15 Sunglasses Styles for Every Face Shape
August 21, 2024 • 4:30 PM
Accessories are our version of sunshine on a cloudy day. And no accessory shines as bright as a pair of sunnies. The sun may be the brightest star in the sky, but some extra dark sunglasses bring instant star quality to your wardrobe.
Unless you’re a pilot wearing aviator sunglasses or a wayfarer sunglasses-wearer in Hollywood, you probably don’t know which sunglasses suit you. If you want a pair of sunglasses that makes you look and feel good, you need to find a style that flatters your face and reflects your personality (with or without reflective lenses).
We’ve rounded up 15 sunglasses styles that will make your personal style shine through. Take a peek to find the perfect pair to brighten up your wardrobe. But before we start, let’s discuss the importance of sunglasses beyond making you look like an absolute style icon.
Why Is Wearing Sunglasses Important?
Sure, sunglasses can be fashion-forward accessibility accessories, but they also serve an important purpose: They keep your eyes safe from harmful UV rays that could damage them.
The sun’s rays can penetrate the outer parts of your eye and reach the retina at the back of your eye. Both UVA and UVB rays can reach the retina, where your vision cells are. These cells are responsible for changing the light collected by the cornea and pupil into electrical signals and shooting them up the optic nerve to your brain, where they’re interpreted into images.
When these cells become damaged, they don’t regenerate, which can mean you can lose all or some of your vision. That said, there is no correlation between the amount of sun protection you get and the darkness of your sunglasses lenses. Just because you’re wearing the perfect pair of sunglasses with a dark lens color doesn’t mean you’re getting protection — you may just look cool.
Most sunglasses will be marked with their level of UV protection on the arm, but if you can’t find that information there, check the manufacturer’s website. Just so you know, you can also have UV protection in eyewear that has non-shaded lenses. Polycarbonate material, for instance, is a popular form of durable eyewear that is naturally UV-protective without shading.
Once you find a high-quality brand that offers UV protection, you can start to shop for the perfect shape and style. One way to determine what suits you best is to know your face shape.
Your Face Shape
Chances are you already know your face shape. If not, head to the nearest mirror and use this little cheat sheet to help you figure out what your face most closely resembles.
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Heart-Shaped Faces: These faces taper from the forehead to the chin, and the cheekbones are more prominent than in other face shapes.
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Square Faces: Square faces have the same width and length, with an angular jawline.
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Round Faces: Round face shapes are equally wide as they are long. However, they have softer features, a less angled jawline, and fuller cheeks.
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Oblong Faces: Oblong face shapes have a longer length than width and less prominent cheekbones.
Using your face shape as a guide can help you find the best sunglasses to complement your features and give you the timeless style you’re searching for.
15 Sunglasses Styles That Shine
These 15 sunglasses styles feature lightweight frames made from plant-based cellulose acetate. They’re sturdier than rimless frames and less likely to cause irritation than metal frames.
They’re available with single-vision and progressive prescription lenses, non-prescription lenses, and even reading glasses lenses (in case you want to spend your summer beachside with your favorite beach read).
Once you find a pair that suits your style needs, you can customize it to suit your eye care needs. Each of these styles is available in six different frame colors: black, tortoiseshell, blue tortoiseshell, clear, blue clear, and pink clear. And with Pair Eyewear’s clip-on Top Frames, you can change the color of your frames at any time.
You can also choose from six different lens tints, including four with reflective coatings: black, brown, green, silver reflective, blue reflective, pink reflective, and green reflective. No matter which tinted lenses you choose, they’ll be polarized for better UV protection. (Whenever you have the choice between polarized and non-polarized sunglasses, you should choose polarized to better protect your eyes.)
All these lens type, tint, and frame options make these 15 pairs some of the most customizable sunglasses around. We’ll help you decide which frames will look best on you based on your face shape and size. (If you’re not sure about your size, learn how to measure for sunglasses.) Plus, we’ll share tips for styling your sunnies, no matter which style of sunglasses you choose.
1. The Kirby
This unisex style is subtle and sophisticated. With thin rims and a square frame, it’s a look that never goes out of style. Perhaps that’s why The Kirby is a perennial bestseller.
Best for: Average-sized oval and round face shapes
Style it: We like to pair The Kirby with the Woodgrain Top Frame for a vintage vibe that reminds us of a 1960s surf town.
2. The Larkin
Another bestseller, The Larkin frame shines because of its subtle proportions. This is a rectangle sunglasses frame where each lens is just a little wider than it is tall. The result is a not-too-small, not-too-big Goldilocks frame that’s perfect for narrow faces.
Best for: Narrow oval and round face shapes
Style it: Style The Larkin with the Champagne Sparkle Top Frame — a gold glitter frame to match their Goldilocks fit.
3. The Wanda
The cat-eye frame shape is so iconic that Google even dedicated a doodle to its inventor. And The Wanda cat-eye sunglasses embody all of the retro, feminine glamor associated with this style. Their oversized fit will make any wearer look like a Hollywood starlet.
Best for: Average-sized heart-shaped, oval, round, square, triangular, and diamond face shapes
Style it: We like to embrace the Girl Boss vibes of these frames by pairing them with a Hot Pink Top Frame.
4. The Ella
For a smaller frame with that same cat-eye style, The Ella is an iconic choice. In addition to their unapologetically feminine style, we also love that cat-eye frames are flattering on almost every face shape.
