Choosing Frames by Face Shape

Face shape is a useful starting point, not a rule. It narrows five hundred frames down to a shortlist worth trying on, and then your own eye decides. Plenty of people suit a frame the guide says they should avoid.

Working out your face shape

Pull your hair back, look straight into a mirror in good light, and ignore everything except the outline. Ask three questions: is your face longer than it is wide, or about the same; is the widest part your forehead, your cheekbones or your jaw; and is your jawline angular or curved. A straight-on photograph is easier to judge than a mirror.

The two principles that do most of the work

Contrast. A frame flatters by being a little unlike the face. Angular frames bring definition to a round, soft face; rounded and curved frames soften a square, angular one.

Proportion. The frame should be about as wide as the widest part of your face, and scaled to your features — a delicate face is overwhelmed by a heavy frame, and a large face makes a small frame look borrowed. The top of the frame should follow your eyebrow line, and your eyes should sit near the centre of the lens, a fraction above the middle.

Oval

Balanced proportions and a gently rounded jaw. Most shapes work, which is a pleasant problem. Keep the frame as wide as the broadest part of your face and avoid anything so deep that it shortens the face. Feel free to choose on character rather than correction.

Round

Similar width and length, full cheeks, a soft jaw. Angular frames add the definition the face does not have on its own — rectangles, squares, a well-judged browline. A slightly wider-than-deep frame and a bridge set a touch higher lengthen the face. Small round frames tend to echo the face rather than balance it.

Square

A strong jaw and a broad forehead, with width and length fairly close. Curves soften it: round, oval, and rectangles with rounded corners. Keep the frame from sitting too low on the cheek, and avoid heavy, sharply squared frames that repeat the jawline. Thin metal often works beautifully here.

Heart

Wide forehead and cheekbones narrowing to a fine chin. Weight is best kept at the bottom of the frame, or kept light all over — rimless and semi-rimless are natural choices, as are frames a little wider at the base. Bottom-heavy shapes and strong browlines add width where the face already has it.

Oblong or long

Noticeably longer than it is wide. A deeper frame breaks up the length, and decorative or contrasting temples add width across the middle of the face. Low bridges and bold shapes help. Small, shallow frames make a long face look longer.

Diamond

Narrow forehead and jaw, wide cheekbones — the least common shape and often the most striking. Frames with detail or sweep along the top edge, cat-eye shapes, and ovals all draw attention up to the eyes and brow. Anything narrower than the cheekbones will emphasise them.

Triangle

Jaw wider than the forehead. Frames with weight, colour or a browline along the top balance the lower half. Cat-eye and upswept shapes lift the face. Frames that are heaviest at the bottom edge pull it down.

Fit beats shape, every time

A frame that suits you and a frame that fits you are separate tests. Before you fall in love with a shape, check:

Width — the front roughly as wide as your face; no pressure at the temples, no sliding.
The bridge — the part that holds the weight. If it does not match your nose, the frame slides down or leaves marks, whatever it looks like.
Temple length — the bend should fall at your ear, not before or well past it.
Weight — judge it after ten minutes, not ten seconds.
Your lashes — they should not brush the lens.

Our materials guide explains which frames can be adjusted to solve these problems and which cannot.

Your prescription has a vote

A strong short-sighted prescription is thinnest in a smaller, rounder, well-centred frame, and a full acetate rim hides the lens edge better than a rimless mount. A strong long-sighted prescription magnifies the eyes, which smaller frames keep in proportion. Varifocals need enough lens depth to hold the reading portion, so very shallow frames are a poor choice. If you are unsure, bring your prescription in and we will tell you which of your shortlist will actually work — see the prescription guide.

Colour, briefly

Warm tones — tortoiseshell, gold, amber, olive — tend to sit well with warm skin and hair. Cooler tones — black, grey, silver, blue, rose — suit cooler colouring. A frame that picks up your eye colour draws attention to your eyes. None of this outranks the fact that you like it.

Try them on

Browse Eyeglasses and Sunglasses, then bring your shortlist to any of the studios and we will go through it with you. Details are on Find a Studio and Book a Fitting.

Contact

Phone and WhatsApp: +91 75750 01691
Email: contact@chashmish.com