Sunglasses are a year-round staple and a requisite of a basic wardrobe whether you're enjoying the beaches of Santa Monica, Karl the Fog in San Francisco, snow powdered Boulder, the clean air in Austin, or a freshly brewed cup of coffee in Portland. Sunnies are essential in your accessory arsenal and occupy the most important real estate – your lovely mug.
You can experiment with any style of shades, from wayfarer, oversize, cat-eye, to aviator. The secret is in selecting frames with details that flatter your features and are a proportionate fit.
The four archetypal face shapes - circle, oval, heart, square - are determined by how marked certain facial elements are. This guide covers what sunglasses look best on every face shape. They're the first statement you make, so make sure it's the right one!
Fashion style, food preferences, and signature cocktails change with our tastes and what’s in vogue. Your face shape is not so malleable. It's constant and it'll be the most important factor in deciding which style works for you. Haircuts and colors come and go, a face shape is forever.
If you're unsure about your face shape, take a selfie looking straight ahead or use a dry-erase marker to draw the outline of your face in a mirror. Are the dominating features more angular or round? Is your face longer than it is wide? How defined is your jawline? Many of us have faces with elements from more than one shape making us a hybrid shape. Go with the overall feel of the face and experiment with different styles to find the perfect look.
Balance a broad forehead, pointy chin, narrow jawline and high cheekbones, with sunglasses that are wider at the top and narrower at the bottom. Frames that mimic your lovely face shift focus downward.
Vice versa also works! Teardrop aviators with a wide bottom draw focus away from the widest part of your face. Cat-eye styles are the perfect complement as the distinctive upsweep at the temples helps minimize the top width of the face. Large round and thin temples sunnies are a chic option as they keep the face looking proportionate.
Features:
Broad forehead
Pointy chin
Narrow jaw line
High cheekbones
Recs:
Round, oval or rimless sunglasses
Details like brow lines, thin temples and light colored frames
Cat-eye, aviators
Circular faces are accentuated by a narrow forehead, rounded jaw line, and full cheekbones. This softness creates an eternally youthful face. Choose sunglasses with angles and soft edges that are slightly wider to elongate and slim the face. The scale should be proportionate to your face. Oversized frames could be too jarring for petite faces. The round edges of circular faces are balanced by square, rectangle, and geometric sunglass shapes that lengthen the face. Wayfarers are a classic pick as they contrast with your natural curves and add definition to your bone structure. Aviators with wide bottoms help balance the face's fullness without making it appear too round. Cat-eye sunglasses also help make your face appear thinner as a subtle upward line lengthens your face.
Features:
Length is about equal to width
Narrow forehead
Soft jaw
Full cheekbones
Recs:
Angles, rectangles, or geometric shaped shades
Avoid mega curves like spheres
Wayfarer, cat-eye, aviator
The quintessential square shape. This face is characterized by a defined jawline and broad forehead. Sharp angles and edges are softened with rounded frames like aviators or John Lennon's iconic shades.
Angles galore and strong facial features make this a coveted face shape. Oval sunglasses are guaranteed to complement your angular face with just the right amount of curve. They're universally easy to rock and they'll soften your prominent features. Veer away from hard boxy lines as it'll clash with your strong structure. If you're set on square-ish sunglasses, frames with rounded corners are your best bet. For a natural look, subtle tones and minimal decorations
Features:
Strong jawline, broad forehead
Symmetrical, proportionate features
Curves soften the angles
Recs:
Thin rims, color, and details pull attention upward
Avoid boxy, thick shades
Oval, aviator, round, cat-eye
The sunglass world is your oyster. You have an endless variety of styles as your balanced features are complemented by any look. Facial features are gently rounded and even; it is neither too round nor too sharp. The face length is about one and a half times its width.
Experiment with a variety of styles as your versatile face shape looks good in any frame! It is neither too round or angular so you can rock whimsical designs. The only caveat is to keep in scale in mind. Sunglasses that are too large or too small aren't a good match for your proportioned face. Spherical lenses have a boho vibe, while wayfarers and aviators are classics that always look great on you.
Features:
Balanced angles and curves
Proportionate features
Length is 1.5 times the width
Recs:
Experiment with multiple shapes
Scale shades according your face size
Round, wayfarer, aviator
Picking the perfect pair of sunglasses is as much about balance as it is about personal style. What statement sunglasses are you rocking these days? Leave us your thoughts in the comments!