My boyfriend and I were lounging at a cafe in Keong Saik when he suggested we pop by Monocle across the street. It’s a glasses boutique. I’ve passed by it before but felt intimidated to go inside. A glasses shop inside of a shophouse? Must be very fancy.

My boyfriend insisted we go inside because he was very interested. But there’s a joke with this later, so read on.

The interior reminds me of an Apple store with these two trees in the middle. The wall on the left shows glasses and is arranged based on how wide your face is. The opposite wall on the right had sunglasses. There’s an area in the back for doing an eye test. It’s simple and it’s actually beautiful that way.

A gentleman welcomes us and explains nicely the layout of the store. Minutes later and I’m trying on different glasses. My boyfriend as well. I find one that I think is quirky and quite different from my last five pairs of glasses.

There’s a promotion at the moment (April 2023) where you buy a pair of glasses and you can get one pair of sunglasses “for free” which I think is spectacular especially for first-timers entering the shop. The gentleman explains the pricing options and it goes from basic onwards to premium. As well as specialised lenses. There’s a booklet.

While I had no intention of buying a pair of glasses this time, I end up getting a basic pair. My boyfriend on the other hand, the one who brought me into the store… well this other staff or salesperson tells him that he doesn’t need a pair of glasses. LOL. Wait what. My boyfriend really wanted a pair of glasses and found a few that he liked. But he was told he didn’t need any. Which baffled my boyfriend. In fact, I caught PJ sitting down by one of those trees with a look of defeat.

(I asked PJ perhaps it’s a miscommunication? Were there glasses, any glasses, that he could buy? I didn’t quite get it with how his interaction with the staff went!)

The gag? My boyfriend was the customer, but I’m the one who ended up buying. 😓

My pair of glasses would be available in “3 to 5 working days” and they would email you.

Fast-forward five days later…

It’s kind of nice to try something other than the usual Owndays. I’ve been with Owndays for four or five years already. However, my previous favourite pair was from this famous glasses shop at Peninsula Plaza. Wondering if that place is still there. It had a “family-run” vibe to it. Anyway, I love my pair from Monocle so far. Take a look:

I’m still waiting for the email notification for when my prescription sunglasses will be available. I hope they turn out fine too.

As for my boyfriend, well the store didn’t want to sell glasses to him. Were there glasses that don’t need a prescription? Or generic ones? I didn’t quite get that. Because while I’m a happy customer so far… my boyfriend was disappointed.

• Monocle is at 37 Keong Saik Road, Singapore 089144
• Nearest MRT: Outram Park
• Official website: https://www.monocle.com.sg/