Photos courtesy Pixabay.com
When it comes to must-have accessories, sunglasses shouldn’t be left off the list. An article by Glam on the history of sunglasses recounts how this item has gone from being a practical and protective eyewear to a status symbol and year-round fashion staple. As sunglasses fully entered popular culture and daily life, this gave birth to numerous trends over the decades — from the splashy and statement glasses of the 80s and 90s to the oversized and minimalist looks of the Y2K and the present.
With so many shapes and styles to choose from, it’s essential to find the perfect pair that can instantly improve your look, complement your hair and skin, and elevate your style to the next level. As such, we’ve listed a few tips on picking the right glasses that suit your face and features.
Determine your face shape
Figuring out your face shape boils down to assessing these key features: your forehead, your cheeks, your jaw, and the overall length of your face. You should seek to identify the widest part of your face to get started. For those with a wide forehead, a narrow jaw means you have an oval face, while a pointed chin is considered a heart-shaped face. If you have both a broad forehead and a small chin but don’t exactly qualify as a heart-shaped face because of your high cheekbones, you likely have a diamond face.
If none of these categories match your features, then look at your cheeks and jawline. For those with wide cheeks, a softer and curved jawline is classified as a round face, while a stronger, angular jawline is a square face. Lastly, an oblong face means your face is on the longer side without any wide features.
Know the various frame styles
Once you’ve determined your face shape, it’s time to match that shape to the right frame styles. For round and square faces, contrast is key to balancing out the proportions of your face. As such, square and rectangular frames like the Ray-Ban Wayfarers add angles and definition to round faces. Meanwhile, square faces can skip angular frames and instead go for round, rimless frames that soften their features.
Heart and diamond faces should look for styles that highlight their best features. Classy cat-eye styles by designer brands like Gucci mimic heart-shaped faces, while the natural high points of diamond faces are best served by oval and browline frames. Daring, oversized styles popularized by Prada, Miu Miu, and Michael Kors work well with oblong faces by providing needed width and with oval faces by playing up their well-balanced features!
Explore virtual try-on features
If you still can’t decide which sunglasses suit your face the best, you don’t have to worry about scouring physical stores for the perfect pair. However, buying designer sunglasses is something that requires a degree of personalization, which is where certain technology can help you. Online sunglasses retailer Sunglass Hut offers virtual try-on solutions so you can see how a variety of shades look on you from the comfort of your own home. After browsing styles and selections from best-selling brands like Ray-Ban, Oakley, Burberry, and Dolce & Gabbana, you can simply use your device’s camera, and the sunglasses will be virtually rendered on your face. This helps you preview a diverse range of styles in real-time and thus be more confident with your purchase decision.
Adjust the frame style to your needs and preferences
Knowing how to style your sunglasses doesn’t begin and end with finding a size and shape that flatters your face. Virtually any brand out there offers a range of colorways ranging from bold brights to muted pastels. Hop on the retro trend through lenses with yellow, red, and orange tints, or choose special polarized lenses, the perfect choice for those who want effective glare control when driving or playing outdoor sports. You can also select a frame material that captures the unique vibe you want to give off, from sleek and relaxed metal frames to modern-day acetate sunglasses.
Ultimately, being faced with more choices than ever before shouldn’t intimidate you. As long as you know what looks and feels best, you can maximize the role of sunglasses as an essential fashion accessory both for special occasions and in daily life.
