Founded in 1998, Specs Around Town has long been known for bringing exceptional optical services and distinctive eyewear to the Bloomington-Normal community. What began as a mobile optical service—famously delivered in a bright blue Volkswagen Beetle—grew into a Downtown Bloomington landmark with the opening of Specs Around Town Optical Boutique at 317 N. Center Street in 2001.
At the beginning of 2026, Specs Around Town entered an exciting new chapter under the ownership of Jenna Bixby-Nehl. With a deep appreciation for the boutique’s history and a clear vision for its future, Jenna is focused on continuing the tradition of personalized service while evolving the experience for today’s clients. Her leadership emphasizes individuality, quality craftsmanship, and eyewear that feels as good as it looks.
Today, Specs Around Town features more than 50 curated eyewear collections—many exclusive and unavailable anywhere else in central Illinois. Clients travel from Peoria, Springfield, Champaign, out of state, and even internationally to find frames that are truly one-of-a-kind. In addition to eyewear, the boutique also offers thoughtfully selected jewelry, watches, and accessories.
Our friendly team of opticians brings decades of combined experience and a passion for helping each client find lenses and frames that perfectly match their prescription, lifestyle, and personal style. Specs Around Town fills all eyeglass prescriptions and provides expert frame adjustments and repairs—because great eyewear should last and feel just right.
Under Jenna’s ownership, Specs Around Town remains proudly local, creatively driven, and dedicated to helping every client see—and be seen—beautifully.
Jenna, owner of Specs Around Town, is proud to carry forward the boutique’s long-standing tradition of exceptional optical care while guiding it into its next chapter. With a passion for independent eyewear, personalized service, and community connection, Jenna is committed to creating a welcoming space where every client feels seen, heard, and stylishly cared for. She is excited to build on Specs’ legacy, support a talented team, and continue offering thoughtfully curated eyewear that helps clients express who they are—clearly and confidently.
Don is excited to be part of the Specs Around Town team and looks forward to bringing his many years of experience in the optical world to our clients. With a deep knowledge of eyewear, lenses, and personalized optical care, Don is passionate about helping each person find frames and solutions that look great and feel just right. He’s thrilled to join the Specs family and to continue the tradition of exceptional service and expertise our community has come to know and trust.
This collection can be dramatic or dramatically simple. Anne et Valentin uses a variety of materials - pure titanium, acetate, stainless steel - that are selected to suit each frame's unique style - each piece blending seamlessly to enhance your face. Available in both sun and ophthalmic.
Dedicated to pure luxury, Barton Perreira’s approach to fashion redefines style and elegance. Their high-style glasses and sunglasses are beloved by the fashion elite. The designs draw from a range of influences—from Art Deco jewelry to mid-century furniture. Available in both sun and ophthalmic.
It is the originality and vivid eccentricity that is the hallmark of Boz Eyewear. Their designs include delicate laser-cut patterns and brilliant colors, some adorned with sparkling Swarovski details. Boz attracts individuals with discerning and fashion forward tastes.
The latest in doggie chic, Doggles®, UV blocking goggles for man's best friend. They're shatterproof and feature anti-fog lenses! Protecting the world . . . one dog at a time.™
There is an Eyebobs style for every personality from dignified classics to big, bold and bright. The line includes reading glasses and sun readers for those who expect cutting edge style and quality with an irreverent and slightly jaded attitude.
Designed and manufactured in Switzerland, Swissflex combine ultra-light weight, style, and comfort with a rimless experience. Pick the shape, pick the colors. The possibilities are endless! Truly Innovative and highly customizable design puts this collection in a league of it's own.
Bedazzle your wardrobe with Francis Klein frames! We love the retro, large and beautiful upswept styles. Available in a wide-range of custom colors that are hand-embellished with Swarovski crystals, colored etchings and silk inlays. These frames are loved by anyone who wants sparkle! Available in both sun and ophthalmic.
Extravagant and dynamic, yet technical and exacting, Frost Eyewear fuses form with functionality to create an expressive pair of frames manufactured with both skill and style! Available in ophthalmic.
The Götti collection is designed according to the motto - the beauty of simplicity. Whether you are interested in their lightweight titanium frames or thick and classic acetate frames, Götti eyeglasses are innovative yet refreshingly simple with clean lines and retro forms. Above all they just feel great. Available in both sun and ophthalmic.
Inspired by contemporary art, architecture and automotive design, Jacques Durand conceives pure, distinctive shapes with distinct outlines. Light and matter are the design playing field — flat frame fronts and clearly defined edges enhance the outline of the shapes.
French designer J.F. Rey specializes in classically styled frames that come in a wide variety of funky colors and patterns. Environmental elements are a source of their inspiration. Styles also include an avant-garde petite line of extremely colorful designs for adults with smaller faces.
Flexible frames and strong lenses are important for active children. All Julbo’s glasses are fun, colorful, reversible, with wrap-around styling. They provided 100% protection against UVA, UVB and UVC rays. Julbo sunnies are a great way to protect infants and toddlers eyes from damaging UV. Never too young to start!
Eyewear designers Jason and Karen Kirk create frames for people who LOVE eyewear. Unique, innovative and daring, this funky eyewear that blurs the boundary between optics and fashion. Available in both sun and ophthalmic.
Lindberg glasses are known around the world for their minimalist design. This Danish eyewear is the world’s lightest titanium frame - with a frame weight of less than 3 grams. They are free of screws, rivets and solderings. A simple, unobtrusive construction that never distracts attention from the face. Available in both sun and ophthalmic.
Maui Jim sunglasses feature light weight frame materials blended with patented Polarized Plus lenses that eliminate all types of glare for unmatched visual acuity, comfort, protection, and contrast. A durable sun glasses line cool enough for daily wear.
Each of his collections tells us his passion for the craftsmanship, creating and spreading the taste for handmade things, according to the rules of the past. Available in both sun and ophthalmic.
Fusing the precision of technology with detailed craftsmanship, Nina Mûr makes wooden eyewear that is exceptionally light, highly ergonomic and undeniably stylish. Available in both sun and ophthalmic.
Hand made vintage inspired eyewear made in Canada. Simple. Beautiful. Edgy. Available in ophthalmic.
Theo eyewear, made in Belgium, pushes the envelope of eyeglass design to the funky edge - and just over. These titanium and acetate frames swim in a rainbow sea of yummy colors such as blues, green and hot red. Theo frames are evidence the Belgians don't just make good waffles. Available in both sun and ophthalmic.
Every Veronika Wildgruber frame shape seems to derive from a peculiar history. Daring material combinations alongside delicate colour tint transitions - this collection is like a piece of mini sculpture.
Volte-face (vôlt-fäs') or about-face is completely handcrafted in France as if it were jewelry. The colorful acetate, titanium and composite stylings and delicate detailed, fluid lines are embraced by people who have a true sense of themselves.
Wissing eyewear will bring out your most colorful side with its chromatic collection of bold eyewear! The German made Wissing trademark is the variety of colors and forms the multilayering of materials gives in the unlimited possibilities of frame design. If you're creative this collection should belong to you.
“Quality” is Sabine’s favourite word and thanks to her optical knowledge and her designer skills, she has created her very own brand name Sabine Be. Her collection, handmade in France, is unique and distinctive, sought after by demanding faces and atypical souls alike.
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