Back in March, Warby Parker’s first twelve employees took a trip to Guatemala to celebrate their three-year anniversary with the company—and to see the effects of their work firsthand. Marshmallows were roasted atop a volcano, horses were mounted, cliffs were jumped (more on that below). Going forward, it’ll be an annual tradition: work here for three years, head down to the Land of Eternal Spring.  

The suntans have faded and the mosquito bites no longer itch, but Tim, Cory, and Lee are still thinking about the journey. We wanted to share a few things on their minds.

“In Guatemala, the solutions to everyday problems are simple, elegant, and as sophisticated as anything we do at Warby Parker in terms of getting the job done. Instead of a full eye chart, for instance, they just test people with the letter E, asking them if the three bars are facing left, right, or upside-down. Literacy isn’t an issue, and the exam itself can be performed in any language. Brilliant. There’s nothing I love more than a deft solution.”

— Tim Riley, Director of Online Experience

Warby Parker started with just the twelve of us working at a single desk, so it was cool to travel with the original crew. Jokes and stories from even three years ago feel like ancient lore. It was great to see our social mission in action. Also unforgettable: the forbidden food. We were warned not to eat anything from the street, but who can resist a cheese pastry from a cart? Not me. I’m happy to report that my stomach survived. 

— Cory Stout, Operations Manager

“I am afraid of water. I was not brought up to swim. It makes me anxious. It makes my heart race and I’m worn-out just treading water. Forget about floating. I am also afraid of falling; heights do not scare me, falling from them does. But here we were, in Guatemala, faced with both water and a cliff. We took turns jumping in. Stephanie went first. I, of course, went last. It was terrifying. It was just long enough to get one post-jump thought out: “I probably should have hit the water by now.” 

—Lee Ellis, Business Analyst

Photos by Joshua Cogan.

You’ve seen our new flagship store on Greene Street in SoHo—we hope!—and even if you can’t make it in person, we’ll be sharing some behind-the-scenes intel.

A good uniform is a beautiful thing. Among our favorite examples: the boarding school students in Madeline, the bat-swinging women in A League of Their Own (side note: Madonna’s best film role) and old-style baseball uniforms.

These are all tough acts to follow, so we enlisted designer Whitney Pozgay to mastermind the outfits at our new SoHo store. Here, she explains her creations.

What are the requirements of a good uniform? (e.g. Simplicity? Wearability? Stain-hiding capabilities?)
You want something that feels fresh, representative of the brand, and that clearly denotes who works there. That said, personal touches are also great, as are comfort and simplicity. As with any outfit, you don’t want the clothes to wear the person. 

If you were to create a mood board with all your inspirations for the Warby Parker uniform, what would be on it?
New York Times photographer Bill Cunningham in his iconic blue jacket, vintage medical uniforms, diner dresses, monogrammed pockets, French working-class uniforms and Japanese workwear.

Bill Cunningham in his iconic blue jacket.

Can you tell us about some of the uniform’s design elements? 
I met with the Warby Parker team and Partners & Spade to get an idea of what they were looking for in terms of aesthetics and functionality. Pockets were important, since all of the sales staff will be carrying around iPad minis. We wanted to make sure that the shapes were clean but still had personality. The uniforms have a cool simplicity to them, but the “WP” monogram on the pocket and contrast buttons give the look a bit of kick.

What are some of your favorite uniforms?
I love the little green dresses at Cafe Gitane, the Girl Scouts’ badge-covered sashes and knee socks, and boarding school blazers.

Do you have a personal uniform? 
A French striped shirt, every day.

Whitney in her daily uniform. Image via.

Featured photograph by Kevin Tachman.

Superheroes and mortals alike have the choice to use their powers for good. So do companies.

That’s why we’re proud to announce a limited-edition capsule collection designed in collaboration with Man of Steel.

“Superman is the original do-gooder, and eyeglasses are a defining part of Clark Kent’s iconic look,” says our co-founder Neil.

The Man of Steel collection includes two frames: the bold Chamberlain and the bookish Percey, each with a graphic pop of color at the temple arm.

Chamberlain eyeglasses, $95

Percey eyeglasses, $95

Fifteen dollars from the sale of each $95 frame will be donated to 826NYC, a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting students’ writing skills. And as always, we’ll distribute a pair to someone in need for every pair sold.

Shop the Warby Parker x Man of Steel collection now.

We see a lot of interesting people coming through the doors of our headquarters everyday, and occasionally, we get to hear first-hand from those fascinating individuals. Ivanka Trump, the polyhyphenate entrepreneur, recently stopped by to talk to the team as part of our ongoing after work Speaker Series.

Trump works with The Trump Organization, the real estate conglomerate started by her father, Donald (sound familiar?), and you might have seen her on TV alongside her family on The Apprentice. She’s an author with a jewelry line and a clothing collection. Additionally, Trump works with the United Nations Foundation campaign, Girl Up, working to empower adolescent girls. Her schedule is dizzying—she’s also a mom with another little one on the way—so we’re doubly appreciative she stopped by. Thank you, Ivanka!

