CHOOSING GLASSES FOR YOUR FACE SHAPE by Garrett Leight California Optical

How to choose glasses for face shape

How to Choose Glasses for Your Face Shape

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.

FIGURING OUT FACE SHAPE

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.

PERFECTING FRAME FIT

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 fit. Here are some tips – 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 frames that contrast with your facial features. As you find frames you really dig — say, round frames for square faces or top-heavy frames for heart shaped faces with 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 fit will be 45mm and under, and an oversized or larger fit is usually 50+ mm.

A key part of fit is where your eye sits in the frame. It should sit in the middle of the lens horizontally, and in the middle or slightly above the middle vertically. 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 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 adjustable fit — especially if you have a low nose bridge. Again, if you need help finding the best option, it’s best to chat with on of our opticians in store or on the phone.

ADDING THAT PERSONAL TOUCH

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, rich brown neutrals that match nearly everything. Then find your statement frames for your statement looks: the progressive, razor thin Van Buren with flat lenses, or the luxurious feel of metal and acetate combos like Wilson Sun Shield.

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.