RESTATED CERTIFICATE OF INCORPORATION

                                       OF

                              1-800 CONTACTS, INC.



                                ARTICLE I - Name
                                ----------------

                  The  name  of  the   corporation  is  1-800   CONTACTS,   INC.
(hereinafter referred to as the "Corporation").
                                -------------

                         ARTICLE II - Registered Office
                         ------------------------------

                  The address of the registered office of the Corporation in the
State of Delaware is 1013 Centre Road, in the City of Wilmington,  County of New
Castle  19805.  The  name of the  registered  agent of the  Corporation  at that
address is Corporation Service Company.


                              ARTICLE III - Purpose
                              ---------------------

                  The purpose of the  Corporation is to engage in any lawful act
or  activity  for  which   corporations  may  be  organized  under  the  General
Corporation  Law of the State of Delaware  (the  "Delaware  General  Corporation
Law").


                           ARTICLE IV - Capital Stock
                           --------------------------

                  Part A. General. The maximum number of shares of capital stock
that  the  Corporation  is  authorized  to have  outstanding  at any one time is
21,000,000  shares,  consisting of: (i) 1,000,000 shares of Preferred Stock, par
value  $0.01 per share (the  "Preferred  Stock") and (ii)  20,000,000  shares of
Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share (the "Common Stock").

                  Part B. Preferred Stock.  Authority is hereby expressly vested
in the Board of Directors of the Corporation,  subject to the provisions of this
ARTICLE IV and to the  limitations  prescribed by law, to authorize the issuance
from time to time of one or more series of Preferred Stock. The authority of the
Board of Directors with respect to each series shall include, but not be limited
to, the  determination  or fixing of the following by resolution or  resolutions
adopted  by the  affirmative  vote of a  majority  of the  total  number  of the
Directors then in office:
<PAGE>


                  (1) The designation of such series;

                  (2) The dividend rate of such series, the conditions and dates
upon which such  dividends  shall be payable,  the relation which such dividends
shall bear to the  dividends  payable on any other class or classes or series of
the  Corporation's  capital stock and whether such dividends shall be cumulative
or non-cumulative;

                  (3)  Whether  the  shares of such  series  shall be subject to
redemption  for cash,  property  or rights,  including  securities  of any other
corporation,  by the Corporation or upon the happening of a specified event and,
if made  subject to any such  redemption,  the times or events,  prices,  rates,
adjustments and other terms and conditions of such redemptions;

                  (4) The terms and amount of any sinking fund  provided for the
purchase or redemption of the shares of such series;

                  (5)  Whether  or not  the  shares  of  such  series  shall  be
convertible into, or exchangeable for, at the option of either the holder or the
Corporation  or upon the  happening  of a specified  event,  shares of any other
class or classes or of any other  series of the same class of the  Corporation's
capital stock and, if provision be made for conversion or exchange, the times or
events,  prices,  rates,  adjustments  and other  terms and  conditions  of such
conversions or exchanges;

                  (6) The  restrictions,  if any, on the issue or reissue of any
additional Preferred Stock;

                  (7) The rights of the  holders  of the  shares of such  series
upon the voluntary or involuntary liquidation,  dissolution or winding up of the
Corporation; and

                  (8) The provisions as to voting, optional and/or other special
rights and preferences,  if any,  including,  without  limitation,  the right to
elect one or more Directors.

                  Part C.  Common  Stock.  Except as  otherwise  provided by the
Delaware General  Corporation Law or this Restated  Certificate of Incorporation
(the  "Restated  Certificate"),  the holders of Common  Stock (i) subject to the
rights of holders of any series of Preferred  Stock,  shall share ratably in all
dividends payable in cash, stock or otherwise and other  distributions,  whether
in respect of liquidation or dissolution (voluntary or involuntary) or otherwise
and (ii) are  subject to all the powers,  rights,  privileges,  preferences  and
priorities  of any  series  of  Preferred  Stock as  provided  herein  or in any
resolution  or  resolutions  adopted  by the  Board  of  Directors  pursuant  to
authority expressly vested in it by the provisions of Part B of this ARTICLE IV.
                                                                     

                                       2
<PAGE>

                  (1)  The  Common  Stock  shall  not be  convertible  into,  or
exchangeable for, shares of any other class or classes or of any other series of
the same class of the Corporation's capital stock.

