Your Guide to Oblong-Face Glasses: How to Find a Flattering Fit

Why the long face? If it’s because you’re struggling to find glasses that flatter your face shape, we’ve got you covered — especially if your face is naturally long.

An oblong face, or a face that’s longer than it is wide, has beautifully balanced facial features from top to bottom. That natural balance should make it easier to find flattering oblong-face glasses.

But there’s one problem. There’s a lot of misinformation surrounding the oblong face shape. Oblong faces are easily confused with oval and square faces. Even people handing out styling tips for the oblong face shape sometimes describe it as a long oval face shape. But this is incorrect. (Ovals are already long! If they weren’t, they’d be called circles.)

We’ll help you know once and for all what an oblong face looks like and which glasses will look best on you. Use this guide to cut through the misinformation and find a pair of glasses you’re over the moon about.

Do You Have an Oblong Face?

Before you start shopping for oblong-face glasses, let’s find out if you have an oblong face in the first place.

An oblong face is also known as a rectangular face. If an oval face is the longer version of a round face, then an oblong face is the longer version of a square face.

Like people with square faces, people with oblong faces have a forehead, cheekbones, and jawline that are about the same width. This is different from people with oval faces whose jawlines will be narrower than their foreheads and cheekbones.

The difference between square and oblong faces is in the length. In a square face, the measurement from the top of the forehead to the bottom of the chin is about equal to the width of the face at its widest part. In oblong faces, the length is greater than the width.

So if you want to make sure you have an oblong-shaped face, grab a soft tape measure.

Measure the length down the center of your face from your hairline to your chin. Then measure across your forehead from one side of your hairline to the other, keeping the measuring tape flat instead of curving it around your face. Next, measure across your cheekbones, again keeping the measuring tape flat. Finally, measure your jawline from just below your ear to the center of your chin and multiply by two.

If your forehead, cheekbones, and jawline are about equal, and the length of your face is greater than any of those three measurements, then congratulations! You have an oblong face.

If not, find your face shape. Then check out our guides to the best glasses for round, oval, square, diamond, triangle, or heart-shaped faces. There are frames for every face shape!

The Best Frame Shapes for Oblong Faces

No matter which face shape you have, contrast is the key to finding flattering frames. If you have rectangular features, you’ll want rounder eyeglass frames to create that contrast. Round frames soften your natural angles, making your features look balanced and perfectly proportioned.

And if you have a long face, you’ll want glasses that draw attention to the horizontal lines of your face (like your cheekbones or browline) rather than the vertical lines. Look for these frame styles to flatter your natural features.

Round Frames

Round eyeglass frames have soft lines that create contrast with the naturally angular features of oblong faces. Plus, this classic eyewear shape never goes out of style.

Oval Frames

This frame shape not only creates contrast with its soft, round lines — it’s also wider than it is tall, adding another layer of contrast with oblong faces. Oval eyeglasses have the opposite proportions of oblong faces, creating balance.

Cat-Eye Frames

Cat-eye glasses are flattering on most faces, including oblong faces. This frame shape is rounded along the bottom of the lens to add those soft lines we keep talking about. Plus, the sharp corners at the top of the frame draw attention to your browline and stick out slightly wider than your face. This extends the horizontal lines of the face and balances the length of the face.

Browline Frames

With a design that’s thicker across the top of the frame, browline frames draw attention to your browline — one of your face’s horizontal lines. These frames are also rounded along the bottom of the lens, adding soft lines that contrast with your face’s natural angles.

Traditional browline frames have a thick frame across the top of the glasses and are rimless or have a thin metal rim along the bottom. But you can create a similar effect without committing fully to a retro browline frame.

Simply look for a frame that’s thicker across the top and thinner around the bottom of the lens. Or choose a two-tone style that’s darker on top. You can get this look with a snap-on Top Frame, like the Black and White Top Frame or the Cobalt Split Top Frame, which attach to any Pair Eyewear Base Frame so you can change your style in a snap.

The Worst Frame Shapes for Oblong Faces

Any frame shape that too closely matches your face shape will intensify your natural features, making the angles of your face look sharper and the length of your face look longer. If that sounds too intense for your taste, avoid these frame styles as you shop for oblong-face glasses.

Square Frames

Square glasses frames have a fun retro feel. But paired with a rectangular face shape, they can make everything look a bit blocky. Choose cat-eye frames to complete your retro wardrobe instead.

Rectangular Frames

An oblong face in a rectangular eyeglass frame is rectangles on rectangles. The lack of contrast leaves your face hidden behind your eyeglasses instead of allowing your features to shine from behind your lenses. Look for oval frames instead.

Oversized Frames

A pair of glasses that’s as wide or slightly wider than your face is a good way to balance the length of the face. But if the lenses of your glasses are too tall (from top to bottom), as is the case with most oversized glasses, it will have the opposite effect. Oversized lenses hide high cheekbones, obscuring one of the horizontal lines of your face and exaggerating the length of an oblong face. Choose browline frames instead to emphasize your face’s natural horizontal lines.

4 Pairs of Oblong-Face Glasses

These four pairs of glasses are perfect for oblong faces. These frame shapes draw attention to your best features. Plus, with lightweight acetate frames, they’re comfortable to wear and available with single-vision lenses, progressive lenses, reading lenses, or non-prescription lenses. Find your pair and customize them to fit your vision.

1. The Soto

The Soto is a classic pair of round glasses. Each lens is a near-perfect circle (ideal for balancing out those angular facial features) and the keyhole nose bridge gives this pair a vintage vibe. The medium fit makes them comfortable for most faces.

2. The Otis

These round frames have a high nose bridge that allows them to sit just below your browline, highlighting that horizontal feature of your face and balancing out your face’s length. With a medium fit, The Otis is the right size for most faces.

3. The Wanda

For a cat-eye frame that looks good on nearly every face, the sharp corners at the top of The Wanda create a long horizontal line that balances the length of oblong faces. And the rounded corners at the bottom of the frame help soften angular features.

4. The Murphy

For a modern interpretation of browline frames, these full-rim glasses feature thick acetate frames across the top of the lenses that get thinner as they swoop around the bottom of the lenses. The look creates a dramatic horizontal line across the brow, de-emphasizing the length of longer faces. These are wide frames that are a good fit for larger faces.

Say “So Long” to Unflattering Eyewear

Once you understand which frames will flatter your natural features, it’s easier to pick a pair of glasses that you and your oblong face will love for a long time. But if you want to feel confident in your oblong-face glasses, you need frames that show off not just your face but also your personality.

At Pair Eyewear, we help you create a pair of glasses that reflects your ever-evolving sense of style. You can combine our Base Frames with Top Frames in different colors and patterns, so your eyewear always matches your mood or your outfit.

Find a look that’s perfect for every part of you — from your face shape to your fashion sense.