Finding the best glasses for your face shape can be tricky given all the options trending. Every week, it’s as if a new pair of it-frames appear: oversized and eclectic, or minimal and sleek. In this sea of options, how do you find the glasses that best suit your style but also fit your face shape in all the right ways? Here’s our take.
STEP 1 Find a mirror and take stock of yourself. Hope you like what you see. STEP 2 Compare the length of your face to its width. If your face is about as wide as it is long, you probably have a round or square face shape. If your face is much longer, look to heart shaped or oval. STEP 3 Look at your forehead, cheekbones and jawline in relation to each other. If your forehead and jawline are about the same width, be square. If your cheekbones are the widest part of your face, go round. If you have a long face that tapers gently, think oval. But if your chin ends in a point, love your heart shaped face.
Now that you’ve identified a face shape, it’s time to find a frame. One way to narrow down choices is by looking at your frame fit. Here are some tips on how to find frames to best fit all of your facial features – keep in mind that ultimately you’re just feeling out what’s comfortable.
FRAME WIDTH Take a page from Garrett's Fit Session with GQ and look for eyeglass frames that contrast with your facial features. As you find frames you really dig — say, round frames for square shaped faces or top-heavy frames for heart shaped faces with an angular jawlines — get a feel for what frame width works for you. Your frames should fit on the outside of your cheekbones; not wider than your face so that it feels loose, but not so narrow that it feels really tight. An average lens width is 46-49mm. A petite, tailored frame fit will be 45mm and under, and an oversized or larger frame fit is usually 50+ mm. A key part of finding out your perfect frame fit is where your eye sits in the frame. Your eye should sit in the middle of the lens horizontally, and in the middle or slightly above the middle vertically when testing out different frame sizes and measurements. Avoid having your eye sit too high in the lens or too close to the bridge. If your eye sits really high, the frame looks droopy and just plain bad. FRAME TEMPLES Standard frame temple lengths run from 143—150mm. Temples are malleable and can be adjusted by opticians to rest comfortably on your ears, and help keep your frames from slipping. NOSE BRIDGES As for nose bridges, frames typically have bridges between 19–23mm. Pay attention to how different bridges sit on your nose. For example, saddle bridges fit a variety of nose bridges, but adjustable nose pads allow for an even more customizable fit — especially if you have a low nose bridge. If you need help finding the best nose bridge fit option, it's best to chat with one of our opticians in store or on the phone.
Choosing eyewear isn’t only about technicalities, though they’ll help with a comfortable fit. Balance and contrast apply to frame aesthetics too: try a thick, bold frame in a lighter shade, or a brighter tortoise on dark skin. Mix it up with a matte finish for a more subtle look, or play with the variety of crystal colors out there. As your personal style evolves and you get a sense of which frames fit you best, get ready to build out an eyewear collection! Go steady with your everyday staples: versatile G15 lenses, polarized frames for the commute, or rich brown neutrals that match nearly everything. Some of our best-selling classics include: Kinney, Hampton, and Wilson. Then find your statement eyeglass and sunglass frames to take it to the next level. Consider unique silhouettes like the Jacqueline, or rimless Beaumont; gradient lenses, as seen on the new Valencia sunglasses; and contrasting metal and acetate combos like the Wilson Sun Shield. Not quite ready to go so big and bold? Take a look at the classic cat-eyed Del Rey, featuring small playful star rivets on the side of the frame to add a subtle boost to your look. Never forget the importance of personal style. You should find a look that you feel comfortable owning. If you listen to what other people think you’ll always get conflicting answers about what looks cool. Just be yourself, trust your gut, and wear what you like. That combined with a great fit will always look the best. Now that’s something you can know without consulting an expert.
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