A unique kind of pressure comes with choosing a new pair of glasses. You have to consider frame style, shape, color, pattern, and whether or not they’ll fit your face. Often, the sheer amount of choices feel overwhelming. While trends change and styles come and go, there are some soft guidelines that can help you choose a pair of glasses that will complement your face. It all begins with identifying your face shape.
Identifying your face shape can be difficult. Many people find it helpful to look at celebrities that have similarly shaped faces and emulate their style. In some cases, glasses providers have tools that will tell you exactly what face shape you have. Alternatively, you can measure your own features to see what shape seems to match.
A person with a round face has a forehead that is round at the hairline and a jawline with subtle angles. The width of their face is roughly the same as the length. Generally, frames with angular shapes look great on round faces because they help add some definition against the soft curves. Look for glasses with thicker rims along the top to add some visual flow to elongate your face. Avoid small or round frames, which may just exaggerate the natural roundness.
Oval faces are similar to round faces but are slightly longer than they are wide. When it comes to glasses, many view oval faces as the ideal shape. Basically, any frame looks great on people with oval faces, though some people feel oversized frames throw off the natural, more narrow balance of your face.
Square faces are easily recognizable. The hairline follows a mostly straight line and the cheekbones have few curves. The sides of the face are mostly straight between the jaw to the forehead. If this sounds like you, try some thinner frames with plenty of curves to help soften those strong angles. Round, oval, or cat-eye frames are all fantastic choices for square faces.
If you have an oblong face, you have high cheekbones and a tall forehead that give your face a long, slender appearance. People with this face shape can wear frames of pretty much any shape — the key is to get the dimensions right. To keep it classic, go for square or rectangular eyewear to help maintain the balance of your face. Upswept corners can accentuate your cheekbones, making them look more contoured.
Heart-shaped faces have narrow jawlines and are slightly longer than they are wide. The forehead and cheekbones of a person with a heart-shaped face are roughly the same width. Look for frames that help draw the eye away from the forehead and make the jaw seem a bit less narrow. Wide styles with decorative accents, such as cat-eye or browline frames, are perfect choices. Avoid frames that are bottom-heavy or too visually noisy.
People with diamond-shaped faces have jaws and foreheads that are thinner than their cheekbones. Additionally, their faces are usually roughly the same width and length — like a square turned 45 degrees. This face shape is pretty rare and it can be a struggle to find frames that don’t overpower your features. To begin, focus on angular eyewear that complements your face. If you want to experiment, round frames can soften your features. Avoid narrow glasses that may make your eye line also look too narrow. Wider frames can help balance these unique features.
Also known as triangular faces, pear-shaped faces are wider at the jawline than the forehead and typically have softer features overall. Frames that add a bit of weight to the top of the face are ideal for pear-shaped faces. Browline frames and aviators are classics that are extremely flattering. You could also choose frames that have heavy color or accents along the brow.
Not everyone has a distinct face shape. In fact, many people end up with elements of multiple face shapes. Think about what features of your face grab the most attention and decide whether or not you want to accentuate them. Alternatively, opt for glasses styles that suit almost any face shape, such as aviators or lightweight frames.
If you want to look your best, it makes sense to find glasses that fit your face shape. However, it’s also important to remember that these guidelines are not set in stone. Trends come and go and styles are constantly updating, as are the features society or we personally want to accentuate. Ultimately, it’s important to choose glasses that you enjoy, regardless of whether or not they’re "perfect" for your face. You may be flaunting the next big style before anyone else.