Picking the Perfect Sunglass Shape For Your Face

It’s incredible how many different styles of sunglass and eyewear frames there are to choose from, isn’t it? Wouldn’t it be great if you could narrow your selections down, rather than trying on pair after pair to determine the ideal frame selection for your unique facial features?

Good news: You can! Below, we describe the six most common face shapes and offer suggestions for the frames that will look best on you.

It’s easy to determine your unique face shape. Look at yourself in the mirror with your hair pulled back, and—standing an arm’s length from the mirror–use a piece of soap to trace the outline of your face. Then, step back and look at the shape you traced to decide whether it’s oval, round, rectangular, square, heart-shaped or triangular – the six most common face shapes.

See below for details on which frame shapes will flatter your facial features. And if you’re still having difficulty making a decision, our experienced staff help patients choose every day, and will be happy to help you find your perfect pair!

Oval Face

If you are blessed with an oval face, your face is slightly longer than it is wide. Your chin is rounded, and the widest part of your face is your cheekbones. Your forehead is a bit wider than your jaw.

Best bets for oval faces: Opt for frames that are exactly as wide or slightly wider than your face, and check that the frame’s upper rim is aligned with your eyebrows.

Oval faces look great in:

• Oval, round and rectangular frames with smooth lines
• Cat’s eye or “butterfly” shaped frames
• Aviator-style frames

Oval faces should steer clear of:

• Overly bulky or massively large glasses
• Frames featuring sharply defined edges
• Narrow frames

Round Face

The hallmark of a round face is a length and width that are nearly the same. Round faces feature a small, rounded chin—no sharp angles—and a similar shape on the forehead with a smooth, rounded hairline.

Best bets for round faces: The goal is to lengthen the face visually, so glasses with dark frames are a good choice. They’ll help narrow the face, making it seem more oval in shape. Frames that are wider than they are tall are a best bet.

Round faces look great in:

• Cat’s eye or “butterfly” shaped frames
• Pointed, square and rectangular frames
• Frames with a narrow bridge
• Aviator and Wayfarer styles

Round faces should avoid:

• Round glasses
• Narrow frames
• Geometrically shaped glasses
• Frames that cover the eyebrows
• Frames with sharp, strongly defined edges

Rectangular Face

Similar to an oval face, a rectangular face is longer than it is wide, but in rectangular faces, the forehead, cheekbones and jaw are about equal in width. The hairline is fairly straight, and the chin is angular and broad.

Best bets for rectangular faces: The goal is to visually broaden the face and make it seem wider. Large-framed glasses are a good choice, and work even better when they have thin edges.

Rectangular faces look great in:

• Large frames
• Aviators (ideally with large frames)
• Round glasses

Rectangular faces should avoid:

• Small frames
• Narrow frames
• Bright, colorful frames

Square Face

Similar to a round face, a square face has a nearly identical length and width, with a broad and angular chin balanced by a hairline that is nearly straight. The jaw, cheekbones and forehead are about equal in width.

Best bets for square faces: Rounded frames can help balance facial proportions, but square frames or rectangular frames with sharp angles can overwhelm you.

Square faces look great in:

• Oval, round or tear-shaped frames
• Frameless glasses that appear nearly invisible
• Frames that are as wide as your face
• Large frames
• Cat’s eye and aviator styles

Square faces should avoid:

• Small, petite and narrow frames
• Frames wider than the width of your face
• Square frames with sharp corners

Heart-shaped Face

A heart-shaped face is longer than it is wide, and where the forehead is the widest part of the face leading down to a chin that is the narrowest part.

Best bets for heart-shaped faces: The idea is to provide balance to your face, making the lower part seem wider while the upper part seems narrower. You have to choose carefully. Overall, the width of the frames should match the width of your face, with more bulk in the lower region.

Heart-shaped faces look great in:

• Small frames, and those with low-set arms
• Teardrop, Wayfarer or aviator styles
• Round or rounded glasses
• Frames with a narrow bridge
• Frameless glasses

Heart-shaped faces do well to avoid:

• Large, heavy, massive frames
• Sharp, pointy frames
• Frames that cover the eyebrows
• Butterfly or cat’s eye frames

Triangular Face

The reverse of a heart-shaped face, a triangular face has a chin as its widest element, with narrow cheekbones and a narrow forehead.

Best bets for triangular faces: Ideally, the frames will make the upper half of your face seem wider while making the lower half seem narrower. Frames with a design on the upper part or a heavy line on top are a good choice. The lower part of the frames shouldn’t have sharp or square lines.

Triangular faces look great in:

• Round glasses
• Aviators and cat’s eye styles
• Frameless

Triangular faces do well to avoid:

• Rectangular or square frames
• Narrow or small frames
• Frames with an enhanced lower edge or sharp-edged feature