How to Select Eye Glass Frames

Overview

Eye glasses not only change your vision, they also change your overall facial look. When choosing frames, take several things into consideration, including the shape of the head, skin tone and hair color. Glasses can dramatically enhance your appearance; however, the wrong frames can distract from your facial features. Take time to determine which face type you have, then try several frames on before making your selection.

Step 1

Choose eye wear that enhances your personal features, suggests the Vision Council, an organization for optical product manufacturers and consumers. Select green frames if you have green eyes or tortoiseshell frames to enhance brown or hazel eyes. Consider your skin, too; warm skin tones look best warm color frames while cool skin tones look best in cool colors. There is a range of warm and cool shades; for example there are both warm and cool shades of red, blue and green. According to All About Vision, 60 percent of Americans have cool skin tone. Olive skin tones are neutral, because of the mix of warm and cool colors. And people with warm skin tones generally can wear any color.

Step 2

Consider comfort and lifestyle when picking out a new pair of glasses. Some frames tout benefits and features promoting comfortable wear. For example, nonslip nose bridges, or nose pieces, keep glasses from sliding down your noise, and gripper temples keep the arm of the glasses in place. Spring hinges allow the arms of the frames to be stretched out, sometimes as much as 180 degrees.

Step 3

Select frames as wide as or wider than the broadest portion of your face if you have an oval-shaped face. An oval face has balanced proportions and small features. Avoid extremely large frames that unbalance the face.

Step 4

Avoid round or square frames if you have a round face. If you measure the length and width of your face, a round face generally has the same proportions, as well as a round appearance. Round faces lack angles, such as sharp cheek bones. Choose frames that are longer and thinner to contract the face's round, full appearance. Eyecessorize, a website devoted to choosing lenses, suggests high or mid-height temples to enhance a longer profile.

Step 5

If your face is oblong, choose frames that are more deep than wide to disguise the long features. Oblong faces generally have longer noises and long, straight cheek lines. Eyecessorize suggests picking round, triangular or deep shapes to give the illusion that the oblong face is wider.

Step 6

Minimize the large forehead of a heart-shaped face with frames that are wider on the bottom. Choose low temples for a more balanced look. Eyecessorize suggests rimless glasses; the website states that the heart-shaped face is the most difficult to pair with frames, because almost all types of frame will emphasize a top-heavy appearance. Other suggestions include aviator, triangular and any non-decorative frame.

Step 7

If your face is wider at the jaw line and narrower on top, you have a triangular face. Select top-heavy frames where the lens moves forward slightly. Choose wide glasses to balance your wide jaw. Don't wear low-temple glasses.

Step 8

For a square face, pick frames that elongate the face. A square face has a strong jaw line and forehead, so the width and length of the face are commonly in proportion. Avoid frames that are flat on the bottom; instead, choose frames with a slight angle or curve.

Step 9

Have a narrow jaw line, forehead and chin with high cheekbones? Your diamond-shaped face is the rarest forms of the head shapes. Choose frames heavy on top to widen your forehead. Straight or round frames work well with this facial shape. Avoid low-templed frames.