Here’s a smattering of her wise words.

What she brings to the (Trump) table, thanks to her other gigs: The things I’m doing independently add a different dimension to the Trump brand and create a feminine narrative and a female voice that’s complimentary to everything we do at the Trump Organization.

How to prioritize: People always ask about balance. Do you have balance? How do you create balance? It’s a great idea in theory, but you can’t predict how to balance. Every day brings new challenges, especially when you operate in an entrepreneurial environment. Rather than think about balance, I try to reflect on my priorities. Each night I ask myself, did I make the right decisions? Were my priorities in check? Am I comfortable with the decisions I made?

What makes her various brands stand out: It comes down to a strong point of view in terms of the product— not necessarily having an iconic piece of hardware on everything but a design aesthetic that people recognize when they see you.

We never as a [real estate] company have taken formal ads. We do it in a much more organic way—obviously social media is terrific for us in terms of getting out the voice and personalities behind the brands, but also through strategic partnerships with people you think have positioned themselves in ways that will resonate with your customer.

Why she’s involved with Girl Up: Much of what I do is thinking about women and thinking about ways that I can help level the playing field. I recognize how “unlevel” it can be, so I feel tremendous responsibility to give back in an area where I feel I can relate and make a difference.

Photo courtesy of Ivanka Trump.

Big news.

Huge.

Colossal.

It’s official: we’re opening a store on Friday, May 17th in the heart of Boston’s historic Newbury Street. 

Although we’re based in Manhattan, we’ve had our eyes on Boston for a while. (We’re leaving the Yankees-Red Sox rivalry in New York, we swear.) After all, we have the city to thank for jumpstarting the modern subway system, a modern amenity that we couldn’t live without. How appropriate, then, that our Boston space—like our flagship—is inspired by another critical institution: the public library.

Our store is crisp, clean, and teeming with books (and, obviously, glasses). But don’t fret: no shushing here.

Don’t know where to start? Enjoy suggestions from our associates—they’ll lead you in the right direction— or book a comprehensive eye exam with Dr. Stacy Coen. Opticians are also on-hand to make sure your Warby Parker frames fit as well as possible.

See you soon!

For details, hours, and other retail locations, head over here and check out the Boston store on Facebook and Twitter.

Photography by Collin Hughes.

You’ve seen our new flagship store on Greene Street—we hope!—and even if you can’t make it in person, we’ll be sharing some behind-the-scenes intel.

First up, we rang up Partners & Spade, our beloved crew of innovative thinkers, rogue brainstormers, and creative, well, partners who helped conceive the library-inspired space.

Pictured above: left, Anthony Sperduti of Partners & Spade; right, Andy Spade (center) with Warby Parker co-founders Neil Blumenthal and Dave Gilboa.

What can you tell us about the store’s design?

To us, Warby Parker means the literary life well lived. Intelligence, sophistication, and style— these are all qualities that make complete sense for an eyewear brand to embody. While setting up all the temporary stores, Neil and I realized that there’s a very social element to trying on glasses. With most optical shops, you have to ask someone to try on glasses. The glasses are behind glass or in a case that has to be unlocked. That’s no fun. People want to model frames for their friends and socialize as they shop. We wanted to create a flagship store that reflects that, a store that goes above and beyond expectations.

What were your aesthetic inspirations?

We were inspired by the architecture of great libraries.The quick and easy referencing and browsing that happens at a library mimics the way we wanted people to shop for glasses.

How did you achieve this?

The floors are terrazzo, a material usually used in federal buildings and airports. It’s a highly-finished, highly-polished material that gives a sense of sophistication, permanence, and grandeur. We made floor-to ceiling shelves using rosewood, which was prevalent in mid-century furniture design. We did a bunch of research on classic library lamps, and had a small fleet of them custom-made from brass. Our rolling ladders come courtesy of Putnam Ladder Company, a downtown NYC company that’s been around for a hundred years. They’re the iconic rolling ladder company. The ladders are custom, with brass poles that stretch the entire length of the store. All of these choices were made to telegraph permanence.

Are there any architectural features that were chosen with particular purpose?

There are mirrors between every bay of glasses, plant boxes, a huge skylight, and a Photo Booth with collaged backdrops created by Alia Penner. The store encourages curiosity, but it’s also just a pleasant place to spend time.

What can you tell us about the exam room?

We wanted to make it the centerpiece—something that people noticed rather than something tucked away in the back. We wanted customers to easily be able to see the time of their appointment. We thought about the by the train arrival and departure boards at Grand Central Station, and worked with programmers and animators to create something similar.

Photography by Kevin Tachman (top), Collin Hughes (all others).