Introducing The Monocle Order: A Sunglass Insurance Policy

There's a new sunglass shop in town, and it's not like anything you've ever seen before. Behold: The Monocle Order. I asked Zoe Nightingale, CEO at Monocle Order, a few questions and she quite nicely obliged. Read on to find out how "hurricanes like us" now have an insurance policy against expensive sunnies! Bonus: sunglasses double as eye-protectors in this INSANE cold.

Zoe! Tell me about Monocle Order. It's such an interesting concept!

We launched The Monocle Order in June 2011. It started like most companies, over many glasses of red wine. My co-founder, Alex, was lamenting that he had lost his latest pair of 400 dollar designer sunglasses and suddenly it occurred to us that there should be a company that provided an insurance policy for hurricanes like us, who destroy everything in their wake.  We wanted to come up with a way to reward true sunglass aficionados as well as create a secret society to celebrate wanton excessive love of eyewear. So, we found the best independent designers from around the world, who create original designs using only the best materials. We wanted to show people that instead of buying a pair of 300 dollar branded fashion glasses that you could pay less for a handmade gorgeous piece of wearable art - whose lens would actually protect your eyes. 

Sounds awesome. So who do you carry if not the usual branded fashion glasses?

We stock:

SelimaOptique

Glassing-Italy

Hentsch Man-London

ThierryLasry-France

 (editor favorite here!)

Waiting for the Sun-french made of teak and rose wood

Lotho-French designed, Japanese produced

Karen Walker-New Zealand

Entourage of 7-Danish/La company classic shapes polarized lens japanese made

Contego-Based in Brooklyn 

Retro Super Future-Italy

Andy Wolf-Austria

Funk Food-Germany

RVS byV-Istanbul

L.G.R-Italy

May Fourteenth-Buenos Aires

Spy-California

KBL-New York

Elizebeth and James-New York

Illesteva

Our stock is constantly changing and I am constantly scouring the globe looking for new amazing designers to add to my repertoire. We get new collections every Fall and Spring and we pride ourselves on providing our customers with the best curated selection of eyewear in the world. We have hundreds of styles that are constantly changing as most of our designers make small batches in limited quantities. 

But sunglasses are so personal - I'd want to try them on.

We have a "Take Home Trail" to help our customers try on as many glasses as they like without having to put any money down.  On our website you can select which glasses you would like to try on and after you authorize your credit card,  we will  ship them to you in two days. You try them on and keep what you like. Shipping and returns are always free.

We also have a online style helper who asks you a couple of key questions and gleans from your answers what kind of style personality you have. From that style profile we further curate a selection for you to look through. 

What price are we talking here?

Our glasses typically range from $150-350 which the median price being $200. We also have a collection of one of a kind vintage pieces that are much more expensive. 

I don't think I fully understand - what else comes in this membership? 

Our membership model is simple: buy your first pair of full priced glasses and become a member, for life. You will then receive your steel membership card which grants you access to our member only events that we throw all over New York City. Your membership number grants you access to our curated selection of glasses at 50 percent off, for life. and send you discounts towards our other limited edition styles throughout the year. Basically you will belong to a community of eyewear lovers, and rewarded for your loyalty. To encourage customer participation with our social media programs we also give our members cash back for posting their photos on our website, twitter, and facebook page. 

The advantage that a consumer when shopping with us is that you will have access to designers and styles that no one else will have. We carry many brands that have no representation in the US, so we are actually the only place you can access it. We do custom color combinations and styles that you can only buy from us. You will be supporting independent artists instead of giant mega corporations. We through the slickest parties in town, and you will be able to come with a friend for free. You will have a steel membership card to pull out at parties as a conversation piece.  I will sit with you for hours until you find the right pair of glasses for you, if you live out of town I will go on skype and video chat with you; this way I can show you different designs I think will compliment your bone structure and coloring. You will have access to incredible discounts and a one year warranty on all of our shades. We are waving the membership fee for a limited time, because we want to grow our community.

 We have worked tirelessly to bring you idiosyncratic, extraordinary, peerless shades that will make people of the opposite sex want to snuggle with you. 

We have customers from all over the world, but our main customer base comes from New York City. We cater to anyone who wants to support small businesses and stand out from the crowd. 

I get it now! And can't wait to get some new glasses - thanks Zoe! 

Visit Monocle Order at www.monocleorder.com!

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