The best frames for your face – and what that actually means when shopping
Optician Terence Lo on the accessory that is worth taking your time to find
A great pair of glasses can be the perfect accessory, but finding the right frames is not always easy. To help you pick out the perfect frames to suit your face and personality, Optician and Co-Founder of Evok Eyewear Terence Lo, stopped by The Goods to share some tips for finding those elusive perfect frames.
It's hard to know where to start when shopping for glasses because there's so much choice, but Terence stresses the importance of taking your time. Your new glasses will be part of so many outfits and most likely, a daily fixture on your face – so don't rush this decision.
It's helpful to identify your face shape when trying on frames and this will help guide you towards the most flattering styles. Terrence says there are four categories that cover most face shapes: the heart shape, round, oval, and square. Here are some of his general guidelines for shopping, but keep in mind that these rules for how to flatter your features aren't written in stone!
Heart-shaped
Heart-shaped faces are characterized by a forehead that's a little bit broader than the jawline. Kerry Washington is a great celeb example. If your face is heart-shaped, you may find that the most flattering frames narrow the forehead and widen the jawline. Shapes that wing out slightly wider than the forehead are often super flattering, and you may find top heavy detailed frames that go wild with material or colour not so flattering.
Look for detailing on the lower portion of frame. You may find you gravitate towards frames that are wider on the bottom, as well as those made of lighter colours and materials because they work well for this face shape, too. If you're feeling a little lost, rectangular styles or aviators are a great place to start and from there you can feel out what looks best on you.
Round
Round faces have no strong angles and the width and length are generally the same proportions, such as Selena Gomez. To play up your face shape, go for glasses with strong, bold, angular lines that will give the illusion of lengthening the face. You can even pull off styles that are a little out-there and incorporate sharp lines. Lucky for you, rectangular and square styles work great on this face type.
Square
Broad foreheads and strong jawlines are some general features of a square-shaped face. Keira Knightley is a great celeb example of this face shape. The most flattering styles for your features may give the illusion of elongating the face or softening angles, so you may want to check out frames that are thinner and rounded. Rounder styles and cateye frames balance this face shape and are a super flattering way to make your features pop.
Oval
Katy Perry is a great celeb example of an oval face shape. Oval faces are the most balanced, meaning the cheekbones are slightly wider, there's a narrowing of the forehead and jaw, without strong angles. Oval shaped faces are the most versatile to fit, and less guidelines mean you have carte blanche to play around with frames for your face. It also means you may find yourself wondering where to start. Go for what you like best, and try a variety of sizes, colours, and textures to see what you love and what truly flatters your features.
