Wondering how to choose eyeglass frames? Selecting the perfect pair of frames can be intimidating, especially if this is your first time wearing glasses. With so many frames to choose from, how can you find the most comfortable and flattering style for your face? Although you could try on every pair of eyeglasses in the store, you can save yourself time and stress with a few simple tips. Use the recommendations below to narrow down your choices.
How to Choose Eyeglass Frames
Focus on comfort.
Above all, the frames should feel comfortable on your face. Both the bridge and the arms should be neither too tight nor too loose. Try leaning your head down (as if reading) to see if the glasses fall down your nose. In addition, make sure the glasses are aligned so that each eye is looking through the center of its lens. Misalignment may cause eye strain or even amplify an optometric defect. If you’re wondering how to choose eyeglass frames, start with comfort and fit and work from there.
Look for frames in scale with your face size.
Generally experts recommend that people with smaller faces choose smaller frames and people with larger faces choose larger frames. The frames should cover about 80 to 90 percent of your field of vision, and you should not be able to see the sides of the frames without straining. In addition, check that the top of the frames doesn’t go above your eyebrows and that the bottom of the frames doesn’t touch your cheeks.
Highlight your best features.
When possible, use your glasses to highlight your favorite facial features. If you love your blue eyes, why not emphasize their color with blue glasses? In addition, don’t be afraid to use your eyeglass frames to showcase your personality. You could choose frames in your favorite color, frames with interesting embellishments, or perhaps a two-tone or cat-eye style.
Select a frame color that complements your skin tone.
If you have a warm complexion (with undertones of yellow, bronze, or gold), try brown shades, gold, beige, honey, olive green, or light tortoise. If you have a cool complexion (with undertones of pink or blue), try silver, black, pink, purple, mauve, gray, or dark tortoise. Not sure if you have a warm or cool complexion? Use this guide for help.
Select frames that contrast with your face shape.
Although faces vary in form and angle, there are five basic shapes: round, oval, square, diamond, and heart-shaped. Look for frames that work well with your face shape, typically by contrasting with its form. Check out the following recommendations for help:
ROUND
- Try: Square or rectangular frames that are wider than the face
- Avoid: Round frames, small frames, rimless frames
OVAL
- Try: Most styles, especially frames with a strong bridge and geometric shapes
- Avoid: Overlarge frames that cover up the natural symmetry of the oval
SQUARE
- Try: Oval or round frames, frames that sit high on the nose, dark-colored frames
- Avoid: Angular and boxy frames, light-colored frames
DIAMOND
- Try: Frames that sweep up (like cat-eye frames) or are wider than the cheekbones (oval frames)
- Avoid: Boxy, narrow frames
HEART-SHAPED
- Try: Round and oval frames, frames with low-set temples, bottom-heavy frame lines
- Avoid: Frames that draw attention to the forehead, such as those with decorative temples or colorful tops
Decide how big of an impact you want to make.
If you want your glasses to pack a punch and stand out, select thicker frames. Similarly, if you want relatively discreet glasses, try thin frames. You can also adjust the boldness of your glasses by selecting wider or narrower sides.
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Although we hope these tips come in handy, remember that they’re only recommendations. The most important thing is that you love the way your glasses look and feel. You may wish to bring along a friend for backup when you select your glasses, so that they can give you their honest impressions and feedback. Or, feel free to ask the salespeople for assistance – they’re typically glad to help and can often make excellent recommendations based on their years of experience and their knowledge of the products in the store.
If you’re still wondering how to choose eyeglass frames, stop by Heffington’s if you live in southwest Missouri. Since 1975, the Heffington family has been assisting the Springfield community with top-quality eye care and affordable eyeglasses and contacts. One of the unique features of our family-owned business is that we manufacture lenses at our own laboratory, giving us total control over the service and pricing, and we’re happy to pass our savings on to you. To learn more about our products and services, please get in touch with us online, send an e-mail to asktheexperts@heffingtons.com, or give us a call at 417-869-3937 (Optiland location) or 417-882-3937 (House of Vision location). We look forward to hearing from you!