It’s great that glasses wearers now have so many frame styles to choose from. It means that anyone can now find the perfect pair of frames, but with so much choice at our disposal, it also makes shopping for the perfect pair that much harder.

While you could go round trying on every pair in the shop, you’ll save yourself a lot of time by learning which frame styles suit your own face shape. It’ll help you to narrow down your choices in advance, so you’ll know exactly where to start when you begin shopping in-store or online.

If you are shopping online, you’ll find the process a whole lot easier if you use a site that offers a try before you buy policy. A growing number of sites like LensWay now deliver your choices straight to your door, so you can try them at home before you purchase, offering free returns on those that don’t suit.

Which face shape?

Each of our face shapes is unique, but we all fit within the range of seven basic face shapes below. The frame style you choose should contrast with your face shape, while the frame size should be in scale with your face size.

Oval

An oval face has perfectly balanced proportions, meaning that a greater selection of frames will suit you. To keep the natural balance of the oval, look for frames that aren’t too extreme – not overly wide, or narrow. Walnut-shape frames work really well, especially when their width matches or exceeds the broadest part of your face.

Round

With a curved jaw and width and length in proportion, you want to seek out a contrast in narrow, angular frames that will slim and lengthen the appearance of face. Look for frames that are wider than they are tall, like rectangular frames. A strong bridge will widen the eyes too.

Square

This face shape features a broad forehead and strong, square jawline. To balance this out, you want to soften the angles of the face, with curved styles, and lengthen the appearance of the face, with narrow styles or frames that are wider than they are tall.

Oblong

This face shape is longer than it is wide, and often means you have a longish nose too. To create balance, you want frames that will shorten the appearance of the face, and this means seeking out styles that are taller than they are wide. Frames with a low bridge will also shorten the appearance of the nose.

Triangle

Just like the triangle, this face shape is narrower across the forehead and broader across the chin and cheek area. Here you want to add width to the upper part of the face to balance out the wider chin area. Look for frames that are thicker or more accented along the top, like the Clubmaster or cat-eye style.

Inverted Triangle/Heart

Inverted triangle is just the opposite, with a wider forehead and narrower chin area. So, here you want to widen and emphasise the lower part of the face, or narrow and slim the upper part, to create balance. Look for styles that are wider or thicker along the bottom, or rimless styles, which lighten the appearance of the wider forehead.

Diamond

Diamond shapes have dramatic cheekbones that create a broader mid-section of the face, while the jawline and eyeline are narrower. Here you want to soften the cheekbone area, and highlight the eyeline. Try distinctive shapes, like oval frames, that will draw attention to the eye area and away from the cheeks, or styles that are thicker or more decorative along the top of the frame.

Now you know how to identify what would suit you, check out the range of glasses at LensWay.