Fashion & Style

How to find sunglasses with the best look and fit for the shape of your face, whether it’s oval, square, triangle, heart shaped or diamond shaped. Learn about the styles and colors that best suit your features.

Sunglasses are practical. They help you protect your eyes from the sun. But they’re so much more than eyewear. Sunglasses are stylish and an all around great fashion accessory. There are many colors and styles to choose from. The most important consideration though is shape. Sunglasses should be tailored to suit your face structure. Luckily it’s not difficult to figure out which shapes flatter your face.

First take a photo of yourself. With a pen, mark your most prominent facial features on the photo. Note each cheek bone, the outer edge of each eyebrow and each side of your jaw. Connect the dots and you’ve got a visual idea of your face shape.

Once you know your face shape, read the guide below to find out which sunglasses suit your face.

Oval—People with oval faces have lots of sunglass options since this face shape is a universal structure in that most styles of glasses are flattering. Oval faces tend to have high cheekbones and chins which are narrower than their forehead. Select sunglasses that complement your eyebrows shape.

Square—you’ve got a square face if your strong points are a strong jaw, wide forehead, wide chin and wide cheekbones. Since your face looks square, your aim is to lengthen the appearance of your face. Choose sunglasses that are heavy on the top; look for narrow styles and try oval or round frames which contrast your square features.

Triangle—this shape is easy to visualize. Just picture a triangle and you’ve got your facial features mapped out like a narrow top of the face and a strong wide chin and cheeks. Try glasses that minimize the width of your face and draw attention away from the lower half of your face. Stay away from bold colors like red or green sunglasses which can maximize the features you’re hoping to minimize.

Inverted Triangle—This face shape is synonymous with heart shaped faces. Facial features include a wide forehead and a long, narrow chin. Create balance with your sunglasses by selecting glasses that widen out the rest of the rest of the face. Frames that sit low on the temples are a great choice. Dabble with color to draw attention to the top of your face. Sunglasses in blue for example will create interest in the top half of the face.

Round—Faces that are full without much cheekbone or jaw definition are considered round. Your sunglasses goal is to find styles that appear to lengthen and slim your face. Avoid round frames which could emphasize your already round face. Instead choose styles that have straight lines like square or rectangular frames. And don’t be afraid to use color to enhance your look. Dark sunglass frames such as black and brown add dimension to round faces.

Diamond—This face shape is characterized by a small forehead, high cheekbones, narrow eyes and a narrow jaw. Look for glasses that aim to widen your forehead while downplaying your cheekbones and opt for rounded, straight or square frames.

Whatever your face’s shape, play up your best assets with shades that complement your facial features and your style. Experiment with a variety of colors and looks until you find just the right pair of sunglasses.

Written by Kristen Sullivan – 2002 Pagewise