Frame Shapes
 

Frame Styling Tips & Advice

 

Determining face shape is the first step to help finding the right frame. There are seven face shape categories - oval, round, square. diamond, oblong, base-down triangle, and base-up triangle.

 

Oval

The oval face can wear almost any frame. It's naturally balanced and characterized by high cheekbones with a slightly smaller chin and forehead. It's important to select a frame that maintains their natural balance. Avoid low or dropped temples, oval or round styles and heavy asymmetrical designs. Instead, start with a classic rectangular or butterfly shape. Look for a frame that is at least as wide as the broadest part of their face.
 
 

Round

Round faces feature a soft curved appearance with few natural angles and is characterized by equal length and width. Avoid round and square shaped frames. Instead, try a geometric or rectangular style that will add contrast and accent their features.
 
 

Square

Square shaped faces are generally proportionate in length and width. They are characterized by a strong, prominent jaw line, square chin and broad, deep forehead. Avoid high temples and square shaped frames. Look for soft oval or round frames to help soften the natural angles in their face.
 
 

Diamond

Diamond shaped faces are narrow at the eye line and jawline, and cheekbones are often high and dramatic. This is the rarest face shape. To highlight the eyes and bring out the cheekbones, try frames that have detailing or distinctive brow lines, or try rimless frames or oval and cat-eye shapes.
 
 

Oblong

The oblong face is longer than it is wide and has a long straight cheek line and sometimes a longish nose. To make the face appear shorter and more balanced, try frames that have a top-to-bottom depth, decorative or contrasting temples that add width to the face or a low bridge to shorten the nose.
 
 

Base-Down Triangle

The triangular face has a narrow forehead that widens at the cheek and chin areas. To add width and emphasize the narrow upper third of the face, try frames that are heavily accented with color and detailing on the top half or cat-eye shapes.
 
 

Base-Up Triangle

This face has a very wide top third and small bottom third. To minimize the width of the top of the face, try frames that are wider at the bottom, very light colors and materials, and rimless frame styles.
 
 

Colour Analysis

The three keys to colour analysis are:
 
  • All people have either a cool (blue-based) or warm (yellow-based) colouring
  • Everyone looks best in his or her own colour base.
  • Eyewear colour should complement personal colouring.
 
The main factors to determine the best colour palette are the colours of the skin, eyes and hair.
 

Skin

Skin tone is the prime element in determining colouring. All complexions fall into one of two color bases  blue (cool) or yellow (warm). A cool complexion has blue or pink undertones, and a warm complexion has a "peaches and cream" or yellow cast. Olive skin is considered cool because it is a mixture of blue and yellow. (cool, blue-based complexions are more common than the yellow-based warm complexions. About 60 percent of the population are "cools.")
 
 

Eyes

Eye colours are usually a secondary element in determining colouring because of the wide range of eye colours. For example, blue eyes can range from a cool almost-violet to a pale blue-gray, which is warm. Brown eyes can vary from a light cider shade (warm) through a medium-brown to a cool almost-black.
 
 

Hair

Hair colours are also considered warm or cool. Strawberry blond, platinum, blue-black, white, salt-and-pepper and "dishwater" brown are cool. Warm hair colours include golden blond, flat black, brown-gold, "carrot" and "dirty" gray.
 
 
Once you have determined if you are "warm" or "cool," then you can find the glasses frame colors that will suit you the best. Some examples of frame colours best for warm colouring are: camel, khaki, gold, copper, peach, orange, coral, off-white, fire-engine red, warm blue and blond tortoise. For cool coloring, the best eyeglass frame hues are black, rose-brown, blue-gray, plum, magenta, pink, jade.