What Shape is your face?

Not all eyeglass frames are made for all faces

Gone are the days of bulky, boxy eyeglasses frames in black or brown. Nowadays, frames go beyond being a vessel for lenses to being face flattering and even a statement of personal style.

“Frames influence a person’s appearance, so the way in which they look on our faces is one of our most important considerations when choosing eyeglass frames. However, remember not all frames are made for all faces. Take the time to try on different makes and styles. See how they look and importantly, how they make you feel. Also, be sure to take advice from your optometrist who is also there to correctly fit your eyeglasses,” says Ruahan Naude, Chief Executive Officer from Dynamic Vision.

According to Naude, determining face shape and colouring are the first steps when selecting new frames. “Of course, your frames should be in scale with your face. You should avoid frames which are disproportionately large or small compared to your face. The ideal size is determined by the distance between your eyes and the size of your eye sockets.

“Also take into consideration the colour of your eyes as well as skin tone. You should choose a frame colour which is close to your own base colour. Blue frames for instance can complement blue eyes. The shape of the frames however, should be in slight contrast to the shape of your face. This can help to soften features and create the perception of slimness in a round face shape for example.”

He offers these quick tips for matching face shapes and frames:

Oval – Frames should not interfere with the oval face’s natural balance. Choose frames that are as wide, or wider, than the broadest past of the face.

Oblong – Choose frames that have more depth than width, have decorative or contrasting temples that add width to the face, or a low bridge to shorten the nose. This will make an oblong face appear shorter and more balanced.

Square – Choose narrow frames that have more width than depth to make a square face appear longer and to soften angles.

Round – Try more angular styles and frames that have more width than depth to lengthen the face.

Base up triangle – Choose frames which are wider at the bottom and light in colour. Light materials, and even rimless styles, will help minimize the perception of width at the top of the face.

Base down triangle – Choose frames which are accentuated with colour or detailing on the top to create the perception of width at the top of the face. Cat eye styles complement based down triangle-shaped faces.

“Aesthetics aside, your frames should fit properly. You should not feel any pressure at the points of impact with your face, such as behind your ears, temples, cheekbones or the bridge of your nose. Your frames are correctly positioned when your eyebrows are hidden behind the frames, or slightly above, as the frames cannot obstruct your vision. Ideally, your frames should fit so perfectly that it doesn’t feel as though you are wearing them.

“If your frames don’t look or feel right, consider getting new ones. You should feel comfortable and confident when you wear your eyeglasses as these factors will make you more likely to wear your eye glasses when and as you should,” says Naude.

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