How to Pick Sunglasses

There are so many options to choose from when it comes time to pick a new pair of sunglasses, which can make the process fun but also a little daunting. Start by picking out the right size and style of frames for your face shape. From there, you can decide what color of lens is going to fit your needs best. Take your time making your decision and enjoy your new and improved pair of sunglasses!

Method

1

Picking Sunglasses Based on Your Face Shape

Opt for large brown or black frames if you have an oval-shaped face. If you have an oval-shaped face, you can wear almost any pair of frames you like. Darker colored lenses will accentuate your cheekbones. Cat-eye frames, aviators, round frames, squared frames, and others are fun options for you to explore.[1]

If your face is oval-shaped but also on the smaller side, stick with smaller, shorter frames instead of overly-large ones so that your facial features aren’t hidden. Wayfarer, hingeless, rectangle, and rimless or semi-rimless frames would be good options to look into.

With an oval-shaped face, you may want to pay more attention to your hair color and skin tone. For example, if you have pale skin, brown sunglasses could play nicely against your light skin. If you have darker skin, black frames could look very sophisticated. Green could look nice against pale skin, and yellow looks great against darker skin. Try out a few options to see which looks best.

Determine Your Face Shape: Look directly into a mirror and use a dry-erase marker or some lipstick to trace the outline of your face onto the mirror. Step back and look at the shape. Is it most like a square, a circle, an oval, or a heart?

2

Pick smaller frames or cat-eye glasses if you have a heart-shaped face. Heart-shaped faces tend to have larger brows and a smaller chin. Too-large sunglasses will take over your face and look bulky. In addition to cat-eye frames, round glasses, smaller rectangular glasses, and rimless glasses are nice options to pick from.[2]

Pick a color of shade that complements your skin tone. For example, if your skin has red undertones, steer clear of red or pink shades—opt for a cooler color, like blue or purple.

3

Go for a bigger, rounder frame if you have a square-shaped face. If you have wide cheekbones, a wide forehead, and a noticeable jawline, you most likely have a square-shaped face. If you wear small frames, they could make your face look bigger than it is. Avoid sunglasses with lots of angles, as they will make your face look boxy.[3]

Aviators in the classic, teardrop, or square shape are great picks if you have a square-shaped face.

Black frames tend to look larger than colored frames. If you don’t want black sunglasses, opt for a deeper color, like gray, purple, or even dark green.

4

Choose a wider, angled frame if you have a round-shaped face. Round faces tend to be about equal in height and width, so it’s important to choose sunglasses that are a little wider than the broadest section of your face. Rectangular and square sunglasses are great options for this face shape, as are wayfarer, sport, and retro frames.[4]

Avoid circular frames, as they will just make your face look rounder. 

Don’t be afraid to pick lenses with a little bit of bling around the edges. A cool pattern, rhinestones, or even glitter can be a great addition to your sunglasses.

Method

2

Choosing the Right Color Lens

1

Opt for brown or amber lenses if you need to see far distances easily. If you play golf, spend time hiking in the great outdoors, go boating, or do anything else that requires you to look out at long distances, amber lenses can improve your depth perception and strain your eyes less than other lenses would. The red hue makes the contrast between landscape and sky much more apparent.[5]

Warning: Amber and brown frames aren’t the best for cloudy conditions so they don’t make the best driving sunglasses. They can impair your vision a little bit if the light is dim.

2

Pick gray or black lenses if you live in an equally sunny and cloudy area. Darker lenses reduce glare, provide protection for your eyes, and keep your eyes from getting fatigued. They’re a good pick if you do a lot of outdoor activities, like jogging, biking, or fishing, and they are also a good pick to wear while driving.[6]

Gray lenses are also great for people who love spending time in nature—you should still be able to see the things around you in their most natural color.

3

Look stylish while protecting your eyes with blue sunglass lenses. Blue lenses reduce glare, help you see details more clearly, and are good for both sunny and cloudy conditions. Plus, they look fashionable![7]

Blue lenses are popular with people who enjoy snow sports, like snowboarding and skiing.