                  (2) No holder  of  Common  Stock  shall  have any  preemptive,
subscription,  redemption, conversion or sinking fund rights with respect to the
Common Stock, or to any obligations  convertible  (directly or indirectly)  into
stock of the Corporation whether now or hereafter authorized.

                  (3)  Except as  otherwise  provided  by the  Delaware  General
Corporation  Law,  or the  Restated  Certificate  and  subject  to the rights of
holders  of any  series  of  Preferred  Stock,  all of the  voting  power of the
stockholders  of the  Corporation  shall be vested in the  holders of the Common
Stock,  and each holder of Common  Stock shall have one vote for each share held
by such holder on all matters voted upon by the stockholders of the Corporation.


                              ARTICLE V - Existence
                              ---------------------

                  The Corporation is to have perpetual existence.


                              ARTICLE VI - By-laws
                              --------------------

                  In furtherance  and not in limitation of the powers  conferred
by  the  Delaware  General  Corporation  Law,  the  Board  of  Directors  of the
Corporation is expressly  authorized to make, alter,  amend,  change,  add to or
repeal the By-laws of the Corporation by the  affirmative  vote of a majority of
the total number of Directors  then in office.  Any  alteration or repeal of the
By-laws of the Corporation by the stockholders of the Corporation  shall require
the  affirmative  vote of at least a majority  of the  voting  power of the then
outstanding shares of capital stock of the Corporation  entitled to vote on such
alteration  or repeal,  subject to  ARTICLE  IX hereof  and  ARTICLE  VII of the
Corporation's By-laws.

                                       3
<PAGE>

                    ARTICLE VII - Stockholders and Directors
                    ----------------------------------------

                  Part A. Stockholder Action.  Election of Directors need not be
by written ballot unless the By-laws of the  Corporation so provide.  Subject to
any rights of holders of any series of Preferred Stock,  from and after the date
on which the Common  Stock of the  Corporation  is  registered  pursuant  to the
Exchange  Act,  (i)  any  action  required  or  permitted  to be  taken  by  the
stockholders of the Corporation must be effected at an annual or special meeting
of  stockholders  of the  Corporation and may not be effected in lieu thereof by
any  consent  in  writing  by  such  stockholders,   (ii)  special  meetings  of
stockholders  of the  Corporation  may be  called  only by  either  the Board of
Directors  pursuant  to a  resolution  adopted  by the  affirmative  vote of the
majority  of the  total  number  of  Directors  then in  office  or by the chief
executive  officer of the  Corporation  and (iii) advance  notice of stockholder
nominations of persons for election to the Board of Directors of the Corporation
and of business to be brought before any annual meeting of the  stockholders  by
the stockholders of the Corporation shall be given in the manner provided in the
By-laws of the Corporation.

                  Part B. Number of Directors and Term of Office. Subject to any
rights of holders of any series of Preferred Stock to elect additional Directors
under specified  circumstances,  the number of Directors which shall  constitute
the Board of  Directors of the  Corporation  shall be fixed from time to time in
the manner set forth in the By-laws of the  Corporation.  The  Directors  of the
Corporation  shall be divided  into three  classes:  Class I, Class II and Class
III.  Membership  in each class shall be as nearly  equal in number as possible.
The term of office of the initial  Class I Directors  shall expire at the annual
election of Directors by the  stockholders  of the Corporation in 1999, the term
of office of the initial Class II Directors  shall expire at the annual election
of  Directors by the  stockholders  of the  Corporation  in 2000 and the term of
office of the initial Class III Directors shall expire at the annual election of
Directors by the  stockholders  of the  Corporation in 2001, or thereafter  when
their  respective  successors in each case are elected by the  stockholders  and
qualified,   subject   however,   to  prior  death,   resignation,   retirement,
disqualification  or removal from office for cause.  At each  succeeding  annual
election of Directors by the stockholders of the Corporation  beginning in 1999,
the  Directors  chosen  to  succeed  those  whose  terms  then  expire  shall be
identified as being of the same class as the Directors they succeed and shall be
elected for a term expiring at the third succeeding annual election of Directors
by the  stockholders of the  Corporation,  or thereafter  when their  respective
successors in each case are elected by the  stockholders  and qualified.  If the
number of Directors is changed,  any increase or decrease  shall be  apportioned
among the classes so as to  maintain  the number of  Directors  in each class as
nearly equal as possible,  and any  additional  Director of any class elected to
fill a vacancy  resulting from an increase in such class shall hold office for a
term that shall coincide with the remaining  term of that class,  but in no case
shall a decrease in the number of  Directors  shorten the term of any  incumbent
Director.

