Best Glasses Frames for Your Face Shape: The Complete Guide

Choosing glasses is one of the most impactful styling decisions you can make — a well-chosen frame flatters the face architecture behind it, while the wrong frame can throw off your proportions entirely. The right starting point is always face shape: once you know your shape, the field of frames narrows dramatically and the best choices become obvious.

Here is what works for each of the six face shapes.

Oval Face Shape

Oval face shape wearing rectangular frames — recommended choice

Best frames: Almost any frame shape flatters an oval face — this is the shape with the fewest restrictions. Aviators are a natural fit, echoing the gentle taper of the oval jaw. Rectangular frames add pleasing definition. The main guideline is proportion: choose frames that are roughly as wide as the widest part of your face.

Oval face shape wearing tiny frames that appear lost on the face — what to avoid

Oval face shape wearing oversized frames that extend beyond face width — what to avoid

Avoid: Frames so oversized they extend beyond your face width, or so tiny they appear lost. The oval's balance is its asset — don't overwhelm it.

→ Full oval face shape guide

Round Face Shape

Round face shape wearing bold cat-eye frames — recommended choice

Round face shape wearing subtle cat-eye frames — recommended choice

Round face shape wearing browline frames — recommended choice

Best frames: Angular frames that contrast with the round face's curves. Rectangular frames add length and definition. Browline frames draw the eye upward and create structure. Cat-eye frames — both subtle and bold — add upswept angles that lift and elongate.

Round face shape wearing round frames that echo the face's roundness — what to avoid

Round face shape wearing small oval frames with no structure — what to avoid

Avoid: Round frames (they echo and amplify the face's roundness) and small oval frames (they sit in the centre of the face and add nothing).

→ Full round face shape guide

Square Face Shape

Square face shape wearing round frames — recommended choice

Square face shape wearing rimless frames — recommended choice

Best frames: Soft, rounded frames that contrast with the angular jaw. Oval frames are the ideal — their elongated roundness directly softens the square's corners. Rimless frames minimise visual weight. Round frames add curves without being too dominant.

Square face shape wearing square frames that match the jaw's lines — what to avoid

Square face shape wearing geometric frames that reinforce angularity — what to avoid

Avoid: Geometric and angular frames that reinforce the jaw's angularity. Square frames are the clearest to avoid — they match the face's own lines and add no contrast.

→ Full square face shape guide

Rectangular Face Shape

Rectangular face shape wearing round frames — recommended choice

Best frames: Frames that add width and horizontal emphasis. Oversized decorative frames with bold temples add width and draw the eye across rather than down. Round frames add curves that break the parallel-sided silhouette.

Rectangular face shape wearing narrow frames that extend the face's vertical lines — what to avoid

Rectangular face shape wearing small oval frames that add no horizontal interest — what to avoid

Avoid: Narrow frames that extend the face's vertical lines. Small oval or rectangular frames that sit in the centre of the face without addressing its length.

→ Full rectangular face shape guide

Triangular Face Shape

Triangular face shape wearing cat-eye frames — recommended choice

Best frames: Frames that concentrate visual weight at the top, drawing the eye upward from the wider jaw. Browline frames are the most effective — bold on top, light on the bottom, they add presence exactly where the triangular face needs it. Cat-eye frames work for the same reason.

Triangular face shape wearing narrow frames that draw the eye downward — what to avoid

Triangular face shape wearing oversized frames wider than the upper face — what to avoid

Avoid: Oversized frames wider than the upper face, which make the jaw appear even wider by comparison. Narrow frames that draw the eye downward.

→ Full triangular face shape guide

Inverted Triangle Face Shape

Inverted triangle face shape wearing rimless or lightweight frames — recommended choice

Best frames: Frames that minimise the width of the upper face. Oval frames are the classic recommendation — even, rounded, nothing that adds width at the temples. Rimless or lightweight frames reduce visual weight at the top of the face.

Inverted triangle face shape wearing cat-eye frames with dramatic upswept corners — what to avoid

Inverted triangle face shape wearing browline frames that concentrate weight at the brow — what to avoid

Avoid: Browline frames that concentrate visual weight at the brow. Cat-eye frames with dramatic upswept outer corners — these add width at exactly the wrong place.

→ Full inverted triangle face shape guide

The One Rule That Applies to All Shapes

Whatever your face shape, proportion is always the primary rule. Frames should be roughly as wide as the widest part of your face — not dramatically larger or smaller. Beyond proportion, the shape principles above apply. And within those principles, everything else is personal style.

Find your face shape at inmycolors.com and get the complete style guidance for your specific features.