Buying glasses can be overwhelming if you go it alone, trying to pick out frames in a busy optician’s store can be like trying to buy a wedding gown at a wedding fair. Our glasses are pretty important. This is your face we are talking about, and you are probably going to wear your glasses every day. People say that your frames are your most important accessory, but they’re really even more important than that.
So how do you know which frames to buy? This certainly isn’t a “one style fits all” scenario. The truth is that most people want to wear frames that offset their natural features in order to create a balanced look. I say “most people” because some people can get away with wearing any frames and still look beautiful. And some people want to accentuate their distinct features to call attention to them. And all of that’s okay. But for the purposes of this article, I’m going to talk to the rest of us, those of us who just want to look presentable, professional, and maybe even pretty.
Round Face
Hiro Nakamura from the TV show Heroes (played by Masi Oka) has a recognisable round face and distinctive square shaped, wire framed, semi-rimless glasses.
Most people have round (or at least roundish) faces; these people should aim to wear frames that feature right angles, i.e. rectangular frames, probably complete full-rimmed rather than partial semi-rimless frames. Rectangular frames are popular right now because there are a lot of round-faced people out there, and they’ve figured out what looks good. If you are self-conscious about your roundness, consider getting a frame with thick lines. When it comes to frames, chunky is in.
Square Face
Demi Moore comfortably wears round, thick-rimmed, Wayfarer style frames with her square face.
The inverse is also true. If you have a square face, you can soften your features with rounded or oval glasses. Nature gave you enough right angles, so you want to complement them with curves.
Some people shy away from the completely rounded frames for fear of looking like a middle-aged Harry Potter. Those folks should do well with oval frames.
Heart Shaped Face
Some people have what is called a “heart-shaped face,” which really just means that their faces are broader at the top and narrower at the bottom. Their faces are really shaped more like guitar picks than hearts, but hearts sounds more romantic. A heart-shaped face does best with a style that draws attention to the eyes. Sometimes this ends up being a sort of retro look.
Jennifer Love-Hewitt has a heart shaped face and manages to wear geeky looking thick-rimmed frames which really draws your attention up to her eyes.
There’s nothing that says you can’t sport a little bling in the upper corners of your glasses. If you are really artistic, you can add your own. Less daring folks do well with semi-rimless glasses.
Oval Face
If you were blessed with an oval face, you can get away with wearing just about anything. Tina Fey (above) is almost as recognizable for her glasses as she is for her hit comedy movies and TV shows.
In general, just remember that if you have a wide face, you want narrower glasses. If you have a narrow face, then you want wider glasses (though not so wide that they dwarf your whole head).
Be picky and be persistent. There is a pair of glasses out there that will make you look dazzling. Sometimes the perfect glasses take a while to find, but once you do, you will look even more you.
This guest post was written by freelance writer Robin Merrill from Maine, USA on behalf of Winsconsin Dells Hotels.