With the right pair of eyewear, you can highlight your best facial features or balance out your proportions. But how do you determine which styles work best for your unique face shape? The key is understanding what flatters different face shapes and using some clever tricks that play up your natural bone structure.
In this guide, we cover how to determine your face shape along with the best eyeglass styles and frame shapes to suit each one. Read on for tips from Mittal Optics’ experts on finding frames that fit and look fabulous.
Determine Your Face Shape
First things first – figuring out whether your face shape is round, oval, square, heart or long. Stand in front of the mirror and use a lip liner or dry erase marker to trace the outline of your jawline. Now analyze whether your facial width and length have similar measurements or if one dimension is more pronounced.
Here’s a quick cheat sheet for determining face shapes:
- Round Face Shape: Face length and width are equal with a curved jawline. Round faces have no sharp angles.
- Oval Face Shape: Face length is greater than the width, with a balanced forehead and jawline.
- Square Face Shape: A strong jawline, wide forehead, similar facial length and width with sharp angles.
- Heart Face Shape: Forehead is wider than the chin with prominent cheekbones. Heart faces taper to a point at the chin.
- Long Face Shape: Noticeably longer face length with features that appear narrow and thin.
Now let’s get into the best eyewear styles for accentuating each face shape.
Best Glasses for Round Faces
Focusing on angular frames that add balance is key for selecting round face glasses. Aviators, wayfarers, rectangles and cat eyes all complement round faces beautifully.
Look for frames that are as wide as (or wider than) the broadest part of your face. Angled cat eyes and oversized wayfarers help add definition. While horizontal lines can overwhelm a round face, the right pair of eyewear makes all the difference.
Rimless frames also flatter round faces, opening up your features. Just ensure they don’t extend beyond your face width. And opt for lighter transparent colors rather than thick, dark plastic frames.
Flattering Frames for Oval Faces
Lucky you – oval is considered the ideal face shape when it comes to eyewear. With balanced facial symmetry and proportions, you have plenty of options. Focus on accentuating your eyes and drawing attention upwards.
For oval glasses, almost anything goes, especially rounded styles. From circular Lennon glasses to oval and aviator silhouettes, opt for curved designs with a keyhole bridge. Cat eyes also add a retro touch. Rimless frames keep things lightweight too.
Just avoid anything too oversized, elongated or that extends past your jawline. You want smooth, even lines and proportions. Let your enviable bone structure shine through.
Eyewear Tips for Square Faces
With square faces, you want to soften sharp angles for a more oval appearance. Round and oversized frames offset the strong lines beautifully. Curves also help add balance and symmetry.
Avoid angular designs with pointy edges, which can make square faces seem boxier. Steer clear of geometric shapes too. Instead, opt for rimless eyewear, butterfly frames, rounds, aviators or wayfarers to make angles recede.
Cats eye shapes, especially with an upswept design, add femininity and retro allure while disguising the square jaw. Frames should align with (not extend past) your natural jawline. Large round lenses, pale colors, and thin wire frames all flatter square face shapes.
Heart-Shaped Faces
With heart or triangular faces, the aim is drawing attention downwards for symmetry. Go for frames that are widest at the bottom to add balance. Geometric shapes also complement heart faces beautifully.
Rectangular, cat eyes, wayfarers and other angles all add structure. Rimless bottoms allow your cheekbones to shine while darker bezels streamline the upper half. Avoid dainty wire frames or anything too narrow.
The key is widening your eyewear at the jawline. Funky patterns, tortoiseshell prints and darker colors along the bottom also pulls focus downwards. Ensure frames align with your cheekbones too.
Long Face Eyewear Finds
To minimize elongated facial features, go for rounded frames that add width. Circular lenses, butterfly shapes, oval and wayfarer designs all help make long faces appear shorter.
Avoid narrow frames without much depth, which can make long faces seem even more vertical and gaunt. Rimless styles should also be avoided. Instead, balance out your features with wide, oversized frames.
Cat eye and angular designs draw out long faces, so stick to softer lines. Bold acetate patterns along the bottom add contrast while colored arms on clear eyewear balances your aesthetic. Frames hugging your eyebrows also ground longer faces.
Visit Out Website for More Eyewear Inspiration
Hopefully these face shape guides have helped narrow down what flatters your features. But the #1 rule when shopping for new glasses remains: always try frames on. Even if certain styles are supposed to complement your face, every face has its own nuances.