Answer Angel: Can I pull off those glasses?

Dear Answer Angel Ellen: I am a faithful watcher of the "The Great British Baking Show" and I especially am a fangirl of the judge Prue Leith and her colorful outfits. Her selection of awesome colorful eyeglass frames is especially amazing.

But I am wondering how -- or if -- I can pull off such a style. My usual eyeglass colors and styles over the years have been traditional shapes and neutral colors. But I am toying with the idea of stepping out into something more risky. Any tips?

--Louise D.

Dear Louise: For many of us, choosing prescription eyewear is a big deal. For starters, prescription glasses are a big investment ($400 or more). And, often, it is the first thing people notice about us.

In my life, I've had bright pink glasses, multicolored ones and, most recently, turquoise with turquoise "rhinestones." But obviously they're not for everyone.

The last thing you want to do is to lay out that kind of cash and then have second thoughts about your bold choice. Only you know whether you're up to going wild with your eyeglass choice, but you need your glasses every day so think hard about this decision.

Among other things, unlike Prue, you can't afford eyeglasses to match every outfit, so keep that in mind. If you make a bold choice, the majority of the time your glasses frames will not be the same color as your clothing. That's not a bad thing. In fact, I love it. But you need to be OK with that.

Not sure? How about starting with a pair of cheap wildly colored over–the-counter sunglasses to get used to the idea and see how you feel about people's comments on your bold choice. Or, buy a pair of offbeat, colorful, non-prescription reading glasses to experiment with.

In looking into your question, I learned that Prue has her own line of colorful glasses frames that were available only in England and Ireland. But a wholesale company, Modstyle International, just announced it will be offering "Specs by Prue" to its wholesale optical shop customers in the U.S.

In recent years, U.S. optical shops have been broadening their selection, so you should have no trouble finding a wide range of colors and shapes in stores and online.

And another question about a nonconventional fashion choice…

Dear Answer Angel Ellen: I recently was a groomsman in a black tie wedding and was surprised that the groom wore loafers with no socks as he walked down the aisle! Not long after, on ESPN, I saw NBA commentator Richard Jefferson doing the same thing: no socks with his loafers. Going sockless with dress shoes? It looked strange and goofy to me. What am I missing here? Is this a look that is popular now?

--Warren B.

Dear Warren: Yes. In warm weather, men increasingly are appearing sockless in slip-on shoes like loafers. (I'm guessing they're wearing no-show socks but appear sockless.) But, anyhow, yep it is an increasingly popular look.

More than a year ago, I was surprised when a real estate agent who was showing me a rental arrived sockless in his Gucci loafers, which is when I started noticing that men -- mostly youngish -- were choosing this look in warm weather. No-show socks with gym shoes is a style that's been around for some time now, but the look is increasingly spotted with slip-on shoes too.

Angelic Readers

Lots of you wanted to rescue reader Pat M. who wrote that she had "never found a comfortable bra." Janet S. says: " For years I have been disgusted with bras that don't fit. I would order a 40 B and I would get a C cup. But jockey.com gives you the exact measurements that you want, the exact girth size (with three adjustments) and the correct cup size. I find they are extremely comfortable and I rarely have trouble with the straps staying up and those are adjustable too. The T-shirt bra is style 2379." Chris G. likes Soma's vanishing underwire front-closing bra. Karen M. likes Soma's front-closing bras too. Lisa B. is a huge fan of Soma Sport's Yoga Bra: "Soma also has tank tops with built-in bras that my mom loves. Hope this helps!!" Fay M. recommends Uniqlo's T-shirts with built-in bras. Trish M. is a no-bra fan, and wears camis in their place. Danna B. usually wears L or XL but uses a cropped tank in S or XS to "hold the girls close."

Copyright 2026 Tribune Content Agency. All Rights Reserved.

This story was originally published May 12, 2026 at 6:04 AM.