                  Part C.  Removal and  Resignation.  No Director may be removed
from office without cause and without the  affirmative  vote of the holders of a


                                       4

<PAGE>

majority of the voting power of the then outstanding  shares of capital stock of
the Corporation  entitled to vote generally in the election of Directors  voting
together as a single class; provided,  however, that if the holders of any class
or series of capital  stock are  entitled  by the  provisions  of this  Restated
Certificate   (it  being   understood  that  any  references  to  this  Restated
Certificate  shall include any duly  authorized  certificate of  designation) to
elect one or more  Directors,  such  Director  or  Directors  so elected  may be
removed  without  cause only by the vote of the  holders  of a  majority  of the
outstanding  shares of that class or series  entitled to vote.  Any Director may
resign at any time upon written notice to the Corporation.

                  Part D. Vacancies and Newly Created Directorships.  Subject to
any  rights of  holders  of any  series of  Preferred  Stock to fill such  newly
created Directorships or vacancies,  any newly created  Directorships  resulting
from any increase in the authorized number of Directors and any vacancies in the
Board of  Directors  resulting  from  death,  resignation,  disqualification  or
removal  from office for cause  shall,  unless  otherwise  provided by law or by
resolution approved by the affirmative vote of a majority of the total number of
Directors  then  in  office,  be  filled  only  by  resolution  approved  by the
affirmative  vote of a majority of the total number of Directors then in office.
Any Director so chosen  shall hold office  until the next  election of the class
for which such Director  shall have been chosen,  and until his successor  shall
have been duly  elected  and  qualified,  unless he shall  resign,  die,  become
disqualified or be removed for cause.

                        ARTICLE VIII - General Provisions
                        ---------------------------------

                  Part A. Dividends. The Board of Directors shall have authority
from time to time to set apart out of any  assets of the  Corporation  otherwise
available  for  dividends a reserve or  reserves  as working  capital or for any
other purpose or purposes, and to abolish or add to any such reserve or reserves
from  time  to  time  as  said  Board  may  deem  to be in the  interest  of the
Corporation;  and said  Board  shall  likewise  have power to  determine  in its
discretion,  except as herein otherwise provided, what part of the assets of the
Corporation  available for dividends in excess of such reserve or reserves shall
be declared in dividends and paid to the stockholders of the Corporation.

                  Part B. Issuance of Stock.  The shares of all classes of stock
of the Corporation  may be issued by the Corporation  from time to time for such
consideration as from time to time may be fixed by the Board of Directors of the
Corporation,  provided  that  shares of stock  having a par  value  shall not be
issued for a consideration less than such par value, as determined by the Board.
At any time, or from time to time, the  Corporation  may grant rights or options
to purchase from the Corporation any shares of its stock of any class or classes
to run for such  period of time,  for such  consideration,  upon such  terms and
conditions,  and in such form as the Board of Directors may determine. The Board
of Directors shall have authority,  as provided by law, to determine that only a
part of the  consideration  which shall be received by the  Corporation  for the
shares of its stock  which it shall  issue from time to time,  shall be capital;


                                       5
<PAGE>

provided,  however,  that, if all the shares issued shall be shares having a par
value, the amount of the part of such  consideration so determined to be capital
shall be equal to the aggregate par value of such shares. The excess, if any, at
any  time,  of the  total  net  assets  of the  Corporation  over the  amount so
determined to be capital, as aforesaid,  shall be surplus.  All classes of stock
of the Corporation shall be and remain at all times nonassessable.

