Big-Frame Glasses: Shoppable Links for the Oversized Look

October 20, 2023 • 10:00 AM

Big-frame glasses are a popular choice for glasses shoppers. They can showcase your personality and take your style up a notch, and they’re very functional too. The question is, are big-frame glasses right for you?

Let’s clarify what big-frame glasses are and why you might choose this type of eyewear. We’ll also discuss how to select the right design and fit, so they take you through the day in comfort and style.

What Are Big-Frame or Oversized Glasses?

Big-frame glasses have been made trendy again by a host of celebrities, but they’re actually pretty retro. In fact, they date all the way back to the 1960s, when they were first popularized by Jackie Kennedy. Of course, they’ve evolved a lot since then and they’re now available in a host of different shapes, styles, and colors.

Also known as extended-fit glasses or sometimes thick-frame glasses, oversized glasses aren’t a frame size per se. They’re simply glasses that are oversized for your specific features.

They’re also not necessarily the same thing as wide glasses. Wide-frame glasses are mostly about the horizontal width, while the lenses of big-frame glasses are often fairly high as well.

You can get big frames for non-prescription or prescription glasses, reading glasses, or multifocals. They also work well for sunglasses and blue-light glasses.

Why Choose Big-Frame Glasses?

Big-frame or thick-frame glasses have many things going for them, apart from the fact that they’re classic and functional.

If you have a big personality and like to stand out from the crowd, the visual impact of a bold pair of large eyeglasses can certainly help you do that. On the other hand, a more subtle pair can hide your features and expression — especially if they’re oversized sunglasses — giving you a glamorous yet mysterious look. And yet another style may give off intellectual vibes.

From an aesthetic perspective, big-frame glasses put your eyes front and center, making them look large and expressive — if they’re one of your best features, they deserve to be highlighted. Thick-frame glasses also help to balance out slightly larger facial features — for example, if you want to de-emphasize your nose — helping them to look smaller.

And from a purely practical perspective, big-frame glasses are sturdy and provide extra protection for your eyes on sunny days, especially if they’re polarized sunglasses. Those features can be very useful whether you’re driving, playing an outdoor sport, or lounging around by the pool. Not to mention that squinting into the sun can give you a headache and eye strain.

The Fit of Your Big-Frame Eyeglasses

Big frame glasses: man wearing a pair of eyeglasses while holding 3 pairs of eyeglasses

The way your large-frame glasses fit is very important, even if they’re not bifocals. If you do have progressive lenses though, it’s especially critical as the lenses are designed to sit in a specific place on your face.

This isn’t about how your oversized eyeglasses look but about how they improve your vision and how they feel — and they should feel completely comfortable. Look out for these fitting factors:

They should fit your bridge so they don’t pinch your nose or keep slipping down.
The lens width and end pieces (the parts that extend to the sides of the lenses) should be the right size, so the arms don’t squeeze the sides of your head.
The arms should be the correct length, so they don’t pull against your ears or extend too far beyond them.
They should feel good on your face, without touching your cheeks or any other part of your face, even when you smile.
They shouldn’t be too heavy or they’ll really weigh you down after a while.

If you’re not able to tick all these boxes, check if your thick-frame glasses have spring hinges or nose pads; tweaking these can make a big difference. If you can’t make the necessary adjustments to the glasses you’re considering, you may need to choose another set of frames.

Shoppable Big-Frame Glasses

Big frame glasses: The Electric Purple Sparkle

With the huge range of big-frame glasses available these days, you may be wondering how to choose the right ones for you.

In a nutshell, your thick-frame glasses should be in proportion to your face (if slightly oversized) and complement your features, not overpower them. Getting this right depends on the frame shape and color.

Glasses Frame Shape

The frame shape you choose should contrast with your face shape to create balance.

So if you have a round face, square, rectangular, or cat-eye glasses can work well. Whereas if your face is more angular, oval or round glasses are likely to complement that best. If you have an oval face shape, you’re lucky — you can wear almost anything.

When you’re looking for big-frame glasses, you can simply select the oversized version of one of these ideal frame shapes for you. Remember that fit matters too though, so it’s worth consulting the size guide of the retailer you’re buying from.

To support the weight of the bigger lenses, we recommend a full rim over a rimless or semi-rimless style, which tends to be more fragile. At Pair Eyewear, we use cellulose acetate for our eyeglass rims instead of metal frames, making them lightweight and durable.

Try one of these stylish Pair big frames.

The Jessie

The modified rectangular frames of The Jessie are modern and sophisticated. They work well for round, oval, and heart-shaped faces, as well as triangular and diamond shapes.