Fitting Frames to your Face Shape

With the insane popularity of "nerd-chic" not necessarily prescribed lenses, and the proliferation of new designer sunglass lines (hello, Olsen twins and Alexander Wang!) one thing is clear: frames are hot! Alas, the gloriously chunky styles, and wonderfully cat-eyed shapes won't work on everyone (which I sadly discovered during my last eye exam), so I turned to the frame gurus at Solstice for their tips on how to fit your frames to your face shape.

Round

A round face is just that - full and possessing curvilinear lines, with the width and length in the same proportions and little to no angles.

Goal: Frames should make the face appear longer and thinner.

Tips: Go for slightly angular frames, which will narrow a round face. Avoid excessively rounded or square styles, which will exaggerate facial roundness. Also, high or mid-height temples help to create a longer profile. Look for a clear bridge that widens the eyes, and colored temples add width. Finally, metal frames with adjustable nose pads will keep lenses from resting on fuller cheeks.

Oval

The oval face is considered to be the ideal shape because of its balanced proportions. The chin is slightly narrower than the forehead, and the cheekbones are typically high.

Goal: Frames should keep the oval's natural balance.

Tips:A Select frames that are as wide or wider than the broadest part of the face, and avoid low, swooping temples, which will unbalance the face. The goal is to keep the face in balance. Make sure the frame is in proportion and doesn't overwhelm the features.

Oblong

The oblong face is longer than it is wide, and has a long straight cheek line and sometimes a longish nose. Because this face is longer than it is wide, the oblong face needs a frame that is deeper than it is wide. This will create an illusion that makes the face appear shorter.

Goal:A Frames should "break" the length of the face, making the face appear shorter and widerA Tips:A Frames should have a top-to-bottom depth. To shorten the face, try round, deep or low-triangle shapes, or frames with strong horizontal lines. Decorative or contrasting temples can add width to the face, as can low temples. This is an angular face shape - so choose a frame shape that is more rounded or curved in order to add width to the face.

Triangle (Base-Down)

The triangular face has a narrow forehead that widens at the cheek and chin areas.

Goal:A Frames should add width to the forehead, while softening and narrowing the appearance of the jaw, chin and cheeks.

Tips:A Frames should accent the eye area and be wide enough to balance the jaw line. Frame tops should be slightly heavy; bottoms should angle inward. Try and avoid low temple styles. Try square, straight-top aviators, semi-rimless (no rim on the bottom half), or any eyewear with emphasis on the top half of the frame. Try frames that are heavily accented with color and detailing on the top half or cat-eye shapes.

Heart (Base-Up Triangle)

This face has a very wide forehead and high cheekbones. The face narrows gradually to the chin.

Goal:A Minimize the width of the top of the face. Fames should add width below the eyeline to offset the narrow chin.

Tips:A Try frames that are wider at the bottom, with low temples, which will add balance. Other good choices include aviator, butterfly or low-triangle styles. Frames with rounded tops and squared bottoms will also work. Very light colors and rimless styles are also effective. The heart-shaped face is a very difficult face shape to fit, because almost any pair of glasses will add emphasis just where you won't need it. Rimless frames are an excellent choice.

SquareA A square face has a strong jaw line and a broad forehead, and a wide chin and cheekbones. The width and the length are normally proportional to one another.

Goal:A Frames should make the face look longer.

Tips: Gently curved narrow styles will minimize squareness and lengthen the face. The frames should be wider than the widest part of the face, and frames should be more horizontal than vertical. Select frames with weight on top, and try oval shapes with temples in the center. Usually it's better to avoid a frame that is flat on the bottom, as this will mirror the face shape. Instead, look for a frame that has some curve or uplift to draw attention away from the jawline.