Gok Wan knows which glasses suit his face shape
Picking a style of glasses to suit your face can be a daunting task when faced with racks upon racks of glasses. Luckily Boots Opticians has come up with a handy guide to picking the right frame for your face.
Research by Boots Opticians found that 61% of people find it difficult to know what frames suit them and over a third (34%) of women would love to try something more fashionable but are afraid they might get it wrong. With all this in mind Boots Opticians teamed up with leading stylist Caryn Franklin to create a comprehensive guide to help customers get it right when choosing frames to flatter their face.
Caryn says that there are two things that will guide your choice of eyewear: your face shape and your colouring. Complementing and balancing the overall outline of your face should be your goal; and to do this you need to select frames that contrast with the shape of your face and avoid frames that mimic it.
If you have an oval shaped face then most frames will suit you, but the colour or tone of the frame will really create a dramatic impact. Try striking frames in pink and black frames. Frames to veer away from are ones that are disproportional in size to the face. When frames are too large, they make the face look small and lost; and when frames are too small, even a perfectly proportioned oval face can look heavy set. Also avoid frames that draw attention to particularly large or small features like eyes and nose.
If you have a round face then your widest point is probably at the cheeks and ears so look for angular shapes that will accentuate your cheekbones and prioritise frames that have straight lines for definition. Narrow frames can also be unexpectedly useful to create elongation for your face. Avoid circular or large frames which will just accentuate the roundness of your face. Also steer clear of very small frames as they can make your face look bigger and more moon-like.
Ladies with square or angular faces, should look for frames with soft angles. There are plenty to choose from as these can be curved, oval or soft rectangular shapes. They will soften and diffuse the angularity of your jaw and forehead and add femininity. Veer away from anything too square or rectangular as this will re-enforce the angles of your bone structure. Thin frames that create a hard horizontal line through your face will also be unflattering.
If your face is long, then you can shorten it with glasses. Choose good-sized frames that will balance up the proportions of your face by creating width and drawing attention up to your eyes. Frames that are narrow and slim will make your face look longer. Semi-rimless styles that are weighted at either the top or bottom of the frame will also create an exaggerated sense of length.
Should you have a heart shaped face then frames that are thin, rimless or semi-rimless will balance with the dainty lower half of the face. Larger oval or softly squared frames can also work as long as the chin isn't made to look exaggeratedly small or underdeveloped. Don't go for anything too upswept (50’s cats eye shapes) as this will draw attention upwards and make your face look top heavy. Wide heavy framed styles that create a dominant horizontal line across your face will do the same.
Finally, if you have a triangular face you can create balance at the top of your face with frames that are square and slightly larger, even heavily accented with colour and detailing. Avoid small frames that will make your jaw line look larger or semi rimmed frames that have the frame attached at the bottom of the lenses.