Are you tired of trying on every pair of glasses in the shop to find the right pair? This face shape guide for glasses is for you! By identifying your face shape and the best glasses for it, you can avoid frames that don't suit your features and focus your attention on finding the right style.
If your frames pinch your nose or keep sliding down, it's likely that your glasses don't fit properly. Whether it's round or square, every face shape requires a different frame shape. Use our tips to measure your face and find the right frames to complement your features.
How to Measure Your Face
When you're looking for the perfect pair of glasses to frame your face and enhance your features, the first step is identifying your face shape. Grab a flexible ruler or measuring tape and follow these steps:
1. Measure the Length of Your Face
Place your measuring tool vertically in front of your face. Record the distance from the middle of your hairline to the tip of your chin. If you have any trouble reading the numbers on your ruler from this position, ask a friend or family member for some assistance. You can also stand in front of a mirror, facing the numbers away from you, and read the inverted numbers in your reflection.
2. Calculate Your Forehead Width
Next, place your ruler or tape horizontally across your forehead, trying to align it as closely as possible with the widest part of your forehead. For most people, the widest part of their forehead is between the top of their brows and where the crease from a frown would settle.
Can't quite spot it by sight? Don't worry! Take three to four measurements in this area and use the widest one.
3. Measure the Width of Your Cheekbones
Since your glasses can rest on your cheekbones if they don't fit properly, accurately measuring the width of your face is an important step. Place the measuring device horizontally in front of your face, but lower than when you measured your forehead. Aim for somewhere between the tip and bridge of your nose as an anchor.
Keep the ruler or tape straight instead of trying to let it touch the widest points of your cheek. It might look like you're trying to wear the ruler as your glasses. That's precisely where you'll get the best reading.
4. Estimate Your Jaw Width
You may recognize a pattern at this stage. Keep the measuring device horizontally in front of your face and move it down toward your jawline. You'll want to rest your ruler somewhere near your lower lip to align with the broadest part of your jaw. If you need to take several measurements to find the widest one, that's OK.
Remember the tip from before about not swaying your ruler to touch the sides of your face. Also, try to keep your tape or ruler extended in front of your face so the curves created by your features don't skew the measurements.
5. Identify the Widest Part of Your Face
Now that you've measured each section of your face, you're ready to identify your face shape. Examine all the horizontal measurements and select the highest number. Whichever section of your face this number corresponds with is the widest part of your face.
This doesn't mean you'll know exactly what your face shape is based solely on this information. However, it provides a great starting point for comparison when you examine each face shape against your own.
How to Find the Best Frames for Each Face Shape
With your face measurements and additional knowledge about your features, determining your face shape is easy. Discover the dimensions of each face shape and the frames that best suit them below:
Round: If you have a round face shape, your forehead and jaw will typically have similar measurements, while your cheekbones will be closer to your vertical face length. What makes your face distinctly round compared to other face shapes is that you'll see natural curves from your cheekbones up to your forehead and from your jaw to your chin. Square and rectangular frames are popular when choosing glasses for a round face.
Square: Square faces typically follow the same measurement ratio that round ones do, except with a key difference. While square and round faces may appear similar on paper, square faces don't have those distinct curves around the temple and jawline. For a square face shape, try frames with rounded curves to soften your features.
Oval: If your face is curved but doesn't qualify as round, your measurements will likely reveal that your face is longer than it is wide. While your cheekbones may still be wider than your jaw or chin, an oval face is characterized by a longer vertical measurement. Oval faces suit most frame shapes, so your options are endless.
Heart: Heart-shaped faces are often the easiest to identify. If your measurements are widest at the forehead, narrower toward the cheekbones and slimmest at your chin, then your face is heart-shaped. Sometimes, people classify a face as triangular if it follows these measurements but is more angular than rounded. Aviator and other square frames pair beautifully with heart-shaped faces.
Diamond: Diamond faces typically have prominent cheekbones. If your measurements highlight that your cheekbones are widest and your forehead and jaw are narrower, your face is diamond-shaped. Round, oval or winged frames are the best glasses for an oval face shape, as they complement your cheekbones.
Oblong: If you have a rectangular or oblong face, your measurements may resemble those of oval faces. The key difference is that oblong faces often have more prominent jawlines, so your jaw and chin measurements will likely be wider than if you had an oval face. If you find the length of your face too prominent, opt for wider frames or oversized designs.
What to Consider When Shopping for New Frames
Once you know the best frame shapes to suit your face, it's time to browse the options available in that shape. Here are a few things to keep in mind when choosing frames:
Proportion: Consider the dimensions of your new frames. No matter the shape, your frames can range from oversized to petite. Smaller features can easily get lost in oversized glasses, while a smaller pair can highlight prominent features.
Color: The color you choose for your frames is essential for more reasons than just matching your skin tone. Brighter colors can accentuate your features, while transparent frames can disguise them.
Texture: The texture of your frames can also enhance or distract from your features, depending on your goal. Matte and textured frames don't draw as much attention as glossy or metallic options.
Style: While most pairs of glasses have distinct shapes, such as round or rectangular, some frames either combine shapes or feature added details that result in a totally different style. For example, cat-eye and wayfarer frames are very different shapes. Both could work if winged pairs suit you.
Find the Right Frames for Your Face at Eyemart Express
The dedicated team at Eyemart Express understands the importance of a well-fitting pair of glasses. We're here to help you find the perfect shape for your face.
You can find your new pair of glasses on our website, or visit one of our stores to try on a few pairs. No matter what you choose, a pair of glasses that fits well allows you to live your life and see the moments that make it memorable.
