Choosing a pair of new glasses or sunglasses is exciting, but it can be a bit overwhelming. After all, there are so many different styles, colors, frame sizes and shapes to select from. Where does one begin?

A good place to start is by considering your face shape. Certain frame shapes can highlight your best features and balance out your facial structure for an aesthetically-pleasing look.

That being said, there’s no official rule book for matching frames to your face shape, and doing so certainly shouldn’t trump personal style, preferences, and comfort. Use face shape tips for inspiration or to make a tiebreaking decision between a few pairs of glasses that catch your eye.

Not sure where to start? We’ve got you. This article will cover the main face shapes, the best frames for each, and other factors to consider when buying new glasses. These guidelines apply to any type of glasses, from blue light glasses to readers to sunglasses.

The 6 Main Face Shapes

Most faces can be grouped into six categories: oval, round, square, heart, diamond, and triangle.

Of course, most people’s faces don’t fit neatly into one of these categories. The goal is to find the face shape that most closely resembles yours, even if the features don’t exactly match up.

It can help to focus on three main areas:

1. Your jawline—is it curved or angular?
2. Your forehead—is it wide or narrow?
3. Your cheekbones—are they soft or prominent?

With your answers in mind, review the below descriptions to determine your face shape. From there, we’ll dive into how to use that information to find frames that balance and compliment your features.

Round Face Shape

With a round face shape, your face is fairly symmetrical—the widest part of your forehead being about the same width as the widest part of your jaw, and your face is roughly the same width and length.

You have full cheeks, making your cheekbones less prominent. Your jawline and chin is rounded and your face appears soft and circular. No defined angles or edges here!

Oval Face Shape

Oval faces are essentially an elongated version of a round face. With this face shape, your face is longer than it is wide, with your forehead being the widest part of your face. Your features are rounded and soft, including your jawline and chin, yet your cheekbones are rather prominent.

Visualize this shape like an upside down egg—don’t worry, having this face shape is a good thing, as it tends to be the most versatile for frame shapes!

Heart Face Shape

If your face is widest at the forehead and gradually narrows through to your chin, you likely have a heart-shaped face. With this shape, you have high cheekbones (lucky you!) and a slender jawline, with your chin finishing into a point.

Square Face Shape

If you have a square face shape, your forehead, cheekbones, and jaw will all be about the same width, but your jaw will have sharp angles to it. Square faces are actually quite similar to round faces, but have a more defined, wide jawline and a more angular chin.

Triangle Face Shape

If you have a triangle-shaped face, consider yourself unique! This shape is not as common as others. With this shape, your face becomes slightly slimmer as you move up the face from a wide jaw to narrower forehead. Those with triangular faces are less likely to have defined cheekbones than other face shapes.

Diamond Face Shape

If you have this face shape, which is also relatively rare, your cheekbones are the widest part of your face and sit high. You’ll also have a narrow forehead and a small chin that’s often pointy.

While this face shape is similar to heart faces, the forehead of those with diamond-shaped faces won’t be as wide.

What Is My Face Shape?

By now, you should have a pretty good idea of what your general face shape is. To confirm your initial impression, find a picture of yourself in which your face is clearly visible and take a look at the face shape chart below. Which face most closely resembles yours?

The Best Frames for Each Face Shape

So, you’ve found which face shape most closely resembles yours—great! Now it’s time to put that information to use to find a pair of glasses or sunglasses that make you look and feel incredible.

Remember, these tips are simply guidelines and are optional. If you love a certain frame, don’t let your face shape stop you from rockin’ it! Any glasses that you love and make you feel confident are a win in our book.

That being said, let’s take look at which frame shapes tend to match well with which face shapes.

Glasses for Round Faces

When choosing glasses for round face shapes, select frames that add contrast with bold, angled lines.

Here are some options to consider:

• Rectangular or square frames: These shapes work to sharpen your soft, curved features and make your face appear a bit longer and more slender.
• Geometric frames: Add balance and personality to your face with distinct, angular shapes.
• Upswept frames: Upswept styles like cat eye draw attention away from your cheeks (which can be a bit fuller on round faces) while putting your eyes in the spotlight.
• Thick browline frames: This frame style beautifully complements full-bodied cheeks.

Glasses for Oval Faces

Oval faces are the most common face shape and also the most versatile. Pretty much any frame shape will flatter your face, giving you tons of freedom to experiment with different styles, shapes, materials, and colors.

If you have an oval face, the only tip to consider is to choose glasses that are as wide as the widest part of your face (typically across your eyes or cheeks). This will help balance out the length of your face.

