Best Sunglasses For Your Face Shape, A Men’s Guide

Sunglasses are an important accessory to your look, but it’s important to make sure the sunglasses you wear complement your face shape. The Best Sunglasses For Your Face Shape, A Men’s Guide will help you decide on your next pair!

You’ll find that The Best Sunglasses for Your Face Shape, A Men’s Guide is very similar to Best Haircut for your Face Shape, a Men’s Guide, primarily because it’s important to first distinguish what type of face shape you have by measuring, well, your face!

Once measured, you’ll figure out whether you are one of the seven face shapes: square, oval, rectangle/oblong, round, diamond, heart, or triangle.

There are a few ways to measure your face shape, but the most accurate involves a photo, printer, pen, and ruler. If you are more tech savvy than I am, you can probably figure out how to make the measurements directly on your computer using a screen ruler.

Here’s How to Measure Your Face Shape

Step 1: Grab your smart phone and take a photo of your face. It needs to be straight on, direct, and not cutting off any portion of your head or face.

Step 2: Print the photo off, ensuring your face covers a fairly large portion of the paper.

Step 3: Make a dot at the bottom of your chin and another at the center of your hairline at the top of your forehead.

Step 4: Make a dot where your jaw is widest (roughly an inch below the ear lobe) and a second on the other side.

Step 5: Make a dot where your cheekbones are widest and a second on the other side.

Step 6: Make a dot at your hairline on the sides of your forehead. This will be about halfway between your eyebrows and the top of your hairline.

Note: If you have a receding hairline, estimate where it should be when placing dots.

Check out the following photo below for dot placement:

Next, grab a ruler. You’ll need to make four measurements across the face and connect the dots: face length, jawline, forehead, cheekbones. Write each measurement down.

Face length: measure vertically from the tip of your chin to the center point of your widow’s peak

Jawline: measure horizontally from point to point at the center of the jaw

Forehead: measure horizontally from points at the hairline

Cheekbones: measure horizontally from point to point at the cheekbones

Write each measurement down and circle the largest.

Now, let’s figure out your face shape!

Square: Measurements are roughly equal, but the jawline is sharp, not curved or rounded.

Oval: The shape of an upside-down egg, where the forehead is bigger than the jawline, and the face length is bigger than the cheekbones. The jawline is not sharp, but it is more rounded or curved.

Rectangle/Oblong: Face length is the longest measurement, and the others are roughly the same.

Round: Cheekbone and face length measurement are about the same. Cheekbones are slightly larger than the forehead or jawline but are almost equal. The jawline is not sharp and is more curved/rounded.

Diamond: The cheekbones are the largest measurement. The jawline and forehead have roughly the same width, and the chin is pointy.

Heart: Forehead is the greatest measurement, then cheekbones, then jawline. The chin is pointy.

Triangle: Opposite of heart, the jawline is the largest measurement, then cheekbones, then forehead. Often, a narrow forehead is balanced by a very strong chin.

Now that you know your face shape, let’s figure out what types of sunglasses there are.

Types of Sunglasses

There are several types of sunglasses to choose from:

Round
Square/Rectangle
Aviator-Developed in the 1930’s for military pilots, these are timeless, tear-drop shaped, and usually have wire rims. They sometimes have squared edges.
Wayfarers-a classic since the 1950’s. Think Tom Cruise in Risky Business. These are arguably the most iconic type of sunglasses around. Although they have a general look, they can vary from angled to curved.
Wrap-very popular in the late 2000’s and early 2010’s, wrap sunglasses tend to have very wide temples (aka “arms”) that go from the side of the frame to the ears.
Clubmasters-a classic that has ebbed and flowed in popularity of the decades (currently very popular), these have wayfarer styled upper rims, which transition downward to rimless (or thin metal rim) at the bottom half. These can come with squared or rounded corners.
Shield-think protection. These are generally big, reflective and help protect a large portion of the eye area. You typically see cyclists, outdoor athletes and military personnel wearing shield sunglasses.

Now that we know your face shape, types of sunglasses, let’s figure out the best sunglasses for your face shape.

Best Sunglasses for Your Face Shape, A Men’s Guide

The main goal when it comes to picking the best sunglasses for your face shape is to:

Choose a pair that emphasizes your best facial features (or features you’d like to enhance)
Choose sunglasses that contrast your face shape, not mimic it.
Choose frames that correspond with your face size. In other words, big faces can sport bigger, bolder frames. Smaller faces should stick with smaller, skinnier frames.

Just like face shapes, there can be hybrids of sunglasses. For example, your face shape may pass for oblong or oval, and clubmasters, may be rounded or squared.

At the end of the day, remember that there are no hard and fast rules when it comes to style. It’s your face, your money, your sunglasses. Choose what makes you happy.

Square Face Shape

Due to the sharper angles on your face, choose a pair of sunglasses that has rounded corners and curves. This helps to balance the sharpness of your face.

Square face shape sunglasses:

Round
Aviators
Clubmaster (rounded)
Wayfarer (rounded)

Smith Langley – $169

OTIS Flint Reflect – $200

Oakley Latch Key M – $120

Oval Face Shape

Those with an oval face shape can get away with pretty much any style. Although, the best sunglasses are typically square/rectangular in shape or bottom heavy with an upward lift. Just make sure your sunglasses aren’t too wide.

Oval face shape sunglasses:

Square
Wayfarer
Clubmaster
Wrap

RAEN Gilman – $170

Smith Haywire – $179

OTIS Life On Mars – $250

Rectangle/Oblong Face Shape

The oblong face shape works well with oversized glasses, and thicker, bolder frames add dimension and width. Since your facial features can vary from sharp to rounded, remember to choose a style that contrasts your angles. For example, if you have an oblong face shape but sharp jaw and strong chin, go for rounded sunglasses. If your features are softer and rounder, go for stronger angles in your sunglasses.

Rectangle/oblong face shape sunglasses:

Round (if you have sharp facial features)
Square/rectangle (if you have softer facial features)
Wayfarers
Clubmaster
Wrap
Shield

Oakley Holbrook XL – $186

Electric Nashville XL – $100

Oakley Drop Point – $196

Round Face Shape

Avoid circular frames, which will only over emphasize the roundness of your face. Instead, aim for sunglasses that are rectangular and has angles.

Round face shape sunglasses:

Aviators (squared)
Square/rectangle
Wayfarer (squared)
Wrap

RAEN Pierce – $175

Smith Soundtrack – $179

OTIS In The Fade – $240

Diamond Face Shape

Most frames will work, but it’s important to avoid overly wide, rectangular frames, as these will only accentuate the wideness of the cheekbones further. This makes forehead and chin appear smaller. Choose something that has slightly gentler curves.

Diamond face shape sunglasses:

Round
Aviator
Wayfarer (rounded)
Clubmaster (rounded)

Sunski Avila – $58

OTIS A Day Late – $230

Oakley Frogskins – $136

Heart Face Shape

Due to the wideness of your forehead and narrower chin, square frames are usually best. Avoid anything teardrop shaped or anything too big. Go with sharper corners that have a bottom emphasis and no straight, bold lines along the top. The goal is to shift attention downward and away from the forehead.

Heart face shape sunglasses:

Square
Aviator (squared)
Wayfarer (squared)

RAEN West – $150

RAEN Munroe – $160

Electric Swingarm S – $150

Triangle Face Shape

Teardrop shapes are best, where there is a top down emphasis to balance out a narrower forehead and larger chin/jaw area. You can even sport sunglasses with bolder, straight lines at the top (sometimes called D-Frame).

Triangle face shape sunglasses: