Face Shapes

 

To determine what shape of eyeglass frames would best fit you, first you need to determine the shape of your face. There are a couple of ways you can do this:

 

One: If you have a straight forward passport style picture of yourself then you can use a pen to draw six dots around the outline of your face

 

2 at each side of your forehead

2 at your cheekbones near you eyes

2 on your jaw line at the level of your mouth

 

Two: If you don’t have this type of picture available you can also determine the shape of your face by using a mirror and a bar of soap. Stand in front of the mirror and use the bar of soap to trace the outline of your face. When you remove your reflection from the mirror what shape do you see?

 

There are several basic face shapes to look for:

 

Oblong: Your face is noticeably longer than it is wide. A long nose and long cheek line is characteristic of this face shape. If you are using the dot method all three pairs of dots would be spaced equally apart, but the dots would be noticeably longer than they are wide.

 

For an oblong face your goal should be to make your face appear wider and shorter. In order to achieve this you want to select frames that are round or square, but have a deep vertical dimension. Also, frames that have a decorative temple or temples that are a contrasting color are best suited for this face shape. Temples and bridge located near the middle of the frame are best. This will draw the eyes to the width of the frame making your face look wider and shorter.

 

Oval: An oval face is different from the oblong because it is more balanced in proportions. If you are using the dot method, the dots at your cheekbones would be the furthest apart, and the dots at your forehead and jaw will be equally spaced in relation to each other but closer together than the cheek bones. The length is still greater than the width but not as prominently as an oblong face shape. The oval allows the most freedom in selecting a frame style. Essentially any shape frame will work as long as the frame you select is in proportion to your body shape and size.

 

Round: A large curved forehead and rounded chin where the width and height are roughly the same are characteristic of a round face. In addition, the face is full with little or no angles. Proper frame selection for this face shape would include angular frames such as wide rectangle with the temple and bridge located near the top of the frame. This will help elongate the appearance of the face shape.

 

Square: A wide forehead, cheeks, and chin where the jaw is very angular in appearance are characteristic of a square face shape. All three sets of dots would be equal distance apart with the width and height nearly equal. The goal here would be to soften the harsh lines and add length to the face. This can be achieved by selecting an oval frame with the temples located above the eye or a high bridge to add length.

 

Diamond: Dots on the forehead and jaw are close together. This will highlight the small forehead and dramatic prominent cheekbones then gradually decreasing to narrow chin. To balance this face shape, choose eyeglasses that emphasize your brow line such as a semi-rimless frame. Softly curved frames that are no wider than your cheekbones or square straight top frames that are rounded at the bottom best compliment this face shape. Avoid frames with flashy, decorative, temples. This will exaggerate the width of your already predominant cheekbones.

 

Triangle: Dots on the jaw are farthest apart and the dots on the forehead are closest together. The goal here is to add width to your forehead and make your jaw appear narrower. Again a semi-rimless frame would work well. For women cat-eyed frames are flattering and for men rectangular frames. Keep in mind temples and bridge located near the top of the frame help add balance the look.

 

Inverted Triangle: Dots on the forehead are farthest apart while the dots on the jaw are closest together. Cheekbones are high. This means a prominent forehead that gradually narrows to the chin. To de-emphasize this look choose frames that angle out at the bottom. Some good choices would include an aviator, bow tie or rectangle shape. Lighter colors are also helpful.

 

It is important to realize that face shape and frame selection work in opposition to each other. Do not select a frame that is the same shape as your face. The rule of thumb to follow when selecting a frame shape to fit your face is that the frame should compliment and balance the shape of your face.