Besides that, anything goes! Here are some ideas:

• Rectangular or square frames: These symmetrical styles beautifully complement your well-proportioned facial features.
• Cat eye frames: Highlight your fabulous cheekbones with upswept cat eye frames.
• Angular frames: Contrast the rounded part of your face and add uniqueness to your look with angular shapes.
• Aviator frames: These teardrop-shaped frames draw attention away from your forehead and towards your high cheekbones.

Glasses for Heart-Shaped Faces

Heart-shaped faces are pretty versatile, giving you lots of frame options. There are a few helpful tips to consider. When choosing glasses for heart-shaped faces, create balance by opting for styles with rounded bottoms and/or winged-out frames that jut out a bit wider than your forehead.

Here are some good options:

• Cat eye frames: Shift focus away from the top of your face and create balance between your broad forehead and narrow chin with stylish cat eye frames.
• Oval or round frames: Curved styles offset your narrow chin and draw attention upward towards your eyes.
• Aviator frames: This pilot-inspired style adds width, balance, and contrast to heart-shaped faces.
• Browline frames: Make your facial features the star of the show with semi-rimless frames.

Glasses for Square Faces

As a general rule, it’s good to choose glasses with characteristics opposite to those of your face shape. Since square faces have angular features and strong jawlines, offset your defined angles with thinner, curved frames.

It can also help to choose glasses with frames that are wider than they are tall, as this will make your face appear slimmer and softer.

Here are some top choices:

• Round frames: This curved style excels when it comes to lengthening and softening your strong, angular features.
• Oval frames: Like round frames, this shape balances out well-defined lines of your face.
• Cat eye glasses: This feline-inspired shape complements the sharp lines of square faces and
• Wire glasses: These thin frames pair nicely with angular facial features, allowing them to shine.

 

Glasses for Triangular Face Shapes

Because triangular faces are widest at the bottom and narrowest on top, play to opposites by choosing frames with a wider top and narrower bottom. These are good options:

• Cat eye frames: Complement your features and add contrast with this upswept style.
• Aviator frames: These frames are bold on the top and lighter on the bottom—ideal for highlighting the best features of a triangular face.
• Browline frames: Draw attention away from your jawline and elongate your forehead with a bold browline frame.
• Heavily-accented frames: Add width to a narrow forehead with frames that are heavily accented on the top with color and details.

Glasses for Diamond Faces

When it comes to diamond faces, look for frames that add a softer contrast to your angular features. Consider these options:

• Round frames: Curved frames with gentle lines are particularly lovely on this face shape, as they offset the defined foreheads and chins of diamond faces.
• Oval frames: Like round frames, oval frames offset the defined angles of a diamond face.
• Browline frames: Glasses with a thinner bottom and thicker browline are well-suited to a diamond face’s angular features and defined cheekbones.
• Cat eye frames: Choose a delicate cat-eye style to enhance your unique features without overpowering them.

Other Factors to Consider When Buying Glasses

We hope that the above details gave you some good inspiration and direction, but it’s worth repeating that these are simply recommendations, not rules.

Additionally, face shape is but one (and not the most important) factor when it comes to choosing new glasses. So, what are the most important considerations? Personal style and comfort. Let’s break these down.

• Personal style: Part of the beauty of having so many glasses options is that you can express your unique aesthetic and change up your look with a simple glasses swap. Consider what look you’re going for. Do you want to feel classy and sophisticated? In that case, rectangular or square frames would be great options. Or are you seeking a more unique, quirky look? For that, explore round frames, geometric styles, colors, and prints.
• Comfort: Glasses can look great, but if they don’t fit your face or feel good, you won’t get the most out of them or feel motivated to wear them. Review this guide to learn how to measure your face for glasses.
• Facial features: Speaking of comfort, there are facial features that can also influence the style of glasses you can wear with ease. For example, if you have a low nose bridge, finding glasses that are a perfect fit can be a challenge, but we have you covered! 

At the end of the day, it’s up to you what frames you select. Be guided by your instincts and use the recommendations for guidance or to make decisions between multiple styles you like.

Find Your Fit with Privé Revaux

So, you’ve considered your face shape, size, and personal style. What’s next? The fun part: shopping for your new glasses!

Find your perfect fit by exploring Privé Revaux’s wide selection of affordable sunglasses, blue light glasses, and readers available in an array of trendy styles. And remember, don’t take this process too seriously. If a pair of glasses catches your eye, make them yours!