How To Choose Glasses: A 6-Step Guide

Choosing a pair of glasses is undoubtedly a big decision. After all, there are very few other accessories that you wear every single day.

With a seemingly endless number of frame styles available nowadays, it can be overwhelming and even a bit daunting to pick out a pair of new glasses.

At Pair Eyewear, we think finding your next frame should be fun, not stressful. That’s why we’re breaking the process down into six easy steps.

We’re also all about embracing change and providing dynamic and versatile glasses, so we’ll introduce you to our Top Frames. (Spoiler alert: The days of being stuck with one color frame are long gone.)

1. Figure Out What Type of Glasses You Need

Before you get to the exciting part where you choose your frame style and color, you need to figure out what type of glasses you need.

Depending on your overall eye health and the state of your vision, you’ll need a specific type of lens which may impact the style of frame you go for.

Schedule an appointment with your optician to get your eyes checked. They’ll be able to tell you if you need prescription glasses to wear at all times or if reading glasses alone will suffice. At the eye doctor, you can also talk through all the potential options for vision correction, like progressives, contact lenses, and so on.

2. Think About Your Face Shape

Once you have your prescription in hand, it’s time to think about your face shape.

Before we dive into all of our recommendations for the best frame shape based on the shape of your face, it’s important to note that it should be your personal preference — not your facial features — that determines the glasses you choose. If you find a frame that you love, always listen to that feeling. These are guidelines, not rules!

Round Face

If you have a round face, you’ll likely look great in square or rectangular frames. This style will elongate your face slightly and contrast your rounder features.

Oval Face

For those with oval faces, glasses with a pronounced bridge might complement them. If you fall into this category, you may want to look for frames that are a bit wider than your face and more geometric.

Square Face

Oval frames and round frames are a great option to balance out the more angular features of a square face. Round glasses that sit high on your nose will most likely suit a square face.

Diamond Face

If you have a diamond face, your forehead and chin are narrower than the middle section of your face. Cat-eye glasses and oval glasses are great choices if you notice these facial features because they will draw attention to your cheekbones.

Heart-Shaped Face

If you have a heart-shaped face, your forehead is broad and your jawline is narrow. You might also notice that you have a more pronounced, defined chin.

If this sounds like you, you’ll want to go for low-set glasses that seem bottom-heavy. They might have noticeable curves or thick frames.

3. Get a Feel for Different Materials

When you’re looking for a new frame, it can also be helpful to consider what material you like the best. The different materials used to make glasses have different looks and functions. This section will take a look at three of the most common materials used to make glasses so that you can find the perfect frames for you.

Metal Frames

The biggest benefit of metal frames is that they’re usually lightweight and feature a thin frame. If you like the appearance of rimless frames or semi-rimless designs, you’ll likely want to look for a mental frame.

The potential downside of metal frames is that they usually come with rubber nose pads to make them more comfortable. If you lose one of these pads or don’t like how they feel, then finding a metal frame you don’t mind wearing might be a challenge.

Titanium Frames

Although titanium is a type of metal, we’re giving titanium its own section here because titanium frames have become wildly popular. These frames are long-lasting, strong, and don’t corrode easily. Part of the reason people seek them out is because they’re hypoallergenic.

If you have an allergy to another type of metal or just sensitive skin in general but still want the metallic look, titanium is likely the material for you. Unfortunately, titanium frames tend to be pricey.

Plastic Frames

The final frame material on our list is plastic.Acetate frames have several advantages that are important to keep in mind when you’re shopping for the perfect pair of glasses. When glasses frames are plastic, they can be made in almost limitless amounts of colors and patterns.

Plus, plastic frames can also be made thicker than metal frames, which is good for higher prescriptions. Plastic frames also tend to be cheaper than metal and titanium frames (which is especially important if you’re getting glasses for your little one who has a habit of losing or breaking frames).

At Pair Eyewear, our frames are made out of cellulose acetate, a tough material that can handle the wear and tear of everyday life.

4. Consider Color

Another way to help narrow your search is to consider what color frame you want. If you have a warm skin tone, then brown, gold, and tortoise-colored frames will likely draw out the peachy or bronzy undertones in your skin.

If you notice that your skin has pink or bluish undertones, then silver, blue, and purple frames may beautifully complement the cool tones in your skin. All that said, you should be able to switch up your specs just like you do with your other clothes and accessories.

If this all sounds interesting, but you have no idea what the undertone color of your skin is, don’t worry — there’s a quick trick you can use.

Take a look at your veins. If your veins are blue or purple, you likely have a cool undertone. If your veins have a greenish hue, you likely have a warmer undertone.

With our Top Frames, finding the perfect color has become a whole lot easier. All you need to do is choose a Base Frame you love, then search through our collection to find a variety of Top Frames you love. Whenever you’re craving a color or pattern change, you can simply snap on a new Top Frame… and just like that, you’ll have a whole new look!

Top Frames make the question of finding the “right glasses” so much simpler. You can even Build Your Own Bundle of Top Frames that will allow you to tailor your frames to the task at hand.

5. Match Your Frames With Your Lifestyle

You should also keep in mind that your eyeglass frames should match your lifestyle. If you spend hours every day staring at your computer screen, you might want to choose glasses that protect your eyes against blue light.

Active people who wear their glasses hiking, climbing, and on other outdoor adventures might benefit from more durable glasses frames or transition lenses. The bottom line is that the best glasses for you will be the glasses that you feel the most confident in and are the most well-suited to your day-to-day life.

6. Let Your Personality Lead the Way

Last but certainly not least, you should always let your personality and personal style lead the way when it comes to choosing your next pair of glasses. If you love all things retro, then cat-eye frames might be ideal for you.

For people who like to keep in classic, a rectangular frame like The Kirby will be a perfect fit.

Keep in mind that the Top Frames from Pair Eyewear allow you to match your glasses to the vibe of the event, your outfit, or even your mood. By swapping out your Top Frames to fit with different aesthetics, you can use your glasses as another form of self-expression.

Wrapping Up

The perfect glasses are out there — you just have to find them. If you follow these six simple steps, you’ll find the right pair that meets all your needs, doesn’t break the bank, and feel totally “you.” When you want to mix things up a little bit, take a look at the Top Frames from Pair Eyewear.

Sources:

Learn About Eye Health | National Eye Institute

Blue-light filtering spectacle lenses for visual performance, sleep, and macular health in adults | NIH

The effects of photochromic lenses on visual performance | NIH

Finding Your Unique Path: Exploring The Importance Of Self-Expression | MindOwl