Vinyl records turned eyewear at hip new local haunt

When I was a kid, I loved playing vinyl records - especially my mom's old 45s and those Walt Disney book-and-record sets that prompted you to turn the page with a chime. I loved the feel of them in my hands, full of lustre, beautifully crafted with mesmerizing lines that guided you to the next song. I was always so careful not to scratch them too because let's face it - a scratched record had an immediate way of becoming useless junk. Or so I thought.

Whatever happened to all those scratched vinyl records - the ones that didn't make it to halls of fame, E-bay or collector exhibits? Well, I recently discovered where some of these retro little numbers have found rebirth: in eyewear, of all places!

Yesterday I took a drive with my son to beautiful Bayfield, Ontario. It was here that we visited three-week new Main Street Optometric, practice of Dr. Richard Samuell and home of the grooviest eyeglasses this side of Toronto.

Now I'm a sucker for designer frames, so I was giddy to learn Main Street Optometric carries Gucci, Dior, Versace, Jimmy Choo, Boss, Ray Ban and Silhouette (Tag Heuer's on the way). But what really caught my eye - pardon the pun - was Tipton, a hot new eyewear line made from recycled products such as cinematic film and vinyl records.

Main Street Optometric knows where it's at, having discovered the sweet spot between hip and green. Even its furniture and cabinetry have been reclaimed, recycled or restored and it carries the coolest line of vintage frames from the 1950s and 60s.

There's a great selection of kids wear too. Introducing glasses to a young one seems daunting enough, but show them a pair of Spiderman, Batman, Moxie or Juicy Coutures, and you've just sweetened the deal.

What's fantastic about Main Street Optometric is its location; why worry about scheduling an eye exam or picking out new frames at home in the frenzy of your week when you can book an appointment or browse unique and designer frames at your leisure when you're at the cottage, beach or out for a Sunday drive to a glorious part of the province? Especially when the prices are comparable to those you'd find at big scale eyewear chains.

Check out Main Street Optometric for your next eye exam or when you want to own a pair of frames that stick out from the crowd.

Or if you just really miss the feel of those old vinyl records.

Dr. Richard Samuell's wife and business partner, Erin Samuell of A Simple Photograph (the most talented photographer I know), took some photos of yesterday's adventures in eye-candy-land.