How to Choose the Right Eyewear for Your Face Shape and Personality

Choosing Eyewear

Choosing new glasses can be fun, but it can also be a bit overwhelming. With so many thousands of available options, how do you go about choosing the right glasses for your face? We’ve got some tips for choosing eyewear, and it all starts with considering the shape of your face.

What is Your Face Shape?

You’ve probably heard that faces can be oval, square, round, heart, or diamond. The truth, though, is that just about no one has a face that is perfectly one shape or another. Often, people have faces that combine a few different shapes, so it can get confusing. Rather than trying to match your face exactly to a stock image, determine the shape your face most resembles.

• Round faces tend to have relatively symmetrical length and width. If you have a round face, you won’t have any hard angles, but rather soft curves and smooth lines. When choosing eyewear for a round face shape, look for frames that help add angles, like rectangular frames, which make the face look longer and thinner by breaking up the face structure. Angular or geometric frames can help balance your face with sharp, distinct lines, and upswept frames, like cat eye frames, draw the focus to your eyes. Skip small or round frames, which can make a round face look even rounder.
• Oval faces can wear just about any glasses. An oval face is longer than it is wide, with high cheekbones and rounded features like a rounded chin and wider forehead. If you have an oval face, you can pull off large, bold, statement-making eyewear styles, but you might want to avoid narrow frames or heavy design elements, which can add unnecessary length to your face.
• Heart shaped faces are widest at the forehead. People with heart shaped faces have narrow chins and high cheekbones, and look good in frames that flare out a little bit wider than their foreheads, or frames with rounded bases. Bottom heavy frames can create width towards the bottom of the face, frames with low-set temples will draw attention towards the lower half of the face, and oval frames will create balance. The only frame type we’d advise avoiding is a frame with embellishment at the top, because this can make your forehead appear more prominent.
• Square faces tend to have bold, angular features. If you have a square face, you’ll have a wide forehead, a square jaw, and a symmetrical look. People with square faces should choose rounded frames to soften their features and add contrast. Rimless and semi-rimless frames are good options, but don’t go for boxy or angular frames, which can make your face look larger.
• Diamond faces have prominent cheekbones. The cheeks take center stage because the forehead and jawline are smaller. This is the rarest face shape, and looks good with a rimless or oval frame with a strong browline. Choose something interesting and fun, like a horn rim or cat-eye, to play up your features, but make sure to keep your frames delicate, and avoid narrow frames.
• Triangular faces have a square jawline and narrow forehead. Wider frames, particularly those with embellishment on the top, suit triangular face shapes well but helping the top of the face look broader. Consider glasses that are bold on top and lighter on the bottom, or choose a round style for an interesting contrast.

Other Factors to Consider

Of course, your face shape is just the jumping off point for choosing the right frames. You’ll also want to consider your facial angles, because it’s best to choose glasses that contrast. In other words, choose curved frames for sharp angles, and more angular frames for soft angles. Think about your skin tone, looking for a frame that complements your coloring. If your skin tone is warm, avoid blue, bright pink, or black and white, and if your coloring is cooler, skip yellow, bright orange, or dark brown. Finally, consider your lifestyle, and look for glasses that mesh well with all the things you do. You might even want different glasses, to go with your different activities. Talk to your optometrist about glasses that help reduce strain from reading or looking at a screen, or frames that will stand up to an active lifestyle.

Have Some Fun with Choosing Your Frames!

Ultimately, choosing new glasses is exciting because it’s all about choosing a new look! Make sure to choose frames that don’t just fit your face, but also match your personality. Even though there are some general guidelines for choosing eyewear, there are no hard and fast rules, so pick the glasses that make you feel the most confident and really let your personality shine.

Visit Spindel Eye Associates for Your Eye Exam

Before you choose the perfect eyewear for your face, you’ll need an eye exam from a highly qualified eye doctor. If you’re looking for an ophthalmologist or optometrist in Derry, Londonderry, or Windham, Spindel Eye Associates is here for you. Having spent over 35 years providing eye care in New Hampshire, our eye doctors proudly provide our patients with personalized eye care, using top of the line technology. For more information or to schedule an eye appointment call 603.421.6536 or contact us through our website.