Jung-gu optical shop: ₩150,000 brown frames with titanium nose pads

With more late nights at work lately and more hours staring at a computer screen, wearing lenses all day was getting way too hard on my eyes 😭 So I went looking for daily glasses I could wear comfortably at work and in everyday life!

House brands felt too pricey, so while hunting for something cost-effective but still stylish and trendy, I ended up at 'Angyeonggwa Saradeul' in Namdaemun. Here's my review 👓✨

Where Angyeonggwa Saradeul is and when it opens

Angyeonggwa Saradeul is an eyewear shop at 61 Namdaemunsijang-gil, Unit 101, Jung-gu, Seoul, South Korea. It's open daily from 09:30 to 20:00.

Inside the shop: small space, huge frame selection

Walking in, even though it's a small shop, the sheer number of frames and sunglasses was genuinely insane! Mirrors were placed all around so I could try things on freely without feeling self-conscious 🪞

From classic lines to the latest trendy designs, a sale corner, and brands worn by celebrities, they had it all — so much fun just to browse haha

Why the optician picked brown frames over black

💡 Personal frame recommendation based on your face shape and image!

Honestly, I went in thinking I'd just get plain 'black round frames.' But the optician looked at my vibe and face shape and told me a deep brown tone would make my look much softer and more sophisticated than black!

She carefully pulled out frames that were only slightly different in thickness or shape so I could compare, and she was so kind that I felt comfortable trying on everything ♥

The three frames recommended for her face shape

Number 1: bold, deep brown frames (gives an intellectual, sharp impression!) 👩‍🏫

Number 2: thin, sleek frames — the lightest and most comfortable the moment I put them on!! ✨

Number 3: unique but clean, with a certain charm 🤎

Since it's a bendable frame, she pressed the temples by hand to adjust them exactly to my ears! She fitted each one properly so I could really compare them — super kind and made trying things on so easy👍

The final call: frame number 2 or number 3?

• Frame #3: I loved the shape, color, and even the nose pad style, but since it's a slightly cheaper model, it didn't quite hug my face the way I wanted ㅠㅠ
• Frame #2 (PICK!): Thinner and lighter than #3, with slightly bigger lenses! The biggest difference was the adjustable titanium nose pads! Definitely a bit pricier for a reason... it hugged my face and felt incredibly light... 🥹✨

The optician's fitting tip for brown horn-rimmed frames

Apparently on most people's faces the outer eye corners and ears line up straight, but my ears sit slightly higher. So with one-piece nose pads, glasses tend to slide down and droop — but bendable titanium nose pads like these grip properly and keep the glasses from sliding.

I hesitated for a second wondering if titanium nose pads look a little... grandma-ish? But comfort really is the number one priority for glasses!! Final pick: number 2, case closed 👩‍⚖️

Precise eye exam and lens choice: ₩150,000 in total

After picking the frame, I went straight into a precise eye exam! I'd worn contacts there so I had to take them out, and they thoughtfully had a lens case ready for me 👏

Using the latest exam equipment, she measured my vision in several stages — my prescription turned out worse than I expected 😭 She said correcting it too strongly could make me dizzy, so she gradually stepped down the strength and tested each level until we found the most comfortable prescription!

My prescription is strong and my astigmatism is severe, so without compression my lenses get thick to the bone and my eyes look tiny...🫛 She recommended at least 3x compression plus blue-light blocking, and with the frame included, the total came to ₩150,000! The discounts were generous too, so I was super happy with the value!!! 💳

How long the glasses take: 20–30 minutes

While my lenses were being made, I wandered around the shop and tried on the leopard-print oval frames that are trending right now! Oh, surprisingly hip and pretty..? 😎 Funny enough, another customer who came in while I was waiting was looking for that exact leopard style, so I secretly thought, yep, definitely trending haha

The finished brown glasses and the final fitting

✨ Ta-da, my glasses are done!!!🤓

At the very end, the optician fine-tuned the temples again, bending them slightly more by hand to exactly match my ear position and face structure so they'd hug my face perfectly haha 👏

Ooh, I think I really scored!! 🤎 The thin frame doesn't make too strong an impression, and the soft brown color blends beautifully with my hair color, giving off a refined, calm feel 🥹

haha they even gave me two cute lens cloths and a glasses case.

Suddenly I feel like a stylish career woman just from putting on glasses..🧏‍♀️

They go perfectly with any comfy daily look, and more than anything, the frame itself is so light and comfortable!! No eye fatigue even after wearing them all day, and when my eyes feel comfortable, my whole body feels relaxed 🌿

Do the titanium nose pads hold up during Pilates?

🤸‍♀️ I even wore them while working out! Thanks to the precise ear-position fitting with zero margin for error, I wore them to Pilates and they stayed locked in place on my face even through intense movements — no sliding, no slipping off!! 😳👍 A perfect fit that doesn't slide even when you sweat... huge thanks to the optician at Angyeonggwa Saradeul in Namdaemun 🙇‍♀️

Worth it for everyday glasses near Hoehyeon Station?

Honestly, trendy brands like Gentle Monster or Blue Elephant have gorgeous designs too, but the prices can feel a bit much for what you get, and more importantly, it's hard to get a truly 'professional eye exam' tailored to your own eyes 🥹

So I went looking for a place with good design at a more reasonable price, where I could get a 'professional precise eye exam' fitted to my eyes and face structure — and it exceeded my expectations! If you're near Namdaemun's Hoehyeon Station looking for personal frames that suit you, a thorough eye exam, and great value for money, I totally recommend 'Angyeonggwa Saradeul.' I'll definitely be back next time I need new glasses 🤓