The Right Sunglasses For Your Face Shape

The Right Sunglasses For Your Face Shape You may not think much about shopping for sunglasses, but they’re an accessory that can make (or break) your entire warm weather look. If you purchase a pair that aren’t suited for your face shape, they can make you look like a bug, a child, a pilot, or even worse – a fashion victim!

To find the best sunglass style for you, we turned to Alex Feldman, eyewear stylist, designer of Alexander Daas Eyewear and CEO of SF Optics in San Francisco. He’s styled celebrities such as Nancy Pelosi, Jenny McCarthy, and Sammy Hagar in sunnies perfectly fit for their faces, so he knows what will work for you.

Here are his shopping tips and advice for the most common face shapes, including oval, square, round, and heart.

Oval “When choosing sunglasses, two general tips are to find something that is proportional to the size of your face, and to make sure the lenses offer UV protection,” says Feldman. Though he says oval faces are the easiest to style and look good in almost everything, he suggests looking for a butterfly-shaped frame. “Square, rectangular, and geometric shapes will only add angles to the soft curves of your face,” he warns.

For a very flattering style, try Robert Marc Sunglasses in Style 509. (sfoptics.com)

Square “In order to soften a square or angular face, look for oval or round frames,” says Feldman. “Cat-eye shapes can also provide great curves and contour.” When browsing a sunglass store, ask to see styles that are have more width than depth.

A pair like Alexander Daas’s “Eye Do” style would look great. (sfoptics.com)

Round The opposite of square-shaped faces, people with round faces should look for more angular sunglasses, like ones with rectangular frames. “These create balance by adding definition to your face, and will make it look longer and thinner,” says Feldman. “Upswept shapes are also good to draw more attention to the upper portion of your face.”

You’ll look fabulous in sunglasses like Barton Pierra’s Capri style. (sfoptics.com)

Heart Since your face is widest at the top and narrowest at the bottom, you want a sunglass style that doesn’t over-emphasize these disparities. “Select frames that are wider at the bottom than at the top, and avoid any styles with decorative tops,” Feldman says. He believes butterfly or cat-eye frames are the key to your heart.

Compliment your features in a pair of sunglasses like Salt’s in the Nikki style. (sfoptics.com)