Best for: Narrow heart-shaped, oval, round, square, triangular, and diamond face shapes
Style it: Lean into the retro design of these glasses by adding a Navy Pin Dot Top Frame that’s reminiscent of a vintage sailor dress.
5. The Finley
With its thin frame and silhouette that sits just below the browline and above the cheekbones, The Finley is an ultra-comfortable frame. The classic, rectangular style looks great on men and women.
Best for: Narrow oval and round face shapes
Style it: The Teal to Espresso Gradient Top Frames add a little edge to these subtle sunglasses without sacrificing their classic appeal.
6. The Casper
If you can’t decide between round sunglasses and square sunglasses, then The Casper is the perfect compromise — that doesn’t compromise on style. This shape has square lines that are great for accentuating the jawline with slightly rounded corners that make it flattering on a wider variety of face shapes.
Best for: Average-sized heart-shaped, oval, round, and diamond face shapes
Style it: With a shape that’s both round and square, we like to pair these sunnies with the Black and White Top Frames so we get double the shapes, double the colors, and double the fun.
7. The Twain
These extra narrow frames look great on men, women, and even older kids. The Twain features square lines for a look that’s a little bit edgy and adds a sharp contrast to round jawlines.
Best for: Very narrow oval and round face shapes
Style it: We like to emphasize the edginess of these frames with the Frida Sugar Skulls Top Frame.
8. The Reese
If you’re looking for round frames, The Reese offers a well-rounded style. This unisex design is flattering on smaller faces with proportionately large lenses to cut out the glare.
Best for: Narrow oval, square, triangular, and diamond face shapes
Style it: Double up on classic design by pairing your black or clear frames with Tortoise Top Frames.
9. The Otis
If you like round and oval sunglasses, but Harry Potter and John Lennon-style glasses have taken it a little too far for your taste, then this subtly rounded style may be just what you’re looking for. The Otis has a gently arching topline to mirror your browline and subtly rounded corners to soften angular features.
Best for: Average-sized oval, square, and oblong face shapes
Style it: These may not be quite as round as Harry Potter glasses, but you can still make them an homage to everyone’s favorite wizard with a pair of Gryffindor Plaid Top Frames.
10. The Soto
These round sunglasses offer a no-nonsense style that we can’t get enough of. The simple, round frames are as classic as it gets, and the style looks good as both women’s and men’s sunglasses.
Best for: Average-sized oval, square, and oblong face shapes
Style it: For a sophisticated way to make your frames pop, add a simple White Top Frame. The light tone draws the eye and plays nicely with any lens tint.
11. The Quinn
Of the many different types of sunglasses out there, teardrop-shaped sunglasses may be the only ones iconic enough to compete with cat-eye glasses. The Quinn oversized sunglasses frames are reminiscent of the sunglasses Audrey Hepburn wears in “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” and have an equally dramatic flare.
Best for: Wide heart-shaped, oval, round, triangular, and diamond face shapes
Style it: These thick frames are the perfect excuse to play with a dramatic, feminine print. Pair them with the Rainbow Mermaid Top Frame for all your summer beach days.
12. The Harper
With an oversized cat-eye silhouette, The Harper are here for the drama. They have major movie star energy, and the large lenses will keep you incognito.
Best for: Wide heart-shaped, oval, round, triangular, and diamond face shapes
Style it: The thick topline of these frames gives you plenty of room for a fun print. Try the Almond Blossom Split Top Frames for a feminine floral look.
13. The Jessie
The Jessie provides plenty of ‘70s-inspired retro style in a classic rectangular frame that will always look good. The thick frames make these sunglasses a bold style statement.
Best for: Wide heart-shaped, oval, round, triangular, or diamond face shapes
Style it: We like to pair these rectangular frames with a bright color, like the Turquoise Top Frame, to emphasize their oversized style.
14. The Murphy
If you love Mod style, get ready to meet your match. The Murphy are the most iconic square sunglasses on this list. With their straight topline and the geometric angles of the nose bridge, every part of this pair offers articulated design.
Best for: Extra-wide heart-shaped, oval, triangular, or oblong face shapes
Style it: The Vincent Stripes Top Frames alternate between muted Mod colors that complement this pair perfectly.
15. The Drew
For an effortlessly cool rectangular pair, The Drew will make you look like the heartthrob in an ‘80s flick. They’re ready to hit the beach or hit the road for an epic summer road trip.
Best for: Extra-wide oval, round, or triangular face shapes
Style it: These sunglasses have strong ‘80s beach style, so we like to pair them with the Ocean Blue Top Frames.
The World Looks Bright in Sunnies
When you look good, you feel good. So, a sunglasses style that perfectly encapsulates your style will make you feel confident, cool, and dare we say — sunny.
Even through dark lenses, the world looks brighter when you let your personality shine. And at Pair Eyewear, we help you show off your personality with sunglasses styles that you can customize with Top Frames in your favorite color, pattern, or print.
All of our summer sunglasses come with polarized lenses to protect your eyes from UV rays, and you can choose from non-prescription, single-vision, progressive, or reading glasses lenses. You can even transform your prescription eyeglasses into sunglasses with our polarized Sun Tops.
We help you make sure you’re choosing the best sunglasses style for you with virtual try-on and a 30-day warranty. Start customizing your frames at Pair Eyewear to see how the perfect pair can brighten your day.
Sources:
How to Find Your Face Shape | Real Simple
Altina Schinasi's 116th Birthday Doodle | Google Doodles