Choosing The Right Glasses For Your Face Shape

The most important thing about eyeglasses is that they effectively correct your vision. But it’s the 21^st century, and wearing glasses does not mean that you cannot look sharp at the same time! Beyond personal preferences and style, the individual shape of your face plays a huge role in determining how your glasses come off.

Choosing the right glasses for your face shape is crucial, but size is just as important, or even more so in some cases. Basically, you always want your frames to scale with the rest of your face. For someone with a large face, a larger pair of glasses will seem much more natural and commonplace. The same thing goes for someone with a small face- a smaller pair of glasses, regardless of shape or style, will draw attention away from the small dimensions of the face.

Here is a list of the seven most common shapes that we’re asked about. Of course, not everyone fits neatly into one of these categories. But getting an idea before shopping around can be really helpful in finding the perfect glasses for your face shape!

Round

One of the most popular questions we get is this- what are the best glasses for round faces?  For a rounded face with an equal or almost equal proportion of length to width, the trick is to go for narrow frames with sharp, angular curves. Patients often have success with narrow, square or rectangle shaped frames as they make a rounded face seem longer and thinner.

Oval

If your face is oval shaped, you might just be the envy of your town. Most patients choose glasses to go for that very shape, which is rounded with more length to it than width. Stick to wide frames that will not throw off the natural proportion of your oval shaped face (like square or rectangle frames). Don’t mess up a good thing!

Square

Are people always telling you that you have a wide forehead? Is your jawline well defined? You might just have a square shaped face. The goal here is to make the face seem longer, and wide frames are definitely the best way to get this accomplished. Also, narrow frames that are not likely to garner so much attention tend to soften the sharp angles of a square shaped face. Soft oval or round shaped frames are generally best for individuals with square face shapes.

Rectangle

A face that is rectangle shaped is similar to an oval shaped one in that the face is longer than it is wide, but cheek and jaw lines are long, straight, and angular. The goal is to make the face seem shorter and more balanced. Frames with more depth, or vertical height, can certainly accomplish this, and a bridge that sits lower on the nose can work wonders as well. Most customers that have rectangle face shapes go with round glasses frames.

Triangle with a Bottom Base

All right, so your face does not actually look like a triangle, but its proportions are somewhat similar. You’ve got a narrow forehead, but dimensions widen toward the cheek and jaw lines. Wide frames can help to balance the face from top to bottom, and many patients go for colored or accented lenses to draw attention toward the top half of the face. Best glasses to choose for triangle shapes faces tend to be round, square, or rounded square. Make sure to avoid thin rimmed, or rimless frames.

Triangle with a Top Base

Dimensions that become narrow toward the chin require the opposite remedy, and that is a narrow frame. Glasses that are wide, but only toward the bottom of the frame can help as well when they fit just right. Light colors and frames that do not scream for attention are usually the best option.

Diamond / Heart

A diamond shaped face is rare, but presents with its own set of issues. Truthfully, a face with broad cheekbones, but a thin forehead and jaw line is desirable, but can make shopping for eyeglasses a bit difficult. To take attention away from the cheekbones, a patient can go for frames that are bold and wide. Our best recommendation here is to go with a rimless, round, square, or rounded squares.

Keep in mind that what you get in this guide are simply recommendations from eyewear professionals and everyday patients. What works for one individual with a rectangular shaped face might be disastrous for another. However, we think these recommendations are a great place to start looking, and we truly hope that you find a set of frames that works wonders for you!