                  The Board of Directors is hereby expressly authorized,  in its
discretion,  in connection  with the issuance of any obligations or stock of the
Corporation (but without intending hereby to limit its general power so to do in
other cases), to grant rights or options to purchase stock of the Corporation of
any class upon such terms and during such period as the Board of Directors shall
determine,  and to cause such rights to be evidenced  by such  warrants or other
instruments as it may deem advisable.

                  Part  C.  Inspection  of  Books  and  Records.  The  Board  of
Directors  shall have power from time to time to determine to what extent and at
what times and places and under what conditions and regulations the accounts and
books of the Corporation, or any of them, shall be open to the inspection of the
stockholders;  and no stockholder shall have any right to inspect any account or
book or  document of the  Corporation,  except as  conferred  by the laws of the
State of Delaware,  unless and until  authorized  so to do by  resolution of the
Board of Directors or of the stockholders of the Corporation.

                  Part D.  Location of Meetings,  Books and  Records.  Except as
otherwise  provided in the By-laws,  the stockholders of the Corporation and the
Board of Directors may hold their meetings and have an office or offices outside
of the State of  Delaware  and,  subject to the  provisions  of the laws of said
State,  may keep the  books of the  Corporation  outside  of said  State at such
places as may, from time to time, be designated by the Board of Directors.


                             ARTICLE IX - Amendments
                             -----------------------

                  The Corporation  reserves the right to amend, alter, change or
repeal any provision contained in this Restated Certificate in the manner now or
hereinafter  prescribed herein and by the laws of the State of Delaware, and all
rights  conferred  upon   stockholders   herein  are  granted  subject  to  this
reservation.  Notwithstanding anything contained in this Restated Certificate to
the contrary,  Parts A, B and C of ARTICLE IV, ARTICLE VII,  ARTICLE X, and this
ARTICLE  IX of this  Restated  Certificate  shall  not be  altered,  amended  or
repealed and no provision  inconsistent  therewith  shall be adopted without the
affirmative  vote of the holders of at least 66 2/3% of the voting  power of the
then outstanding shares of capital stock of the Corporation  entitled to vote on
such alteration,  amendment or repeal,  voting together as a single class (other
than any  alteration  or  amendment to Part A of ARTICLE IV that  increases  the
authorized number of shares of Preferred Stock, or Common Stock).


                                       6
<PAGE>

                              ARTICLE X - Liability
                              ---------------------

                  Part A.           Limitation of Liability.
                  -------           ------------------------

                  (1) To the fullest  extent  permitted by the Delaware  General
Corporation  Law as it now exists or may  hereafter be amended (but, in the case
of any such  amendment,  only to the  extent  that such  amendment  permits  the
Corporation  to provide  broader  indemnification  rights than  permitted  prior
thereto),  and except as otherwise  provided in the  Corporation's  By-laws,  no
Director  of  the  Corporation  shall  be  liable  to  the  Corporation  or  its
stockholders  for monetary  damages arising from a breach of fiduciary duty owed
to the Corporation or its stockholders.

                  (2) Any repeal or modification  of the foregoing  paragraph by
the  stockholders  of the  Corporation  shall not adversely  affect any right or
protection of a Director of the Corporation  existing at the time of such repeal
or modification.

