We’re huge fans of acetate. As a natural, flexible material it can be moulded to suit any face shape but when it gets hot, acetate feels the heat. On scorching summer days, old acetate frames can even start to droop.
Early optometrist solved that problem by embedding wire cores into the arms of acetate frames. It’s a method that we’re proud to still use today.
We’re not satisfied with replicating those who have gone before us though. Bailey Nelson frames in translucent tones now feature custom wire cores.
Our designers worked with a seventy year old Italian-French firm to perfect the process. BN cores are moulded from nickel silver, then tumble polished until they gleam. Every core is plated in a gold or silver tone, matching the overall aesthetic of the frame.
Once it’s heated to exactly 35 degrees – hot enough to pierce the acetate, cool enough not to damage it – the core is shot through the acetate arm.
Don’t let the term ‘shoot’ fool you. It’s a precision process that places the core flush with the end of the arm at the temple and a few millimetres from the ear piece.
Bailey Nelson cores have unique detailing too. Our name – just in case you forget who made your fresh specs – is on one arm and a set of small shapes grace the other. These icons: a diamond, oval, square, heart, triangle and circle represent the diverse ways a human face is shaped.
You’ll see our cores shining in crystal, smoky grey, amber and rosé frames.
Photo by Ben Murphy.