Independent Glasses Shops In London You Need To Know

Eyewear in London is a serious business, and there’s a fine line between looking like a cliché and looking genuinely fabulous. Thankfully there’s some excellent shops in London, offering custom, vintage and generally trendy frames. For advice on where to buy your next pair, look no further than Culture Trip’s guide to the best glasses shops in London.

General Eyewear

Located in the depths of Camden’s Stables Market, General Eyewear is a little-known retailer worth investigating. Their perfectly curated shop offers an impressive selection of vintage frames from their historical archive. Ranging from 1810 to 1995, these frames have featured in films such as The Imitation Game (2014), as well as offering a unique look for potential customers. All of General Eyewear’s contemporary frames are designed in their Camden office, and they also offer bespoke consultations for customers. With a new store in Soho coming soon, this is a need-to-know name for any glasses aficionado.
A post shared by General Eyewear (@generaleyewear) on Jun 13, 2017 at 2:54am PDT

HOOK LDN

Following on from the success of their pop-up shop on Redchurch Street, HOOK LDN have just launched their first stand-alone shop on Kingsland Road. Specialising in contemporary, sleek design, HOOK LDN make glasses to obsess over. Their shop will also host guest clothing lines, offering a space for customers to come and hang out in and develop their own, individual look.
A post shared by Hook LDN (@hookldn) on Aug 3, 2017 at 9:40am PDT

Founded in 2012, Cubitts was one of the first glasses brands in London to make their own frames and emphasise the bespoke nature of eyewear design. Their handmade pieces come in a range of styles, with a service that starts with a consultation and finishes with a pair of spectacles that are uniquely yours. Alternatively you can choose from their off-the-shelf unisex styles, and there’s a wide selection of sunglasses too.

A post shared by Cubitts (@cubitts) on Jun 14, 2017 at 10:55pm PDT

Lunettes London

Launched in 2007, Lunettes London started their brand from a market stall in Notting Hill. Now based east, the brand offers an extensive range of vintage frames, from 1940s styles to statement pieces from the 1970s, and a swathe of eccentric and über trendy pieces in between. Their sunglasses are super cute too, offering on-trend 1990s frames and cat-eye styles from the 1950s.
A post shared by LunettesLondon (@lunetteslondon) on Jul 16, 2017 at 7:59am PDT

The Eye Company

Founded over 25 years ago, the Eye Company in Soho has been championing independent eyewear for a long time. Offering bespoke frames as well as collections from boutique brands, The Eye Company’s philosophy is to make wearing glasses a blessing rather than a burden, and a visit to their Wardour Street shop certainly achieves this goal.

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.