                  Part B. Right to  Indemnification.  Each  person who was or is
made a party or is  threatened  to be made a party to or is  otherwise  involved
(including involvement as a witness) in any action, suit or proceeding,  whether
civil, criminal,  administrative or investigative (a "proceeding"), by reason of
the fact that he or she is or was a Director or officer of the  Corporation  or,
while a Director or officer of the Corporation, is or was serving at the request
of the  Corporation  as a  Director,  officer,  employee  or  agent  of  another
corporation  or of a  partnership,  joint  venture,  trust or other  enterprise,
including  service with respect to an employee  benefit plan (an  "indemnitee"),
whether the basis of such  proceeding is alleged action in an official  capacity
as a Director or officer or in any other capacity while serving as a Director or
officer,  shall be  indemnified  and held  harmless  by the  Corporation  to the
fullest extent  authorized by the Delaware General  Corporation Law, as the same
exists or may hereafter be amended (but, in the case of any such amendment, only
to the extent that such amendment  permits the  Corporation  to provide  broader
indemnification  rights than  permitted  prior  thereto),  against all  expense,
liability and loss (including attorneys' fees, judgments, fines, excise taxes or
penalties  and amounts paid in  settlement)  reasonably  incurred or suffered by
such indemnitee in connection therewith and such indemnification  shall continue
as to an indemnitee who has ceased to be a Director,  officer, employee or agent
and  shall  inure  to the  benefit  of the  indemnitee's  heirs,  executors  and
administrators;  provided,  however,  that, except as provided in Part C of this
ARTICLE X with respect to proceedings to enforce rights to indemnification,  the
Corporation  shall indemnify any such indemnitee in connection with a proceeding
(or part thereof)  initiated by such indemnitee only if such proceeding (or part
thereof) was authorized by the Board of Directors of the Corporation.  The right
to  indemnification  conferred  in this  Part B of  this  ARTICLE  X shall  be a
contract  right and shall include the  obligation of the  Corporation to pay the
expenses  incurred  in  defending  any such  proceeding  in advance of its final
disposition (an "advance of expenses");  provided,  however, that, if and to the
extent  that the  Delaware  General  Corporation  Law  requires,  an  advance of
expenses  incurred  by an  indemnitee  in his or her  capacity  as a Director or
officer  (and not in any other  capacity in which  service was or is rendered by



                                       7
<PAGE>

such indemnitee,  including, without limitation,  service to an employee benefit
plan) shall be made only upon delivery to the  Corporation of an undertaking (an
"undertaking"),  by or on behalf of such  indemnitee,  to repay all  amounts  so
advanced if it shall  ultimately be determined by final  judicial  decision from
which  there is no further  right to appeal (a "final  adjudication")  that such
indemnitee is not entitled to be indemnified for such expenses under this Part B
or otherwise. The Corporation may, by action of its Board of Directors,  provide
indemnification  to  employees  and agents of the  Corporation  with the same or
lesser  scope and  effect as the  foregoing  indemnification  of  Directors  and
officers.

                  Part C. Procedure for Indemnification.  Any indemnification of
a Director or officer of the  Corporation or advance of expenses under Part B of
this ARTICLE X shall be made promptly,  and in any event within  forty-five days
(or,  in the case of an advance of  expenses,  twenty  days),  upon the  written
request of the Director or officer.  If a determination  by the Corporation that
the Director or officer is entitled to indemnification  pursuant to this ARTICLE
X is  required,  and the  Corporation  fails to respond  within  sixty days to a
written request for indemnity,  the Corporation shall be deemed to have approved
the request.  If the Corporation denies a written request for indemnification or
advance of expenses, in whole or in part, or if payment in full pursuant to such
request is not made  within  forty-five  days (or,  in the case of an advance of
expenses,  twenty days), the right to  indemnification or advances as granted by
this ARTICLE X shall be  enforceable  by the Director or officer in any court of
competent jurisdiction.  Such person's costs and expenses incurred in connection
with successfully establishing his or her right to indemnification,  in whole or
in part, in any such action shall also be  indemnified  by the  Corporation.  It
shall be a defense to any such action (other than an action brought to enforce a
claim for the advance of expenses  where the  undertaking  required  pursuant to
Part B of this ARTICLE X, if any, has been tendered to the Corporation) that the
claimant has not met the  standards of conduct which make it  permissible  under
the Delaware  General  Corporation  Law for the  Corporation  to  indemnify  the
claimant for the amount claimed,  but the burden of such defense shall be on the
Corporation.  Neither the  failure of the  Corporation  (including  its Board of
Directors,  independent  legal  counsel  or its  stockholders)  to  have  made a
determination  prior to the commencement of such action that  indemnification of
the  claimant  is  proper  in the  circumstances  because  he or she has met the
applicable  standard of conduct set forth in the  Delaware  General  Corporation
Law, nor an actual  determination  by the  Corporation  (including  its Board of
Directors,  independent legal counsel or its stockholders) that the claimant has
not met such applicable standard of conduct, shall be a defense to the action or
create a presumption  that the claimant has not met the  applicable  standard of
conduct.  The procedure for  indemnification  of other  employees and agents for
whom  indemnification  is provided pursuant to Part B of this ARTICLE X shall be
the same  procedure set forth in this Part C for  Directors or officers,  unless
otherwise  set  forth  in  the  action  of  the  Board  of  Directors  providing
indemnification for such employee or agent.


