Optometrist to take over form Jilly & George location in Village

Eyeglasses do more than help a person see. They provide insight to the wearer's character and make a fashion statement.

That's the philosophy behind a new optical boutique opening this fall in the Village.

Optometrist Mark Veth is renovating the former Jilly & George space, 7605 Harwood Ave., to make way for his shop. Be Spectacled, will carry designer frames from lines like Oakley, Salt and Mykita, and he will conduct eye exams.

"You should put something on your face that complements you," he said.

He will help clients find the correct prescription lenses and good-looking frames, Veth said.

For the past seven years, Veth has worked for OptiVision providing pre- and post-operative laser eye surgery care at the Mayfair Road clinic. The owners are closing that location to focus on the Fox Valley market.

"I always considered starting my own business," Veth said. It was in my five-year plan after graduating from optometry school. It just took seven years."

Veth lives in Wauwatosa and sees the Village as an ideal place to set up shop. He already is looking to partner with businesses from offering pastries from Le Reve to clothing mannequins in fashions from neighboring boutiques and choosing eyewear to match.

First he'll make significant interior renovations bringing in Flux Design, a firm that specializes in creating shop storefronts. Their work would be familiar to people who have eaten at Vucciria pizzeria on Brady Street or stopped for coffee at Starbucks in the Third Ward.

He hopes to be open for business in late October.