Choosing glasses can be hard, especially when you take into consideration how many different types of glasses and face shapes there are. However, if you know your face shape and the style of frame that best suits that shape, then picking glasses becomes easier.
What Are the Different Types of Face Shapes?
It’s important to note that there's a wide spectrum of face shapes, and not every face will fit perfectly into a specific shape. For example, round faces can sport a rounded jaw and wide cheekbones, but oval faces can have similar features. It’s possible for some faces to fall in the middle of two shapes, and in that case, you should experiment with glasses meant for both types of faces.
But generally speaking, there are five main face shapes:
- Square: Square faces have jawlines that are both wide and strong as well as cheekbones that are just as wide as the jawline, giving the appearance of a square.
- Round: Round faces are mostly asymmetrical with wide cheekbones, often giving the appearance of an uneven round or circlelike face.
- Heart: Heart-shaped faces, also referred to as an inverted triangle shape, have sculpted cheekbones and wide foreheads.
- Triangle: Triangle shaped-faces, also known as pear-shaped faces, are a less common face shape type. These face shapes are characterized by a narrow forehead and a wide jawline.
- Oval: Oval faces are greater in length than in width. These faces have a jaw that is rounded and a longer forehead.
What Is My Face Shape?
The best way to determine what face shape you have is to look in the mirror or take a picture of yourself and then examine these four facial features:
- The length of your face
- The width of your forehead
- The width of your cheekbones
- Your jawline
It may also help you to pull back your hair or wet your hair down first before examining your face.
You’ll want to pay attention to what part of your face is the widest as well as the longest. By taking note of the widest and longest parts of your face, you can easily determine what type of face shape you have or if your face falls into more than one shape.
Once you’ve determined the length and width of your features, you can then make an educated guess on what type of face shape you have by comparing your features to the descriptions above.
How to Choose Glasses for Your Face
Knowing the shape of your face is the most important part of choosing the perfect pair of glasses. Even if your face shape doesn't fall exactly into one of the standard face shapes, that’s OK. You can experiment with glasses suited for two face types to find your perfect pair.
Not all frames will work with every face type. Some will do better on certain shapes than others, either in terms of aesthetics or in terms of functionality, like being able to sit properly on your face.
Best Glasses for a Square Face Shape
Square faces are best complemented by round and oval frames. These frames can help balance out your sharp angles, like the angles of your jawline. Choosing a thin frame that's wider than your cheekbones can also help soften your features.
Best Glasses for a Round Face Shape
Frames that are bold and angular, like rectangular, cat-eye, and geometric frames, fit round faces perfectly. You’ll want to make sure that the frames sit just above your cheekbones for the best effect.
Rectangular frames will help your round face look longer and thinner. Geometric frames provide sharp lines that will balance out your otherwise softer look. And cat-eye frames will help highlight both your eyes and your cheeks.
Which type you choose will depend on your own personal style and preferences, but you can’t go wrong with any of these options.
Best Glasses for a Heart Face Shape
Aviator frames and D-frames are the best choices for heart-shaped faces. These frames offer a winged-out appearance that shifts focus away from your forehead. If you’re looking to add balance to your facial features, opt for a frame that provides a little more width than your forehead and has a lot of details on the bottom. Also, choosing an oval-shaped frame will emphasize your eyes more.
Best Glasses for a Triangle Face Shape
For triangle-shaped faces, it’s important to bring more attention to your forehead and less to your jawline. Bold-top frames are the best frames for triangle faces. Cat-eye, aviator, and D-frames all fall into this category and would fit a triangle face well.
Best Glasses for an Oval Face Shape
Since the oval face shape is the most common and universal shape, the frame selection is large and provides people with oval face shapes a variety of glasses to choose from. But if you want to pick the best frame for your oval-shaped face, you can experiment with different frames to figure out which one highlights your features and balances out your angles.
Geometric, rectangular, and square frames all pair well with oval-shaped faces, as do oversized frames. Cat-eye and aviator frames also do well with oval shapes, providing wearers a bolder look. If classic is more your style, then D-frames will suit you well.
The Takeaway
When picking out glasses, the most important factor to keep in mind is your face shape. After that, it’s all about personal preference and what you want your face to convey, like whether you want attention drawn to your eyes, to highlight certain features, or to balance out angles. These aspects will all factor into the type of glasses you end up purchasing.
Take your time choosing the right pair of frames for you. If all else fails, feel free to bring along a friend or family member to get their opinion on the different types of frames and glasses available. You could even ask the optometrist or the staff at the office for their input — they may also be able to help you in identifying your face shape if you’re having trouble doing it yourself.
