Official Guide: Buying Sunglasses for Your Face Shape

Looking for a pair of sunglasses that suits your facial structure?

A Guide to Sunglasses and Face Shapes

Faces and sunglasses come in all shapes and sizes, and there’s a style of shades to complement every face.

On top of that, most of these styles are available in prescription sunglasses nowadays, and some of them can even double as prescription glasses and sunglasses if you get Transitions lenses.

But first things first: finding sunglasses for your face shape requires that you know what face shape you have!

If you’re not sure what face shape you fall under, here’s a guide:

• Round faces are those where the length and width of the face are about equal and the general shape is rounded (not angular).
• Heart-shaped faces have a chin and jawline that are significantly narrower than the forehead. This does not require a widow’s peak, though that will accentuate this face shape.
• Oval faces are generally about one and a half times taller than they are wide, with relatively balanced and curved features.
• Square faces have a jaw line, cheek bone line, and forehead that are all similar width, with similar face height and width as well.
• Oblong faces are similar to oval faces, though the face is typically not quite one and a half times tall as it is wide, and the forehead and jaw are generally wider than you’d expect from an “oval” shape. This is also often called a “tall rectangle” face shape, and it is sometimes grouped with square faces as the same sunglasses styles work for both.
• Diamond faces have a cheek line that is wider than their forehead and jaw lines. In other words, the face is widest at the cheekbones. This face shape is typically angular.

You can use a ruler to measure your face shape if you’re not sure what you fall under after reading this list, or you can trace your face shape on a mirror using a bar of soap or a dry-erase marker.

Once you know your face shape, you can start contemplating which sunglasses styles will work best with your face. There are certain styles that work best with specific face shapes, and there are certain styles that should be avoided by certain face shapes as well.

Here is a simple guide to what works and what doesn’t for each face shape:

• Round face shapes work best with square or rectangular and wider sunglasses styles because they complement your face. Avoid oval or circle lens shapes as they will exaggerate your face’s shape.
• Heart-shaped faces should use cat-eye or aviator style sunglasses, which complement the angles of your face. Avoid square or rectangular styles, which will throw your look out of balance.
• Oval faces work best with wide, rectangular or aviator style sunglasses, though most agree that any sunglasses style works with an oval face shape. There are no styles that those with oval faces need to avoid, either.
• Square or oblong faces should use round, oval, cat-eye or large Jackie-O sunglasses styles. The only styles that should be avoided are square or aviator styles, as these generally over-exaggerate your face’s features.
• Diamond face shapes should go with either narrow, rimless style frames or larger aviator, wraparound, or Jackie-O style frames. Oval or round-lens styles should be avoided as they dull your face’s angles without complementing them.

This list is not exhaustive and there are sometimes exceptions, but, on average, you can trust this guide to be quite consistent for what works for your face shape.

Finding sunglasses online that work for your face is not easy since you can’t try them on. On the other hand, it’s nice to be able to browse without the pressure of heavy sales tactics you’ll find at many sunglasses boutiques.

If you are shopping for prescription sunglasses, you will find that there are prescription sunglasses options for all frame styles listed above. Some of the smaller frame styles can double as sunglasses and regular everyday “street” glasses if they’re purchased in prescription with Transitions lenses.

If you have any questions about your face shape or what’s right for you, give us a call or leave a comment below! Thanks for reading, and happy shopping!