Glasses for your face shape: how to choose the right frame
Round, square, oval, heart-shaped, diamond or long face: how to work out your face shape, which glasses and sunglasses to try, and when it pays to break the rule.
Face shape is a starting point. Not a rule.
“Round face, square frame” is among the most common pieces of advice, and it works. But in front of the mirror, size, rim thickness and how much you want the glasses to be noticed matter too. Below, how to use it as a base and when to move away from it.
Recognise your shape in thirty seconds
Stand in front of a mirror with your hair pulled back. Look at three widths: forehead, cheekbones and jaw. Then compare the width of the face with its length, from forehead to chin.
If the three widths are similar and the face is as long as it is wide, the face is round or square: the angles of the jaw make the difference. If it is longer than it is wide, it is oval or long. If the forehead is the widest part and the chin is narrow, it is heart shaped. If instead the widest point is the cheekbones, with a narrow forehead and chin, it is diamond shaped.
The starting table
The underlying idea is contrast: an angular frame balances a face with soft contours, a curved frame softens a face with strong lines. Each shape has its own guide, with eight models each: round face, square face, oval face, long face, heart shaped face and diamond face. Below, the summary, shape by shape.
| Face shape | Usually works | Also worth trying |
|---|---|---|
| Round | Rectangular and square, with visible angles | Panto, or a browline with a marked top |
| Square | Round and oval | Panto, thin metal profiles, rimless |
| Oval | Almost every shape, if the proportions are right | Bold shapes and oversize |
| Heart shaped | Ovals and rounds, with a light lower front | Aviator, frames with no rim below |
| Long | Taller fronts, square or oversize shapes | Lower bridge, coloured temples |
| Diamond (wide cheekbones) | Cat-eye and ovals, with a marked top | Thin rounds |
The linked shapes lead to the optical selections. For sunglasses you will find the same shapes in the sunglasses selection, and below the sun selections shape by shape.
Glasses for every face shape
For each shape: the logic in a few lines, the full guide, and the optical and sun selections to start from.
Glasses for a round face
Angles and width are needed: square, rectangular or cat-eye frames, with an eye size of 50 mm or more. Avoid small rounds, which repeat the shape of the face. Rules, mistakes to avoid and eight models in the guide Glasses for a round face.
Optical: rectangular · square · cat-eye
Sunglasses: rectangular · square · cat-eye
Glasses for a square face
Here curves and lightness do the work: rounds, ovals, panto or rimless, as wide as the face. Avoid sharp angles and thick square black. The full guide: Glasses for a square face.
Optical: round · oval · rimless
Sunglasses: round · oval
Glasses for a long face
A long face asks for width and tall lenses: oversize, large squares, panto with a full front, a low bridge. Avoid small, narrow frames, which lengthen the face. The full guide: Glasses for a long face.
Optical: square · rectangular
Sunglasses: square · oversize
Glasses for an oval face
An oval face is a little longer than it is wide, with cheekbones slightly wider than forehead and chin. It is a versatile shape: it carries almost anything, from the rectangle to the cat-eye and even oversize sunglasses. Two points to watch: the frame should be as wide as the widest part of the face, and the top line should more or less follow the eyebrows. Rules, mistakes to avoid and eight models in the guide Glasses for an oval face.
Optical: rectangular · cat-eye · oval
Sunglasses: aviator · cat-eye · oversize
Glasses for a heart shaped face
Wide forehead, narrow chin. The aim is to lighten the upper part and give a little weight to the lower part. Ovals and rounds work, as do aviators with the lens wider at the bottom and frames with no rim below the lens. Better to avoid thick or decorated top lines, which widen the forehead even more. Rules, mistakes to avoid and eight models in the guide Glasses for a heart shaped face.
Optical: oval · round · aviator · rimless
Sunglasses: aviator · oval · round · rimless
Glasses for a diamond face
Wide cheekbones, narrow forehead and chin: it is among the least common shapes. It needs the opposite of the heart shaped face: a marked top line that widens the forehead and accompanies the cheekbones. Cat-eyes and ovals with a bold top rim are the natural choice; rimless frames work too, because they don’t cut across the cheekbone. Avoid frames narrower than the cheekbones. Rules, mistakes to avoid and eight models in the guide Glasses for a diamond face.
Optical: cat-eye · oval · rimless
Sunglasses: cat-eye · oval
Glasses for a small face
Here the shape comes after the size: eye size, bridge and lens height must stay compact, without giving up character. The guide: Glasses for a small face. The selection: optical glasses for a small face.
Round · Acetate
The circle that softens
On a square face with a strong jaw, the circle softens the lines. Corbs by Lesca Lunetier is a bold round, inspired by Le Corbusier, handmade in France.
Measurements 46–27–145 mm: the wide bridge keeps the circle well centred on the eye.
Discover Corbs Blond
Rectangular · Acetate
The angle that gives structure
On a round or oval face, the angles of a rectangle draw a clean line at eye level. G4 by Kuboraum does it with the shiny black acetate of the MASKE series.
Measurements 48–24–145 mm, handmade in Italy.
Discover G4 Black ShineBefore the shape, the size
The right shape in the wrong size doesn’t work. The frame should reach roughly the level of the temples, without going far beyond them, and the bridge should sit well on the nose. The size guide explains how to read eye size, bridge and temples. If you have a petite face, also read Glasses for a small face; if the nose is the part that matters most, Glasses for a big nose.
Mask · Acetate
When to break the rule
Sometimes you are looking for exactly the opposite of balance: glasses that occupy the face and become the focus of the whole gaze. Renaissance by Kazoku is a mask in black acetate, 55 mm eye size, handmade in Japan.
Many designers in the OCCHIO! selection work this way. If you like a pair of glasses, try them anyway: in the mirror you can tell straight away.
Discover RenaissanceRead more
By face shape: Round face · Square face · Oval face · Long face · Heart shaped face · Diamond face · Small face · Big nose
By frame shape: Square · Round · Oval · Cat-eye · Aviator · Oversize
Frequently asked questions
How do I work out my face shape?
Compare the width of forehead, cheekbones and jaw, then the width of the face with its length. A front-facing photo with your hair pulled back helps.
Is there a frame that suits everyone?
No, but soft shapes that aren’t too large, such as ovals or panto, are the easiest to wear on different faces.
What glasses suit an oval face?
Almost all, if the frame is as wide as the widest part of the face and the top line follows the eyebrows. An oval face can carry even the boldest shapes: rectangles, cat-eyes, oversize.
Which sunglasses for an oval, round or square face?
Oval: aviators, cat-eyes and oversize, as long as they cover the widest part of the face. Round: square or rectangular with a dark lens; large Seventies rounds are the only exception. Square: rounds and ovals, ideally with a warm lens (rosé, amber, brown gradient) that softens the features.
Which glasses for a heart shaped face?
Ovals, rounds and aviators, with a thin or rimless lower part of the frame. They lighten the forehead and balance the narrow chin.
Can I get advice?
Yes. In the OCCHIO! boutique in Crema you can try several shapes side by side. Online you can write to us on WhatsApp.