Lifestyle + Fashion

What style of glasses is right for me?

There's a great pair of frames for every face

14 March 2022

From cat eye to nerdy or rimless glasses – with such a large and diverse array of frames available, it's often difficult to decide which design looks best on you. BETTER VISION has some tips to help you quickly and easily determine what kind of face shape you have and which glasses, frames and colour will work best for you.

Here's how to determine what face shape you have

At first glance, it's not always that easy to clearly identify your own face shape – common characteristics can look quite different from one face to another. Moreover, the shape of a person's face often changes over the course of their life, such as when they lose weight. Here's an easy way to determine your own face shape at home: first, stand in front of a mirror looking straight ahead. Then use an Alice band or headband to pull your hair back. "Freeing your face" makes it easier for you to identify your face shape. Your hairline marks the upper edge of your face, your chin the lower edge. Your ears aren't considered part of your face shape. Alternatively, you can trace the contour of your face on the mirror using a water-soluble pencil. If a mirror isn't available, a photo of you looking straight ahead (such as a selfie on your smartphone) will do. Now it's time to compare and ask yourself: which of the following shapes most resembles my face?

Find here a frame type for your face shape:

What face shape do I have?

Identifying your face shape will help you find the perfect frames.

Oval faces

An oval face works well with almost every pair of glasses and frames. An oval face has soft, harmonious contours, a small forehead, a gently rounded chin and prominent cheekbones. It is the "ideal" face shape for glasses because virtually every design and size works well with an oval face.

Which glasses go well with an oval face?
Almost everything looks great – square glasses, round glasses, inconspicuous rimless glasses or more ostentatious frames (such as cat eye or nerd glasses with wide frames) and special designs.
Round faces

Gentle, flat contours, broad, prominent cheeks and a rounded chin are hallmarks of this face shape. Round faces are somewhat shorter and fuller than an oval face.

Which glasses go well with a round face?
Unobtrusive, thin frames that do not draw attention to the width of the face, angular frames (such as square or slightly rectangular frames) or wider frames that give the face added contours and greater definition. Nylor or full-rim frames with a tinted, subtle lower edge are also a great alternative for a round face.
Heart-shaped or triangular faces

Gentle, flat contours, broad, prominent cheeks and a rounded chin are hallmarks of this face shape. Round faces are somewhat shorter and fuller than an oval face.

Which glasses go well with a round face?
Unobtrusive, thin frames that do not draw attention to the width of the face, angular frames (such as square or slightly rectangular frames) or wider frames that give the face added contours and greater definition. Nylor or full-rim frames with a tinted, subtle lower edge are also a great alternative for a round face.
Longitudinal or rectangular faces

When people talk about a longitudinal or rectangular face, they mean that a person's cheek bones, forehead and jaw appear slightly wider and the sides of their face form straight, vertical lines.

Which glasses go well with a longitudinal face?
You might want to consider oval and round frames, curved and rimless frames, prominent full-rim frames, thick frames as well as glasses with a wide nosepiece and low-set temples. Prominent frames makes a longitudinal face appear shorter. Larger lenses will also interrupt your longer facial features, providing a pleasing optical effect.
Square faces

A square face is much like a longitudinal one, except that it's somewhat shorter and wider. The sides of a square face also form perpendicular lines. The chin, jaw and forehead are prominent, and the person usually has high cheekbones.

Which glasses go well with a square face?
Here you should opt for frames that elongate your face, such as unobtrusive rimless glasses, slightly rounded frames with flat contours or round, curved glasses. Round frames provides a nice contrast to the square shape of the wearer's face, ensuring an aesthetically pleasing effect. Glasses with wide temples are an excellent choice because they emphasise the length of the wearer's face shape. Due to the wearer's high cheekbones, narrow lenses are usually best as large lenses can easily cover these up.
Trapezoid-shaped faces

Thin up above, wide down below: with a trapezoid-shaped face, the area around the forehead and temples is narrower than the pronounced cheekbone and jaw area.

What style of glasses go well with a trapezoid-shaped face?
Your best bet is a pair of glasses with prominent edges that accentuate the upper third of the face, such as a noticeable upper edge with a colour gradient or wider frames. This way the wearer's narrow temples appear wider, evening out their facial features. Frames with temples that are positioned as far up as possible achieve the same effect. For a trapezoid-shaped face, cat eye and butterfly glasses, semi- and full-rim glasses with a prominent upper edge are the way to go.

As with all recommendations, keep the following in mind when looking for the right pair of frames: the exception proves the rule.

For many people, an outfit that clashes is exactly what they're going for or perhaps they want their glasses to match a particular outfit – and that means there are suddenly other criteria to consider. The best solution is to try out those frames that speak to you while also getting your eye care professional's expert opinion.

How eyebrows affect your choice of glasses

Eyebrows help make a person's face unique. So make sure you find glasses to match! The shape of your eyebrows and the distance between them and your eyes affects what frames are right for you. The upper edge of the frames should run parallel to your eyebrows without covering these up or cutting them off. This way your glasses fit your face perfectly and emphasise your eyes.

Once again, the exception proves the rule. Often the wearer's eyebrows disappear behind bold, fashionable frames or large lenses. In this case, check to see if the frames cover your eyebrows completely to ensure a harmonious look.

The colour of the spectacle frames

The colour of the frames is just as important as the shape in determining how glasses look on the particular wearer. What tint works best with particular lenses? What colour suits the frames? In addition to reflecting your own personal taste, your glasses should complement the colour of your hair, skin and eyes – these factors determine what colour suits you best. A distinction is made between four different types, each named after one of the seasons. Figure out what type you are, and selecting the right colour will be easy!

The winter type

The winter type has a skin tone ranging from olive to dark brown or very light skin with a blue shimmering undertone. Asians and Mediterranean-types belong in this category. Winter types usually have dark or black hair, and those with a brighter complexion quickly look pale without makeup. Prominent examples of the winter type are the actresses Zooey Deschanel and Elizabeth Taylor or the actor Johnny Depp. The winter type has hazelnut, blue or green eyes.

Recommended colours:
Clear, strong and cool colours such as black, white, grey and blue work well for this type. Silver is also ideal.
The spring type

The spring type has a peach-colour skin tone with golden freckles, like the actress Nicole Kidman. Spring types often have blond or strawberry blond hair, and their eyes range from blue, blue-green, green to green-brown or gold-green.

Recommended colours:
The following colours complement spring types: natural white, creamy beige, lilac, salmon, cornflower, rose or warm brown tones as well as gold, copper and bronze. We recommend gold, beige, lobster red or light brown frames.
The summer type

This type usually has ash blond hair and light blue, brown or grey eyes. They have a light, rosy, almost pastel-coloured complexion. Two typical examples would be the Hollywood stars Gwyneth Paltrow and Brad Pitt.

Recommended colours:
The optimum colours for the summer type are cool and intense without being too gaudy or dark, such as grey blue, rose, red, silver grey and parchment white. Rose, light blue or violet are great colours for the glasses.
The autumn type

The autumn type has golden, ivory or peach-colour skin – think of Florence Welch, the singer from Florence + the Machine, or the actress Julia Roberts. Many autumn types have freckles, red-hair with a golden shimmer and dark brown, green-brown or green eyes.

Recommended colours:
Earthy colours are ideal for the fall type, such as brown, orange and dark green hues as well as deep shades of red, ivory and vanilla. Gold, bronze and copper are also great choices. For your glasses, consider gold and all natural colours as they perfectly complement the colour of your skin, eyes and hair.