of products. Everything is handmade in Greece and it’s 5-10 mm bigger than any other brand. We designed each temple longer, each nose bridge wider, and the overall frame bigger to hit consumers that are looking for options in their optical frames,” says Smith.
The brand currently offers three styles of eyeglasses and two styles of sunglasses in multiple frame colors and materials. Smith plans to continue adding new frames to the lineup, offering more colors and materials that resonate with the big and tall, or as he calls them, the Premium Magnum customer.
I was able to test out Alexandros’ Payton eyeglasses in bright yellow transparent ochre, (because big guys need more glasses that stand out), as seen in the photos above. According to the information on the inner temple, the frames measure 53-22-160, which is wider than average. While my go-to pair of eyeglasses right now is an oversized frame from Warby Parker, I found the Payton to fit my face well, with the temples wrapping behind my ears as they should, keeping them in place.
The hinges on the Payton were tight, and the Mazzucchelli Acetate that the frame is constructed from looks high end and well-finished. While I didn’t get the chance to try the other styles, based on their different shapes and Alexandros Eyewear’s focus on frames that fit bigger heads, I would imagine they fit equally well, and some may be larger.
Note that Alexandros’ business model is similar to most eyeglass brands on the market – once you buy the frames, you’ll need to get prescription lenses put in them locally.
Give Alexandros Eyewear a try for yourself with an exclusive discount just for Chubstr readers. Get 40% off all styles with code ChubbsterAA21 at checkout. With the discount, frames start at $174. Picking up a pair? Show us how they look by hitting us up @chubstr on your favorite social network.
