Frames in February
Frames in February: A Guide to loving your glasses
Who said Valentine’s Day was a day to show love to your partner and/or friends? While sharing the love is great, it’s also just as important to express love for yourself, and Valentine’s Day can be the perfect time to remind yourself to do it, especially in the dreary and cold month of February where every little bit helps.
Sure, you could treat yourself to a 6-course meal or a trip to the spa, but why not do something more lasting. We’re speaking of course of upgrading your frames! If it’s been a while, now could be the time to come in for that eye exam and get a new pair of frames that screams you. Yet, we find that many clients don’t feel confident when choosing frames. They’re overwhelmed by options as well as the inability to know what looks best on them.
As they say, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but we’re here to give you some basics to choosing frames that fit you the best!
Find the Fit Between Your Personality & Lifestyle
Frames are just about geometry. Sure, they should fit your face well, but they should also embody a certain you-ness while being appropriate for your regular day-to-day.
Are you fond of flare? Maybe you’re more of an inward kind of person. Furthermore, what do you want to say through your glasses? These are the kinds of personality questions you should be asking yourself, and the answers you arrive at will go a long way toward informing your frame choice.
Yet, it’s important to find a balance between personality and lifestyle. Are you sporty? A book worm? Maybe you read spreadsheets on the weekday and climb mountains on Saturday. In any case, buy frames made of a material that will withstand your lifestyle. If you live an eclectic life, then consider 2 or more pairs of frames to fit the various sides of you!
Match the Beautiful Contours of Your Face
Not all faces are the same! That would be boring. It makes sense then that there is no one size fits all approach to choosing frames. We categorize face shapes in 5 ways, none of which are better than the other—we’re all just different, and that is beautiful! However, we want to emphasize that, like any rule, what we share below can and should be broken! This is just a guide for those of use that are more risk-averse than others.
Oval Face
What to look for:
Geometric shapes (angular frames), strong bridge, broader than the widest part of your face
What to avoid:
Large glasses that cover too much of your face; you want to show off the natural symmetry of your face
Round Face
What to look for:
Square and rectangular frames that are wider than your face. This will elongate your features and balance them out.
What to avoid:
Small frames, rimless frames, or any type of eyeglass frame that is diminutive. With a round face shape, bigger and more prominent frames are often better.
Square Face
What to look for:
You might be getting the sense that opposites attract when choosing frames, and you’d be right. Square, angular faces look best with softer, rounder frames that sit high on the bridge of your nose.
What to avoid:
Angular lenses (squares and rectangles) can make your face look too box-like.
Diamond Face
What to look for:
Cat-eye glasses or oval frames can accentuate your cheekbones and fine features by emphasizing your narrow forehead and chin. Ensure the frames are wider than your cheekbones.
What to avoid:
Frames that are too narrow or boxy can emphasize rather than accentuate your wide cheekbones and overwhelm your delicate features.
Heart-Shaped Face
What to look for:
Bottom-heavy frames can broaden the narrow portion of your face. We also suggest round or square frames with soft edges to de-emphasize a high, broad forehead.
What to avoid:
Frames that are ornate or thick at the tops—you want to draw attention lower.
Consider Your Skin Tone
We group skin tone into two categories; cool tones and warm tones. Depending on your skin tone, you’ll want to choose certain colors over others.
Cool Skin Tone Colors
Cool skin tones have pink as well as blue undertones (think of the paler people among us). With that said, you want to choose colors that are more deep and dominant in their tone to complement your skin. We suggest gray, black, silver, dark tortoiseshell, pink, purple, and mauve.
Warm Skin Tone Colors
What is a warm skin tone? Think of skin with a golden, yellow, or bronze color to it. While you might think they are universal colors, neither white nor black frames complement your tone. Neither do pastels, which are too diminutive. We suggest colors like beige, olive green, brown, gold, honey, and light tortoiseshell.
Choose Your New Look with Confidence
With this guide, we hope you can come in and make an informed, empowered choice that best suits you! Reach out today to schedule an appointment before Valentine’s Day.