As with most things that fit (and well, at that), eyewear doesn’t come in the form of one-style-fits-all. No one can stop budding fashionistas from taking home the latest rehash on the oversized sunnies or the cool guy from stepping out donning the newest spin on the clubmaster. But choosing the right frame goes beyond wearing what’s on trend – your face shape plays a big part, too.
Good eyewear, vision experts say, should be able to do three main things: highlight your best feature, contrast your face shape, and be in scale with your face size. In a country where there seems to be only two seasons – sunny and, lately, sunnier – eyewear has become not just a dispensable accessory, but a necessity in the sweltering heat.
Luckily, there are a number of local brands that offer protection and style without burning a hole in the pocket. We discovered Fly Shades, established in 2001, which makes it one of the earliest players in the local sunnies scene. Its latest summer collection complement each of the six basic face shapes: oval, oblong, round, heart, square, and diamond.
How to Find the Perfect Sunnies Frame for Your Face Shape
Oval
If you possess an oval shape – considered the ideal – count yourself lucky. The limit, in sunnies options at least, does not exist for you. The beauty gods gifted you with proportional facial width and length, and a chin that’s slightly narrower than the forehead.
On your hunt for the perfect pair, stick to frames that keep your face’s natural balance and are just as wide as your face.You can go retro with the Bellary in tortoise shell and its mirrored, gradient lenses, or follow the trend with an updated wayfarer, like the Ruse in gold, bronze, and emerald green.
Round
Similar to the oval shape but with little to no angles, the round face is all curves. Define yours with dark, bold frames in place of a more obvious bone structure. Square frames, such as the classic wayfarer Hue in black and the oversized Marilia in tortoise shell, can make your face look slimmer and the cheeks less pronounced.
Oblong
Longer than it is wide with an inconspicuous cheek line, the oblong face can be made to appear shorter and close to the natural balance of an oval with frames that have more depth than width. Decorative or contrasting temples can work, too, in adding width to the face.
With a structure that is similar to a less dated wayfarer, the Steyr can minimize length with deep lenses in olive green and create the illusion of angles with subtle silver details on its brow line. The classic oversized Harlow lends effortless sophistication to the oblong face with its thick, square frames and grey lenses.
Heart
Considered a rarity, the heart-shaped face poses a particular eyewear challenge with a wide forehead, high cheekbones, and narrow chin. To distract from the wide top third of your face, go for frames with wider bottoms in light colors or rimless styles.
An aviator, like the Brasilia in barely-there silver frames with red-orange mirror lenses, and a reinvented clubmaster, such as the Hoya in black with mirrored, gradient blue-green lenses, can offset the imbalance by drawing attention to the lower part of your face instead.
Square
In contrast to the curves of a round face, the square shape offers up angles at every turn. Soften them with butterfly styles, like the Miri in sophisticated brown, and create the illusion of curves with vintage frames, such as the tortoise shell Mallorca with olive green mirrored lenses.
Diamond
Perhaps the most challenging to style, the diamond face narrows at the eye line and jawline and broadens at the cheekbones. You can put focus back on the upper part of your face, particularly your eyes, with frames that have detailed or bold brow lines. Rimless, oval, and cat-eye styles, on the other hand, can soften your cheekbones.
The Franca in black with its bold brow line and half-rims can do double-duty for the diamond face and is that perfect mix of sleek and casual. If you’re feeling a bit trendier, go for the ultra-round Roxbi in black-and-grey leopard print.
At your next shopping trip, make the equally fashionable and informed choice – know your face shape, and the style that will maximize its best features and minimize its flaws.
For more eyewear advice, like Fly Shades on Facebook and follow @iloveflyshades on Instagram and Twitter.
