Finding the Right Sunglasses

The key to finding the right pair of sunglasses for your face is balance. First of all, you need to know what the shape of your face is. There are five main facial shapes: round, square, oblong, triangular, and oval. To find the best shape of sunglasses, try to accentuate your features by balancing them out with the shape of the sunglasses. Whatever the shape of your face is, choose a pair of sunglasses that are the opposite shape. If you have a round face, you should choose rectangular shaped sunglasses and if you have a square shaped face, you should wear more rounded sunglasses. It is also important to think about the size of your face. If you have a very small face with delicate features, it is probably not a good idea to overpower your face with a dramatically large pair of sunglasses. If you have a larger face with more pronounced features, a tiny pair of sunglasses will look odd and out of proportion. Whatever your face shape, there is a pair of sunglasses out there for you.

 

Choosing Sunglasses that Accentuate a Specific Feature

One thing to keep in mind when choosing a pair of sunglasses is whether or not the latest trend actually suits your face. Just because a certain celebrity sports a specific sunglass style, it doesn’t mean that it’s the best style for you. It’s usually best to choose a pair of sunglasses that are the opposite of your facial shape (i.e. if you have an angular, square face, you should choose softer, rounder glasses). The exception to this rule is if you are not looking to achieve balance, but would like to draw attention to a specific feature you like. For example, if you have an angular face you choose an angular pair of sunglasses to accentuate that feature. Or, if you have a petite and delicate face, wearing a very large pair of sunglasses will draw attention to that. A perfect example of this would be the small, delicate Mary Kate Olsen wearing the large, round sunglasses, with her bohemian, airy outfits. Or remember the waiflike Audrey Hepburn sporting a large pair of sunglasses in the movie Breakfast at Tiffany’s. 

 

The Best Shaped Sunglasses for Your Face

When selecting sunglasses, you may wonder how to pick out the best frames. First, determine your face shape. There are seven basic shapes: round, oval, oblong, triangle, inverted triangle, diamond, and square. Once you determine your face shape, pick a frame that contrasts with the shape; for example, if you have a round face, select angular, narrow frames that are wider than they are deep in order to lengthen the face. The frame size of the sunglasses you select should also be in scale to your face. If you have petite features, don't select over-sized frames — they will dwarf your face. Some examples of good frames for different face shapes are:

 

How Skin Tone and Hair Colour Affect Sunglass Frame Selection

When picking sunglasses, make sure you take into consideration which frames would look best on you. Pay attention to your face shape as well as your colouring to determine what colour frames will suit your face. The colour of the frames should complement your colour tone, which consists of your skin and hair colour. Most people have either a cool or a warm skin tone. Cool skin tones have pink or blue undertones, while warm skin tones have a yellow cast. Blond, blue-black, white, and light brown are considered cool hair tones, while warm tones are golden blond, flat black, brown-gold, red, and gray are cool. Warm coloured people look best in frames that come in camel, khaki, gold, copper, peach, off-white, or bright red. Cool tones look best in black, rosy brown, plum, magenta, blue, and darker tortoise shade frames. No matter what colour frame you end up choosing, remember one criteria that should never be compromised: comfort. Make sure the frames you choose are comfortable and appropriate for what you will need them for, and wear them proudly!