Unless you’ve been blessed with 20/20 vision, you’re probably going to need to get yourself a pair of glasses. And if you’re still rocking the same frames you’ve worn since uni, then the new year is the perfect time to switch up your style. Besides, you’re supposed to change your glasses every two years anyway. It’s never a good idea to wait till you start having vision problems with your old glasses to push you into getting new ones. However, just like our clothes, not all frames will suit every face shape. The variety of options to choose from certainly doesn’t help the decision-making one bit. So, here are some ways to help you choose the right glasses for your face shape.
How To Identify Your Face Shape
Before you start reviewing your options, you should first determine what kind of face shape and features you have. The five main types of face shapes are:
- Round
- Oval
- Square
- Heart-shaped
- Triangular
Now, we all know that sometimes pinpointing the type of face shape you have isn’t always as straightforward as it seems. One day it looks like one specific face shape and the next day it looks like another, and sometimes it can be a mixture of both.
To make the process less complicated, we can narrow down our face shape into two main categories: rounded and angular. Assess your face from the nose and below, and observe the overall curvature of your jawline. If you have a straight jawline and a rounded chin, your face is within the rounded category. Otherwise, if your face has an angular jawline and a pointed chin, you fall under the angular category. For a more comprehensive guide to choosing the right style of eyewear, continue reading below.
What Frames To Choose (And Avoid) Based On Your Face Shape
Best Glasses For Round Face Shape
Round face shapes typically have less prominent angles and full cheeks. Their face width and height are in equal proportions, and some common features include wider foreheads, cheekbones, and jaws. One thing you should always consider when buying glasses for your face shape is to look for frames that contrast your features. This will balance out your rounded features and create more structure in them.
Choose: Opt for angular frames with bold and clean lines. Rectangular and square glasses have frames that are great for making round face shapes appear longer and leaner. Moreover, geometric or angular shapes can create the illusion of sharper lines and angles, which will bring back proportion and balance to your face. You could also try upswept styles like D-frames or cat-eye frames to lift and elongate your face for a more slimming effect.
Avoid: It’s best to stay away from circular frames. They only further emphasise the roundness of your face and can sometimes even exaggerate those features, making you appear rounder than you actually are.
Best Glasses For Oval Face Shape
With a narrow jaw and a forehead that’s only just slightly wider than the curved chin, those with an oval face shape can pull off practically any pair of eyeglasses. This means you’ll have many options to choose from and can explore a variety of the latest trends. Lucky you! With that being said, you probably still shouldn’t pick just any random style of glasses. Since your face shape is naturally proportionate as it is, you’d want to make sure that it stays balanced.
Choose: Get frames that are the same width or wider than the widest part of your face (this is usually around the eyes). Flattering glasses for your face shape include frames like aviators, rectangular, geometric, square, or rounded frames. As mentioned, more angular frames will provide sharp angles to your soft features. Meanwhile, rounded frames can accentuate the softness of an oval face in an elegant and sophisticated way. So pick your frames based on what features you want to highlight!
Avoid: Try to avoid choosing any oversized frames as they may throw off your symmetrical proportions. You don’t want to detract from the natural balance of your features by unnecessarily adding extra length to your face or shortening it.
Best Glasses For Heart Face Shape
If you have a wide forehead, prominent high cheekbones, and a pointed chin, then you probably have a heart-shaped face; otherwise also known as the inverted triangle face shape. Regardless of whether your face is slightly more rounded or long, heart-shaped faces are one of the most versatile types (besides the oval) to work with. Though specifically, you’ll look best in wider frames that extend slightly past the forehead with a round base.
Choose: Oval glasses can switch the focus away from your pointed chin and bring the attention towards your eyes instead. They’ll also soften out and balance your sharp angles, and won’t overemphasise your cheekbones. Other glasses that work for your face shape are rimless styles, semi-rimless, or rectangular frames. Go for light metal in soft gold or clear-plastic frames for an effortlessly chic look.
Avoid: Don’t go for overly elaborate, heavy, or oversized glasses because they might overwhelm your facial features. The bulkiness of these frames could highlight the widest parts of your face and also exaggerate the pointiness of your chin.
Best Glasses For Square Face Shape
This face shape is normally as wide as it is long, except for rectangular shapes which feature a longer square face. Your forehead, jawline, and cheekbones are equal in width with minimal curves. As your face is all sharp angles and clean straight lines, you’ll want glasses that’ll soften those features while also making them more prominent. Look for a set that is proportionate to your face’s width and length.
Choose: Round and oval glasses are ideal for your face shape to harmonise your angular features while adding softness. Cat-eye glasses can also be very complementary to square-shaped faces. Their narrow frames can break up the harsh lines and lengthen the face while the upswept wings bring balance.
Avoid: Try not to pick boxy, rectangular, or square-shaped glasses for your face shape. These will only exaggerate the harsh angles of your face and accentuate them even more. You should also ensure that your frames are just slightly wider than your cheekbones. Avoid choosing anything too small for the face, as this can make the face appear larger.
Best Glasses For Triangular Face Shape
Unlike the heart-shaped face, triangular faces have the broadest parts of their face at the jawline and the narrowest at the forehead. This face shape is usually bottom-heavy, so you’re going to want to find a pair of frames with a bold top and a light base to make your face look more balanced.
Choose: Opt for browline glasses, D-frames, cat-eye glasses, round glasses, and aviators with upper rims that are as wide as the lower and broadest portion of your face.
Avoid: When picking glasses for this face shape, you’re better off skipping the rectangular or square glasses, or anything with smaller frames and enhanced lower edges.
Show Off Your Best Features With The Right Glasses For Your Face Shape
We hope this list has given you a better understanding of knowing what glasses will work best for your face shape. Have fun experimenting as you find a style that suits you the most. Need ideas on how to transform your work outfits from day to night? Then check out our other article on smart casual looks.
