How to find your face shape in two minutes
You need a mirror and something that writes on glass, such as a dry erase marker or a bar of soap.
- Pull your hair back and stand square to the mirror, at arm's length.
- Trace the outline of your face on the mirror, from the hairline down around the jaw and chin.
- Step back and compare three things: the width of your forehead, the width across your cheekbones and the width of your jaw. Then compare the overall length of the face with its width.
Most faces are a mix, so look for the closest match rather than a perfect one.
| Face shape | What you see in the outline |
|---|---|
| Round | Length and width about equal, soft curves, no strong angles at the jaw |
| Square | Length and width about equal, a strong, straight jaw and a broad forehead |
| Oval | Longer than wide, gently rounded, cheekbones slightly wider than forehead and jaw |
| Heart | Wide forehead and cheekbones, narrowing to a smaller chin |
| Long (oblong) | Clearly longer than wide, with forehead, cheeks and jaw of similar width |
| Diamond | Cheekbones are the widest point, with a narrower forehead and jaw |
Glasses frames for each face shape
Round faces. Look for frames with corners and straight lines: rectangles, squares and geometric shapes. A frame that is a little wider than it is tall makes the face look longer and more defined. Very small round frames tend to repeat the curve of the face rather than balance it.
Square faces. Go the other way. Round, oval and soft rectangle frames take the edge off a strong jaw. A frame with a slightly heavier top line draws attention up toward the eyes. Sharp, boxy frames can make a square face look harder than it is.
Oval faces. Most shapes work, so choose on scale. The frame should be about as wide as the widest part of your face, and the top of the frame should sit close to your brow line. Very large frames can overwhelm an oval face; very narrow ones look lost on it.
Heart faces. Balance a wider forehead with frames that are light on top and carry a little more width or detail at the bottom. Rimless and semi-rimless frames, ovals and soft rectangles all work. Heavy browline styles add width where the face already has it.
Long faces. Choose frames with some depth from top to bottom, which breaks up the length of the face. Square and round frames with a decent height work well, as do frames with a strong temple that adds width at the sides. Narrow, shallow frames make a long face look longer.
Diamond faces. Highlight the eyes and soften the cheekbones with oval frames, cat eye shapes or frames with a defined brow line. Avoid frames that are narrower than your cheekbones.
The names of the shapes above are explained in the guide to types of glasses frames, and the difference between a square and a rectangle, which matters more than most people expect, is in square vs rectangle glasses.
Width matters more than shape
A frame in exactly the right shape still looks wrong if it is the wrong width. Put the frame on and look straight ahead in a mirror.
- The outer edge of the frame should line up with the widest part of your face, or sit just inside it. If you can see your face clearly beyond the frame on both sides, it is too narrow, and it will make your face look wider.
- The temples should run straight back to your ears. If they bow outward, the frame is too narrow. If there is a gap between the temple and the side of your head, it is too wide.
- Your eyes should sit roughly in the middle of each lens, not crowded toward the nose or the outer edge.
Shape is a style choice. Width is a fit fact, and it should come first. The numbers printed inside the arm give you the width; the guide to glasses measurements explains how to read them.
The bridge decides where the frame sits
Face shape guides assume the frame sits where it was designed to sit. Many frames do not, because the bridge is cut for a higher nose than the wearer's. When that happens the frame drops, rests on the cheeks and lifts every time you smile, and the shape you chose no longer lines up with your brow or your eyes.
If your glasses tend to slide down or touch your cheeks, look for frames cut for a lower nose bridge before you worry about shape. The guide to high bridge vs low bridge glasses explains the difference, and the low bridge fit eyeglasses collection gathers frames cut this way.
Frames from the MUJOSH range by face shape
| Frame | Shape | Suits |
|---|---|---|
| Ultem | Geometric multi-cut, very light | Round and oval faces that want definition |
| Beta Pitot | Square-round, beta-titanium temples, low bridge fit | Square and heart faces, and anyone whose frames slide |
| Ego KC1063 | Rectangle, nylon sport frame | Round and long faces, and active days |
The full eyeglasses range, the rectangle eyeglasses collection and the WAKE UP sport eyeglasses show more shapes side by side.
Glasses and sunglasses are not the same choice
The same face shape rules apply to sunglasses, but sunglasses are usually larger and darker, so they carry more visual weight. A frame that is slightly too big as a pair of glasses can be just right as sunglasses. The guide to choosing sunglasses for your face shape covers that side.
For the shape that softens an angular face most gently, the oval glasses guide covers who an oval suits, who should think twice, and the MUJOSH oval frames.
The bottom line
Find your face shape with a mirror, then use contrast as the starting point: angles for soft faces, curves for angular ones. Before you decide, check the width and the bridge. A frame that is as wide as your face and sits where it should will look right in more shapes than any chart suggests.
If round frames are on your shortlist, the round sunglasses guide covers which faces they flatter and which they fight.
If the thin, small lens look is what you are after, the Korean glasses guide explains which face shapes wear it as drawn and which should adjust the shape.
For sunglasses, the one shape that works on most face shapes is the aviator; the aviator sunglasses guide explains why and how it should fit.
The least common shape, widest at the cheekbones, has its own diamond face guide.
For a woman over 50 the same rules apply with lift added; the glasses for women over 50 guide covers the outer corner, the top line and colour.
The same rules narrowed to men's faces and frames are in the glasses for men guide.
Shape first, then colour: the what colour glasses should I get guide is the second step.
Without hair the top-edge rule comes before the face shape rule; the glasses for bald men guide covers the order.
The five women's styles matched to the same face shapes are in the glasses styles for women guide.
Frequently asked questions
What shape glasses suit my face?
Use contrast as a starting point: rectangular and geometric frames for round faces, round and oval frames for square faces, frames light on top for heart faces, and deeper frames for long faces. Most shapes suit an oval face. Then check that the frame is as wide as your face.
How do I know my face shape for glasses?
Trace the outline of your face on a mirror, then compare the width of your forehead, cheekbones and jaw, and the length of your face with its width. Round and square faces are about as long as they are wide; oval and long faces are longer.
What glasses suit a round face?
Frames with corners and straight lines, such as rectangles, squares and geometric shapes, ideally a little wider than they are tall. Avoid very small round frames, which repeat the curve of the face.
Does the frame size matter more than the shape?
For how the glasses look and feel, often yes. A frame should be about as wide as the widest part of your face, with your eyes near the middle of each lens. A frame in the right shape but the wrong width rarely looks right.
