As of 2020, more than four billion adults in the world wore glasses. Today, 75% of adults need some form of vision correction. Out of these 75%, 64% wear glasses.
With so many glasses wearers around the world and so many options to choose from, it can be easy to get the frame fit, size and style wrong for your face shape. Don’t be fooled into thinking that all four billion glasses-wearers have hit the nail on the head when it comes to selecting the right glasses frames that best suit their face shape.
Getting the frames right
The frames that hold your prescription lenses in place on your face have the power to either accentuate or de-accentuate your facial features. Perhaps you have little concern over the face-changing capacity of your glasses, but depending on how you might wish to choose to express your preferences, there are a few ways to ensure that the frames on your face always work in your best interest - with minimal effort.
For instance, faces that teeter on the rounder side of the face-shape spectrum will be reinforced by the addition of very round glasses frames. It’s as simple as that. To offset the roundness and introduce some angular edges, rectangular glasses can help to lengthen and elongate the look of the face.
Selecting glasses frames based on your face shape
For those in the 0.001% of the population who can wear basically anything thanks to your well-proportioned and balanced face shape - you can stop reading here. For the rest of us, there have certainly been times when we’ve placed a pair of eyeglasses onto our face, to realise they don’t look quite right. In most cases, it’s difficult to put your finger on the problem but it’s very easily resolved by identifying and understanding your face shape.
As well as the primary function of eyeglasses being vision correction, they can also do one of two things: accentuate your desirable facial features or minimise the prominence of those you wish to conceal. With that said, let’s explore the categories of face shapes so that you can find the one that best matches yours and select the glasses frames to complement your face shape.
Understanding your face shape
There are six main face shapes, and most people will possess a combination of features that fit into more than one face shape. Of course, no face is a perfect square, circle or triangle; the idea is to identify the shape your face comes closest to. In order to do so, you should take note of the following three features:
1. The widest part of your face - i.e. forehead, cheeks or jaw.
2. Your jawline - i.e. round, pointy or square
3. The length of your face - long or short
Round face shape
Characteristics:
1. Symmetrical
2. Equal length and width
3. Rounded jawline
4. No pronounced cheekbones
The goal and role of eyeglasses frames is to make the face appear longer and thinner. Therefore, one should look for angular, narrow frames that will lengthen the face at the high or mid-temples. This helps to create a longer profile. A clear and distinguished bridge will help to widen the eyes. Opt for glasses that are wider than they are deep, such as an octagonal shape.
Square face shape
Characteristics:
1. Strong jawline
2. Forehead, cheekbones and jaw same width
3. Sharp edges and minimal curves
With this in mind, the goal is to make the face longer and soften the edges. Look for curvilinear, and narrow glasses frames that soften angles. Opt for glasses frames that are wider than the widest part of the face - narrow eyeglasses frames with more width than depth are an excellent choice for those with square faces.
Diamond face shape
Characteristics:
1. Narrow forehead
2. Small chin
3. Wide and high cheekbones
The diamond is the rarest face shape and the goal is to highlight the eyes and bring out the cheekbones. Look for frames that have detailing or distinctive browlines. Rimless frames and cat eyes are both good options.
Heart-shaped face
Characteristics:
1. Wider forehead
2. More angular toward the chin
The aim here is to minimise the width of the upper part of the face. This can be done with frames that are wider at the bottom half of the frame.
Oval face shape
Characteristics:
1. Longer than it is wide
2. Balanced proportions
3. Neither curvilinear nor angular
A pair of glasses should maintain the oval’s natural balance. Look for glasses frames that are as wide as or wider than the broadest part of the face. Almond or walnut-shaped glasses frames that are neither too deep nor too narrow will avoid disrupting the facial balance.
Oblong face shape
Characteristics:
1. Longer than it is wide
2. Straight cheek-line
3. Longer nose
The goal is to make the face appear shorter and more balanced. Look for frames that have top-to-bottom depth such as rounder panto or P-3 shapes. The temples should be of contrasting colours or decorated as such in order to create the illusion of width to the face. Finally, a lower bridged frame can help to shorten the nose and restore balance.
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