Buyers guide
Expert style tips
Choosing the right pair of glasses isn't just about comfort and usability - it's also important that your glasses look good as well. Your glasses reflect your personality, so taking a few minutes to discover what suits you can help you make the right decision and ensure your glasses look fantastic on you.
Face Shapes
Everyone's face is different. The shape of your face will determine what kind of styles suit you and which ones won't look as good as they should. By taking into account the shape of your face, you can select those styles of glasses that will look their best, balancing out an angular face, taking into account a strong jaw line or prominent cheekbones or narrow frames that balance out your face and give greater definition. Our advice on face shapes should help you determine what face shape you have and which glasses will enhance your looks rather than masking them.
Choosing a frame that suits your face shape is one of the most important factors when selecting your glasses. Our guide to face shapes and the styles that suit them best will hopefully make that task a little easier and our in-store experts can also give you guidance and advice on what shape frames will suit your face shape the best. Here we list the seven basic face shapes and what style works with those shapes. Whether you have a classic 'oval' or a less common 'diamond' face shape, the right pair of glasses can enhance your style and make you look and feel fabulous!
Oval
An oval face with a rounded chin and forehead is the 'ideal' shape because it has balanced proportions. An oval face appears longer than it is wide, with the forehead being slightly wider than the jaw. To maintain this natural balance, frames that are as wide as or slightly wider than the broadest part of the face are the best choice. Alternatively, 'walnut' shaped frames that are not too deep or narrow also suit an oval face particularly well. However, ovals are lucky in that almost any design will suit them, remembering to take into account hair colour and complexion as well.
Rectangle
If your face shape is more rectangular, you may have a longer face with a square chin, quite a strong jaw line and a longer nose length. Large, square frames suit rectangular faces best, helping to make the face appear shorter and more balanced. Decorative or contrasting temples will add width to the face. A frame with a low bridge will help to shorten the appearance of a longer nose, again balancing the face and giving an overall appearance of a shorter, more defined line. A rectangular face can look particularly good in more modern styles that help to shorten the length of the face.
Triangle
A typically triangular face will have a broad forehead, with the width of the face tapering down to a very narrow, rounded chin. The aim here is to minimise the width of the top of the face and bring the overall look back into balance. Frames that are wider at the bottom will help to achieve this, giving greater emphasis to the lower half of the face. Very light colours, light materials and rimless frame styles can also help, so consider small square or rounded frames to achieve more balanced proportions for the whole face.
Square
A square face has a very strong jaw line and a broad forehead. Unlike the rectangle, the width and length are the same proportionally. The aim is to soften the angles of a square chin and strong lines and to make the face look longer. Narrow frames that have more width than depth can help to achieve this, particularly oval and round style frames. Again, the aim is to balance the effect, softening the strength of the jaw line in particular and drawing emphasis towards the eyes and lengthening the nose. Square framed styles will do the opposite and look out of balance with the rest of the face.
Diamond
The diamond shaped face is the rarest of face shapes and is defined by a narrow forehead, wide cheekbones and a narrow chin. Diamond shaped faces are usually narrower at the eye line and jaw line with high and often dramatic cheekbones. The aim here is to draw attention to the eyes, giving this area more width and balancing the face. Frames that have detailing or distinctive brow lines will help to achieve this. Alternatively, try rimless frames or oval shapes that will again draw more attention to the eyes. Diamond shape faces look particularly good in more dramatic, bigger style frames.
Round
A circular face with fuller cheeks and a rounded chin, the round face shape needs a frame design to make it appear thinner and longer. The width and the length of a round face are in the same proportions with no angles for definition. The aim is to give more definition to the face shape, lengthening it and widening the eyes. Angular, narrow styles will help to lengthen the face. A clear bridge will help draw emphasis to the eyes and frames that are more rectangular and wider will balance the shape of the face, giving it more definition.
Pyramid
The pyramid is an unusual face shape, although not as rare as the diamond shaped face. The pyramid has a narrow forehead that widens at the cheek and chin. The choice of frames for a pyramid shaped face should draw attention to the eyes, widening and adding emphasis to the narrow upper third of the face, which will bring the entire face back into balance. Frames that have detailing on the top half or are more striking in their use of colour will achieve this. Cat's eye shape frames will also have the same effect. The overall effect should bring the top third of the face into proportion with the lower third.
Hair Colour
In the same way you pick the right colour clothes to suit your complexion and hair colour, the same principles apply when choosing your glasses. Taking into consideration your hair colour can mean the difference between making a choice that compliments your tones and one that doesn't. If you have fair hair, softer, pastel shades or transparent or metal frames will ensure that your glasses don't overwhelm you. Black or brown hair works well with more dramatic frames. Our guide to choosing your frames takes into account this important factor, helping you to pick the colours that suit you best.
Remember, our in-store experts are on hand in your local store to help you find the perfect frame, including the most flattering of our contemporary frames. We're also here to offer you information, advice and practical tips about buying and wearing contact lenses.