4 Tips for How To Choose The Right Glasses For Your Face

Remember when you were a kid and all you wanted was to wear glasses? You even went as far as to fake bad vision during your elementary school eye exam. Then you got a little older and actually needed glasses. Suddenly they weren't cool anymore and wearing them was like wrapping yourself in some sort of man-repelling, social-life-destroying cocoon of horribleness. You needed contacts. It was contacts or nothing.

Now you're an adult and although you still love your contacts for certain things, they can also be a hassle and you've come to see your glasses as just another accessory. The trick now is finding the right ones. In an ideal world, you'd have dozens of pairs in different colors, shapes, and styles to suit your ever-changing mood and look, but in reality, glasses can be expensive and more often than not you're limited to just one or two pairs at a time, so you want to make sure the ones you get are as flattering as possible.

Harvey Moscot, the fourth generation owner of 100-yr old optical brand MOSCOT, suggests keeping these 4 general tips in mind when it comes time to buy your next pair:

1. Contrast — "The shape of your frame should contrast the shape of your face, so if you have rounder features, you want more angular glasses, and if you have more angular features you want to soften them with more curved shapes."

2. Proportion — "In general, you want your frames to be in proportion with the rest of your face. It's different when you are shopping for sunglasses, which tend to be larger for greater coverage, but what looks good as a sunglass will not necessarily look good in optical."

3. Color — "Choose a color that compliments your features. Black is always good for highlighting and outlining your eyes. Glasses that contrast the tone of your face and hair will stand out more, but it's up to you how much of a statement you want your glasses to make."

4. Face Shape — This is where it gets a little more complicated. Here's the breakdown:

Heart-Shaped Faces — Aviators and Rimless Styles

"Aviators are good for balancing out a broader forehead with a narrower jaw line and a more pointed chin, because of the way they flare out at the bottom. Rimless styles are also good, because they keep the face from looking too top-heavy."

Square-Shaped Faces — Ovals and Rounded Rectangles

"Narrower oval and rectangular styles with rounded edges are great for softening a strong, square jaw and lengthening the face."

Narrow Faces — Taller Frames and Decorative Temples

"Try taller, squared-off or more circular frames, which will take up more room on your face and help balance out your features better than oval or rectangular frames. Also look for glasses with thicker arms or decorative details at the temples, since they will draw attention to the sides of your face and make it appear broader."

Round Faces — Rectangular Frames and Contrast Bridges

"Angular, rectangular frames help elongate the face and a contrasting bridge makes the eyes look farther apart."

Trapezoidal Faces — Half-Rim and Cat Eye Shapes

"If your face is wider on the bottom, try a half-rim style or a dramatic cat eye to bring attention up and balance out your jaw line."

Oval Faces – Top-Heavy Frames and Butterfly Shapes

"If you've got broad cheek bones, but a narrower forehead and chin, look for styles that are thicker or darker on the top than the bottom, or try a butterfly style, which wings up and out slightly at the top."