The right sunglasses for your face shape do what the right glasses do: they put weight where your face is narrow, use lines that contrast with its outline, and match its width. The chart below rates six common sunglass shapes for all seven face shapes. The ratings are styling conventions, since face shapes are a framework rather than anatomy. Find your row, then read the reasons, because they let you judge any frame the chart does not name.
If you do not know your face shape, the Face Shape Calculator gives it from four measurements; the face shape chart explains the ranges.
The six sunglass shapes
- Aviator: teardrop lenses, deeper at the bottom, usually with a thin metal double bar across the top.
- Trapezoid: the thick acetate shape that is wider at the top than the bottom, often called wayfarer-style.
- Cat-eye: wider at the top, with the outer corners swept upward.
- Round: circular or near-circular lenses.
- Oversized: any shape, deeper and wider than everyday frames.
- Shield: a single wide lens, or two lenses that read as one band across the face.
Sunglasses by face shape: the chart
| Face shape | Aviator | Trapezoid | Cat-eye | Round | Oversized | Shield |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oval | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good |
| Round | Possible | Very good | Very good | Avoid if small | Possible | Possible |
| Square | Very good | Possible | Good | Very good | Good | Possible |
| Oblong | Very good | Good | Possible | Good | Very good | Good |
| Heart | Very good | Avoid | Possible | Very good | Avoid | Avoid |
| Diamond | Good | Good | Very good | Good | Possible | Possible |
| Triangle | Possible | Very good | Very good | Possible | Possible | Good |
“Possible” means the shape works in some versions: the right width, a lighter rim, a softer angle. “Avoid” means the shape works against the outline in most versions.
Why each row reads the way it does
Oval sits in the middle of every measurement, so every shape works if the size is right.
Round faces gain from angles and lift. Trapezoid and cat-eye frames supply both. Aviators work when they are wide enough, though their rounded bottom echoes the cheeks; small round lenses repeat the curves outright. Glasses for a round face goes into width and the top line.
Square faces have even widths and a jaw corner. Curves contrast with them, so round lenses and aviators, with their curved lower edge, are the strongest choices. Trapezoid frames repeat the angles and need softened corners.
Oblong faces need depth and width. Aviators and oversized frames cover length; a shield draws one strong horizontal across the face. Cat-eyes work only in deeper versions. Glasses for a long face explains lens depth and the low bridge.
Heart faces are widest at the forehead, so the top of the frame should stay light. Aviators, which are heavier at the bottom, and thin round frames suit them best. Trapezoid frames, shields and oversized styles put weight at the widest part. The full reasoning is in glasses for a heart-shaped face.
Diamond faces are narrow at the forehead and the jaw. Cat-eyes add width at the brow line where it helps. Oversized frames can work if they do not sit on the cheekbones.
Triangle faces are widest at the jaw, the mirror image of heart. Top-heavy shapes, trapezoid and cat-eye, add width at the narrow forehead. Aviators, wider at the bottom, add to the jaw unless the top bar is strong.
The frame-first check
If you already love a pair, you do not need to start from the chart. Check the frame against your face with three questions.
- Width: is the frame front about as wide as your cheekbones? Narrower makes the face look wider; much wider looks borrowed. Glasses frame size shows how to read the width from the numbers on the arm.
- Weight: where is the frame heaviest, top or bottom? It should be heavier where your face is narrower.
- Line: do its lines contrast with your outline, or repeat it? Contrast balances; repetition emphasizes. Both are legitimate, but know which one you are choosing.
A frame that passes two of the three is usually a good buy.
What face shape does not decide
Face shape decides how sunglasses look. It says nothing about how well they protect your eyes. The American Academy of Ophthalmology advises choosing lenses labeled to block 99 to 100 percent of UVA and UVB light, and notes that very dark lenses do not necessarily block more UV, while polarization cuts glare rather than UV. Oversized and wraparound frames also let in less UV from the sides, which is one more point in favor of oversized shapes for the faces that suit them.