Willa
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Willa
A very slim oval, tilted just enough to read as a cat-eye, with rounded metal trim joining the front to the temples.
UV400, blocking 100% of UVA and UVB for all three colourways.
As narrow as a frame gets
The lens is barely taller than the rim that holds it. That is the entire design: a horizontal line across the face, tilted a few degrees at the outer corner so it lifts rather than sits flat. It covers almost nothing and changes the face completely, which is the trade a frame this small is making.
Shown here in black. The same front is made in tortoiseshell and white.
Where the frame meets the arm
On a frame this slim the hinge is where the build has to be right, because there is almost no material around it. It has rounded metal trim inserts at that junction: a metal collar carrying the joint instead of a plastic lug moulded into a 3 mm rim.
The rest is kept deliberately plain. The rim is a single thin run, the arms are straight and narrow, and the only bend is at the tip. Nothing decorative is added, because there is nowhere to put it.
It has a high-quality PC frame with strong pressure resistance and metal trim inserts.
Where it sits
- A shallow lens that sits high and reads as a line rather than a shape
- The slight tilt at the outer corner lifts the eye without a full cat-eye
- Moulded bridge, so the height on the nose is fixed
- Very light, so it is felt at the ears rather than across the nose
- Takes up far less room than an ordinary sunglass, which is the whole point of the line
Small lens, full filter
The lenses carry UV400 protection, blocking 100% of UVA and UVB. On a lens this shallow that figure matters more, not less: most of the light reaching the eye is coming in around the frame, so what does pass through the lens has to be properly filtered.
Two tints: a near-black grey on the black and white frames, a warm brown on the tortoiseshell.
One shape, three finishes
Black is the quietest. Tortoise warms the face and is the only brown lens. White is the one that makes a small frame impossible to miss.
Why it costs what it costs
A slim frame is the hardest kind to build cheaply. There is no material to hide a bad joint, the two lenses have to match exactly or the tilt looks like a mistake, and the hinge needs reinforcing because the rim around it is only millimetres thick. That is where the metal trim insert goes.
We sell direct. There is no shop floor and no distributor taking a cut on the way, so the retail margin that normally sits on top is not in the price. On a frame this pared back, that margin is most of what you would otherwise be paying for.
- Sold direct — no retail margin stacked on the frame
- Metal trim reinforcing the hinge, where slim frames usually fail
- UV400 blocking 100% of UVA and UVB
- PC frame chosen for impact resistance, not for cost
- Three finishes at one price, across two lens tints
| Frame | PC, black, tortoiseshell or white |
|---|---|
| Rim | Full rim, slim oval with a tilted outer corner |
| Bridge | Moulded, fixed |
| Hinge | Rounded metal trim insert |
| UV protection | UV400, 100% of UVA and UVB |
|---|---|
| Lens colours | Near-black grey, warm brown |
| Profile | Low, shallow lens |
Will these actually shade my eyes?
Yes — the lenses carry UV400 filtering, so what reaches the eye through them is fully filtered. The lens is cut shallow because the whole appeal of the shape is how little room it takes on the face.
What UV protection do the lenses have?
UV400 filtering, across UVA and UVB.
Does a frame this slim break easily?
It is built for it. The hinge carries a metal trim insert, which is where a slim frame normally gives, and the PC front flexes rather than snapping. Sitting on it is still a bad idea.
Which face shape does it suit?
Almost any, because it takes up so little room. The strongest effect is on round and square faces, where a horizontal line across the eyes offsets a soft or heavy jaw.
Can the fit be adjusted?
The arms can be eased very gently, but on a frame this slim it is worth letting an optician do it rather than forcing it by hand. The bridge is moulded into the front, so its height is set by the design.
How should it be cleaned?
Rinse under cool water to lift grit, then dry with a soft cloth. Dry-wiping a dusty lens is what causes the fine scratching people blame on the coating.
Three finishes, and the white goes first
White sells through every summer and does not always return.
Pick your colour above and add it to the bag. If it is not right on your face, send it back — the only thing you risk is missing the one you wanted.