The ultimate guide to finding the right sunglasses
The trick, of course, is knowing what the right pair is for you.
But don't worry. All you need to do is remember two things when looking for shades:
- You want to find a pair that complements your face shape. The general rule is the that shape of your sunglasses should be opposite of your face shape.
- You want to invest in pair with a classic shape so that you can wear them for many years.
We've put together a guide based on these two rules to help find the perfect pair for you.
You have a square face if... you have a strong jaw that's pretty much the same width as your forehead, and your chin is not too defined.
Look for sunglasses that... have round frames. You don't need to go full-on John Lennon - just as long as the sunglasses have a softer look to them. If you're not into that, you can also get away with classic aviator sunglasses.
Rounded frames:
Investment: Oliver Spencer, $335
Deal: TOMS, $139
Aviator frames:
Investment: Ray-Ban, $200
Deal: Ray-Ban $150
You have a round face if... the widest part of your face is at your cheeks, and your face is not very angular.
Look for sunglasses that... are rectangular, which will give the illusion that your face is more angular than it is. Additionally, they will make your face look longer. (Just trust us here.)
If you have darker skin or hair, you can pull off darker colored and more rectangular sunglasses. If you have lighter skin or hair, stick to browns and yellows with a slight curve to them. Dark ones will over power you and make you look like Neo from the Matrix.
Darker hair/complexion:
Investment: Barton Perreira, $470
Deal: TOMS, $139
Lighter hair/complexion:
Investment: Persol, $330
Deal: TOMS, $189
You have a long face if... your face is significantly longer than it is wide.
Look for sunglasses that... will break up your face, and make your face look more proportional in terms of width to length. Here you want to look for sunglasses that don't extend past the widest part of your face (then it'll look like your face is even slimmer than it is). Additionally, try to stick to frames that have a nearly 1:1 ratio on width to length.
Modern clubmaster:
Investment: Eyevan, $535
Deal: TOMS, $139
Rounded shape:
Investment: Garrett Leight California, $400
Deal: Diesel, $150
You have a triangular face if... your chin is pointed or defined. Check the width of your forehead compared to your chin: if you forehead is way wider, then you have a triangular face.
Look for sunglasses that... are rectangular in order to balance out the chin to forehead ratio. If you have smaller features, stick with smaller lenses. But if you have more prominent features (or a beard) you can pull off the larger lenses.
Rectangular, larger:
Investment: Paul Smith, $300
Deal: Carrera, $129
Rectangular, smaller:
Investment: Tom Ford, $455
Deal: Ray-Ban, $115