Solmates for men and women were born when Cathy and her friend Rick were in a park trying to read and watch their children play in the distance at the same time.

It seemed both tasks could only be accomplished by wearing two pairs of glasses, one for the sun and one for reading.

Cathy and Rick, both style-conscious, however, nixed the overlapping glasses look.

Rick then gave Cathy a pair of sunglasses that were non-corrective on the top with reading capability on the bottom. But they were ugly - so ugly Cathy wouldn’t wear them in public.

Cathy showed the glasses to Liz, who embraced the concept, and the two of them established SolMates - elegant sunglasses for men and women with plain vision on top and magnification on the bottom to make reading or seeing the numbers on your cell phone easier.

For $140, each pair is made to your specification of frame color, design, lens color and type and magnification in any increment from 1.0 to 3.0. Made from Italian frames with ophthalmic quality progressive lenses and a guarantee of a 100 percent refund if the glasses don’t exceed your expectations.

Solmates: Suitable for the backyard or the Riviera