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The sunglasses are an accessory that can make or break the entire look. You need a pair that will complement your best features and hide the imperfections. We all have distinctive features and not everything will suit everyone, which is why we’ve singled out three crucial steps to help you out with making the right choice. In general, your choice comes down to sunglasses according to the shape of our face, type of frame and material, and type of lens and colour.
Which Sunglasses Suit My Face Shape?
Oblong
You’re considered to have an oblong face if your face is longer than it is wide, and you have relatively rounded jaw and cheekbone lines. Oftentimes, the length of your face can be extended even further with a certain haircut. People with oblong face shapes are considered to be lucky. They don’t have any trouble finding a nice pair of sunglasses.
There’s only one thing, or shape, you should avoid. Don’t buy sunglasses that elongate your face even further. You’ll look great with oversized, aviators in a squared-off shape. Stay away from the teardrop ones because they’ll pull down the eye. You should always buy men’s sunglasses for protection and style, so choose a nice lens and colour to match your style.
Triangle
This face shape is actually an upside-down triangle. Your chin is narrower than your forehead. This means your face narrows down in almost straight lines. In this case, the best sunglasses for you are round-shaped. They’ll create a contrast on your square face and make it look softer. Double-bridged sunglasses can also do a great job. A tortoiseshell design with a keyhole bridge is a great option if you’re looking for something traditional.
Diamond
If you have a diamond-shaped face, you should pay attention to sharp angles. You have a very similar length and width but pronounced cheekbones and a well-defined jaw. It’s just like a diamond but minus the very sharp features. So, with so many sharp angles and lines on your face, you can experiment with the shape of your sunglasses.
You won’t get overpowered even with a larger lens or a double-bridge detailing. You can go round, aviators and even rectangular. They’ll look amazing on you. The only thing to stay away from is extremely squared-off sunglasses. They can make you seem more serious, and severe.
Square
You have a square face if the length and width of your face are almost the same, and you have a firm and nicely squared jaw. Many people are considered lucky to have this shape. However, with this face shape, you have a chance of looking like a box if you don’t make the right choice.
You can experiment with rounded corners on a couple of square or rectangular frames, but anything too geometric will make you look like a distorted version of yourself. But if you’re a fan of rounded shapes, you can pull off anything. Black frames are a classic choice, though if you want to soften your features even more, go for a lighter colour.
Round
You can’t miss a round face when you see one. This is a very recognisable shape that is one of the most common ones. Many people advise that you stay away from round shapes because of the repetition. But you can always experiment. If they’re perfectly round like the John Lennon ones, they won’t fit your face well. But if the sunglasses are square-shaped and have rounded edges, you’ll look great.
Heart
A heart-shaped face is very similar to the triangle ones but with softer lines. The forehead is still bigger than the chin, the only difference is the softer, rounded shape of the jawline. So, if you have this shape, next time you want to buy men’s sunglasses stay away from anything too heavy or too wide. Your best option is the tear-drop aviators. They’re very suitable for this face shape because they complement and add more weight to the lower part of your face.
Oval
If you have an oval shape, your face is a bit longer than it is wide and you have rounded cheekbones and jaw. You also probably have a forehead that’s wider than your jaw. Welcome to the lucky club. You have one of the nicest faces to work with. You can have any sunglasses shape that you want. Everything looks good on you, from round to square to aviators and rectangular.
Types of Frame & Materials
There are three types of frames. The first one is a full frame that surrounds the lenses completely. The second one is a half-frame. Just as the name suggests, only half of the lens is covered in a frame, the rest is opened. Because of this, these sunglasses are more delicate. The last ones are frameless. They’re also known as rimless. These sunglasses are very stylish but delicate so you should handle them carefully.
When you browse for men’s sunglasses online, you’ll find them in many materials, but the four most common ones are metal, acetate, moulded plastic, and a natural material. Metal frames are soft, adjustable and rust-resistant. In some cases, they’re less durable than plastic and are more expensive.
Acetate is lighter and stronger than regular plastic. It’s also more flexible and comes in many colours, patterns, and textures. Moulded plastic is the cheapest and you can find it in a wide variety of colours. In the natural materials category, you’ll encounter wood, tortoiseshell and buffalo horn. All of them are durable, expensive, and handmade.
Types of Lens & Colour
Lenses come in many shapes, just like sunglasses do. They can also be made of different materials that have different properties. You have options like:
- Optical glass – no distortion, durable, scratch-resistant, expensive;
- Plastic – shatter-resistant, lightweight, thick, needs scratch and UV-proofing;
- Polycarbonate – lightweight, impact-resistant, not very scratch-resistant;
- SR-91 – UV protection, anti-glare, scratch-resistant, and waterproof.
There are several lens colours you can choose from. They all filter light in a different way. Some block the light better than others, with:
- Grey offers crisp contrast, colour-neutral, cuts glare, and reduces eyestrain;
- Orange/Yellow provides good depth perception and contrast, increased light, and is good for dark conditions;
- Amber/Brown enhances the light quality, good depth perception, and offers high contrast;
- Green reduces glare, offers high contrast, visual sharpness, reduces eyestrain;
- Red/Purple blocks blue light, increases contrast, reduces glare and is soothing;
- Blue filters white light, improves colour recognition.
