Choosing a new pair of glasses can feel exciting and a little overwhelming. At Waterloo Vision Care Clinic, our team knows that with so many styles, shapes, and colours, it can be hard to find the one that looks and feels just right. The perfect pair should enhance your features and fit seamlessly into your life.
Finding glasses that suit your face involves considering your face shape, colour contrast, proper fit, and personal lifestyle. By considering a few key elements, you can narrow down your choices and explore a wide selection of frames you’ll be excited to wear.
Start with the Basics: Find Your Face Shape
The first step in finding frames you love is to figure out your face shape. A quick look in the mirror can help you see which of these common shapes most resembles yours, which helps when starting to browse current frame styles.
Glasses for an Oval Face
With an oval face, you have a lot of flexibility. Look for frames that are as wide as the broadest part of your face to maintain its natural balance. Most frame styles work well with this versatile shape.
Frames for a Round Face
If your face has soft curves, you can add definition by trying angular or rectangular frames. It’s often helpful to avoid small or round frames, which may make the roundness of your face more noticeable.
Styles for a Square Face
A square face is defined by a strong jawline and a broad forehead. You can soften these features by choosing round or oval frames. Thinner frames can also create a gentle contrast and a balanced look.
Options for a Heart-Shaped Face
A heart-shaped face is wider at the forehead and narrows to the chin. To create balance, you can select frames that are wider at the bottom. Light-coloured or rimless styles are also great options to complement your features.
Think About Colour and Contrast
The colour of your frames can make a big difference. Consider your skin, eye, and hair colour to help you find a pair that complements your natural features and brightens your complexion.
Match Frames to Your Skin Tone
Your skin tone is a great guide for choosing a frame colour. Skin tones are generally categorized as warm with yellow or golden undertones or cool with pink or blue undertones.
- Warm tones: Try frames in shades of gold, brown, honey, or olive green.
- Cool tones: Look for frames in black, silver, grey, blue, or purple.
Complement Your Eye Colour
Frames in contrasting colours can really make your eyes pop. For example, warm tortoiseshell or brown frames can highlight blue eyes, while deep purple frames can bring out the richness in green eyes.
Consider Your Hair Colour
You can match your frames to your hair for a cohesive and subtle look. If you prefer a bolder statement, choosing a contrasting colour can add a fun and stylish touch. These same principles apply when choosing UV-blocking sunglasses.
Get the Right Fit and Proportions
Comfort is just as important as style. A pair of glasses that fits well should sit correctly on your face without pinching or slipping down your nose. It is important to physically try on frames so that an optical professional can ensure a proper fit.
Check the Bridge Fit
The bridge of the frame should rest snugly on your nose: Not so tight that it leaves marks, or so loose that it slides. There shouldn’t be a significant gap between the bridge of the frame and your nose.
Align Frames with Your Eyes
To help you see clearly, your pupils should be near the centre of each lens. The top of your frames should follow the line of your eyebrows, not sit higher than them.
Check the Temple Arm Fit
The arms of the glasses should rest gently over your ears. They shouldn’t press into the side of your head or feel so loose that the glasses could fall off when you bend over.
Use Technology to Help You Choose
Digital tools can be a fun and helpful way to explore different styles before you decide on your new frames. You can use them to see what various frames look like and narrow down your options.
Virtual Try-On Tools
Many websites now offer virtual try-on tools. Using your computer or phone camera, you can see how different frames look on your face. It’s a convenient way to experiment with new shapes and colours.
Some apps can scan your face to determine its shape and then suggest frame styles that might be a good fit. This is great for introducing you to styles you might not have considered on your own.
Why Professional Measurements Still Matter
While technology is helpful, it doesn’t replace a professional fitting. An eye care professional takes precise measurements to place your lenses correctly for clear, comfortable vision, a service that our team can provide for everyone in the family.
Your Lifestyle and Your Look
Your glasses should fit your daily life. It helps to think about your work, hobbies, and personal style when you’re picking out a new pair. Just as you wouldn’t wear a pair of hiking boots to a formal event, one pair of glasses likely does not effectively meet all of your visual demands. Multiple pairs are always worth considering, and in many cases, may offer you great savings!
Frames for Work and Play
When picking new glasses, you may want to consider how you’ll use them most often.
- Consider durable, comfortable frames if you’re very active.
- If you’re at the office a lot, you might want a more professional, classic style.
- Special features like blue light filtering can be helpful for some if you spend a lot of time in front of screens and experience symptoms of digital eye strain.
Show Your Personality
Your glasses are an extension of your personal style. They’re often the first thing that people notice about you, so it’s important to find frames that make you feel confident. A piece of advice we often give is to have fun with your glasses. They’re an accessory you wear: Who said they have to be boring?
Come Find Your Next Pair
Choosing glasses can feel like a big decision, but you don’t have to do it alone. Our optical team at Waterloo Vision Care Clinic has experience with all face shapes, prescriptions, frame styles, and visual demands. We can guide you through the entire selection process, from picking a frame to getting the final fitting. Our goal is to help you see, look, and feel your best! When you need to find trusted eye doctors and opticians in Kitchener-Waterloo, schedule your appointment with us.
