Which Frame Looks Best on You?

 If you’re like most patients, the most important thing you look for in eyeglass frames is how well they compliment your facial features. With so many styles to choose from, the task can be overwhelming.  Not sure where to start?  Before going into the office first determine your face shape and coloring, then read about which frame styles and colors would look best on you.

 According to the Vision Council of America (VCA) Envision Yourself program, there are three keys to choosing the correct eyeglass frame for your face shape:

· The frame shape should contrast with your face shape.

· The frame size should be in scale with your face size.

· Eyewear should repeat your personal best feature (such as a blue frame to match blue eyes).

 Your Face Shape

While most faces are a combination of shapes and angles, there are seven basic face shapes:  An optician can help you use these guidelines to choose your new eyeglasses.

Round
A round face has curvilinear lines with the width and length in the same proportions and no angles. To make the face appear thinner and longer, try angular narrow eyeglass frames to lengthen the face, a clear bridge that widens the eyes and frames that are wider than they are deep, such as a rectangular shape.

Oval
The oval face is considered to be the ideal shape because of its balanced proportions. To keep the oval's natural balance, look for eyeglass frames that are as wide as (or wider than) the broadest part of the face, or walnut-shaped frames that are not too deep or too narrow.

Oblong
The oblong face is longer than it is wide and has a long straight cheek line and sometimes a longish nose. To make the face appear shorter and more balanced, try frames that have a top-to-bottom depth, decorative or contrasting temples that add width to the face or a low bridge to shorten the nose.

Base-Down Triangle
The triangular face has a narrow forehead that widens at the cheek and chin areas. To add width and emphasize the narrow upper third of the face, try frames that are heavily accented with color and detailing on the top half or cat-eye shapes.

Base-Up Triangle
This face has a very wide top third and small bottom third. To minimize the width of the top of the face, try frames that are wider at the bottom, very light colors and materials, and rimless frame styles (which have a light, airy effect because the lenses are simply held in place to the temples by a few screws).

Diamond
Diamond-shaped faces are narrow at the eye line and jaw line, and cheekbones are often high and dramatic. This is the rarest face shape. To highlight the eyes and bring out the cheekbones, try frames that have detailing or distinctive brow lines, or try rimless frames or oval and cat-eye shapes.

Square
A square face has a strong jaw line and a broad forehead, plus the width and length are in the same proportions. To make the square face look longer and soften the angles, try narrow frame styles, frames that have more width than depth and narrow ovals.

Information from the Vision Council of America

 Your Face Color

VCA’s three keys to color analysis are that ...

· ... all people have either a warm (yellow-based) or cool (blue-based) coloring.

· ... everyone looks best in his or her own color base.

· ... eyewear color should complement personal coloring.

The main factors to determine the best color palette are the colors of the skin, eyes and hair.

Skin
Skin tone is the prime element in determining coloring. All complexions fall into one of two color bases — blue (cool) or yellow (warm). A cool complexion has blue or pink undertones, and a warm complexion has a "peaches and cream" or yellow cast. Olive skin is considered cool because it is a mixture of blue and yellow. (In the United States, cool, blue-based complexions are more common than the yellow-based warm complexions. About 60 percent of the population are "cools.")

Eyes
Eye colors are usually a secondary element in determining coloring because of the wide range of eye colors. For example, blue eyes can range from a cool almost-violet to a pale blue-gray, which is warm. Brown eyes can vary from a light cider shade (warm) through a medium-brown to a cool almost-black.

Hair
Hair colors are also considered warm or cool. Strawberry blond, platinum, blue-black, white, salt-and-pepper and "dishwater" brown are cool. Warm hair colors include golden blond, flat black, brown-gold, "carrot" and "dirty" gray.

Frame Colors

Once you have determined if you are "warm" or "cool," then you can find the eyeglass frame colors that will suit you the best. A few recommended frame colors that work best with warm coloring are: camel, khaki, gold, copper, peach, orange, coral, off-white, fire-engine red, warm blue and blond tortoise. For cool coloring, the best eyeglass frame hues are black, rose-brown, blue-gray, plum, magenta, pink, jade, blue and demi-amber (darker) tortoise.