                                       8
<PAGE>

                  Part D.  Insurance.  The Corporation may purchase and maintain
insurance  on its  own  behalf  and on  behalf  of  any  person  who is or was a
Director,  officer,  employee or agent of the  Corporation or was serving at the
request of the Corporation as a Director,  officer, employee or agent of another
corporation,  partnership,  joint venture, trust or other enterprise against any
expense,  liability or loss  asserted  against him or her and incurred by him or
her in any such capacity, whether or not the Corporation would have the power to
indemnify such person against such expense, liability or loss under the Delaware
General Corporation Law.

                  Part E.  Service  for  Subsidiaries.  Any person  serving as a
Director,  officer,  employee  or agent  of  another  corporation,  partnership,
limited liability  company,  joint venture or other enterprise,  at least 50% of
whose equity  interests are owned by the  Corporation (a  "subsidiary"  for this
ARTICLE X) shall be conclusively  presumed to be serving in such capacity at the
request of the Corporation.

                  Part F.  Reliance.  Persons who after the date of the adoption
of this provision  become or remain  Directors or officers of the Corporation or
who,  while a  Director  or  officer  of the  Corporation,  become  or  remain a
Director,  officer,  employee or agent of a  subsidiary,  shall be  conclusively
presumed to have  relied on the rights to  indemnity,  advance of  expenses  and
other rights  contained in this ARTICLE X in entering  into or  continuing  such
service.  The rights to indemnification and to the advance of expenses conferred
in this ARTICLE X shall apply to claims made against an  indemnitee  arising out
of acts or omissions  which  occurred or occur both prior and  subsequent to the
adoption hereof.

                  Part   G.   Non-Exclusivity   of   Rights.   The   rights   to
indemnification and to the advance of expenses conferred in this ARTICLE X shall
not be  exclusive  of any other  right  which any person  may have or  hereafter
acquire under this Restated Certificate or under any statute, by-law, agreement,
vote of stockholders or disinterested Directors or otherwise.

                  Part H. Merger or Consolidation.  For purposes of this ARTICLE
X, references to the "Corporation"  shall include,  in addition to the resulting
Corporation,  any  constituent  Corporation  (including  any  constituent  of  a
constituent)  absorbed  in a  consolidation  or merger  which,  if its  separate
existence  had  continued,  would have had power and  authority to indemnify its
Directors,  officers and employees or agents, so that any person who is or was a
Director,  officer, employee or agent of such constituent Corporation,  or is or
was  serving  at the  request of such  constituent  Corporation  as a  Director,
officer, employee or agent of another Corporation,  partnership,  joint venture,
trust or other enterprise, shall stand in the same position under this ARTICLE X
with respect to the resulting or surviving  Corporation  as he or she would have
with  respect to such  constituent  Corporation  if its separate  existence  had
continued.


                                       9
<PAGE>

                       ARTICLE XI - Business Combinations
                       ----------------------------------

                  The Corporation expressly elects to be governed by Section 203
of the Delaware General Corporation Law.

                         *      *      *      *      *





















                                       10