Whether you want to protect your pretty peepers from the sun or you need corrective lenses to get a clear view of the day, we all wear glasses in one form or another at least some of the time.
For many of us, glasses are a daily part of life and while they are often essential to our eyesight, they are accessories nonetheless. And let's face it, being a "four-eyes" has never been so fashionable! But with hundreds of frames to choose from, it is often overwhelming to choose the right pair, or even know where to begin!
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There are a number of factors to consider when picking out your new frames including your personal style and colouring (hair, skin, eyes), but your face shape is more often than not the deciding factor. Generally speaking, there are five distinct face shapes that we can fall into — and like any other body feature, there are variations of these. If you don’t fit neatly into one particular shape, don’t panic — just choose the one you feel is most correct and go from there.
If your face is equally as long as it is wide and you have a strong, square-shaped jaw you likely have a square face shape. Avoid hard lines in your frames as it can make your face appear boxy. As a general rule, look for frames that are wider than the widest part of your face to soften your look and balance proportions.
If your chin is much thinner than your forehead, you have a heart-shaped face. Look for frames that widen at the bottom to offset the width of the forehead. Round faces look best in angled, thinner frames to provide structure — skip the thick, dark plastic frames and look for streamlined, polished specs instead.
For those with an oblong face, you have more length than width to your face shape. Larger frames help “break up” that length. If your face is oval, shout for joy because you can pull off just about anything! Sometimes oval faces are a bit more diamond-shaped, though, meaning the cheekbones are wider than the forehead and chin. If this sounds like you, look for lightly coloured, cat-eye, oval or rimless frames to so as to not draw attention the narrow eye line.
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Finally, and especially if you’re unsure, remember this simple juxtaposition: the more angular your features, the rounder your frames should be and vice versa. Easy peasy!
Once you've nailed down the basic shape for your frames, it's time to choose colour! Darker frame stand out most and tans or metallics are sophisicated and easiest-to-wear, but fun colours like purple and red are a chic and functional way to add some pizazz to your appearance. Consider eyewear the ultimate opportunity to show off your fantastic personality!
If you're still feeling uneasy, check out this awesome infographic which shows the frame shapes that do and don't work for your face shape!
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