5 Factors to Consider When Picking New Frames

December 1, 2022

Finding New Frames Doesn't Need to be a Hassle

We’ve all been there before. You’ve got a new prescription or maybe you’re replacing your old pair of glasses and suddenly you are confronted with a wall of frames and you suddenly have to decide what your face is going to look like with your glasses for the next couple of years. It’s daunting and exhausting and the last thing you want is to make the wrong decision.

Don’t you worry, we’re here with you to help you choose a pair of frames that you’re going to love. We’ve compiled a list of five factors that you should consider when picking your new frames that will make the task feel less herculean.

1. What is your face shape

You’ve probably already read a million articles about picking frames for your face shape that have you spending a confounding amount of time trying to figure out if your face is a heart or an oval or a diamond to the point where you might be even more unsure about what type of frames you would look good in than when you started!

The truth is that human faces are incredibly diverse in proportions and size and yours probably doesn’t fit neatly into one of five categories. While these categories (square, oval, diamond, heart, round) can be a useful template, don’t stress it too much, because there’s actually a much simpler rule of thumb: choose frames that contrast the roundness or the angles of your face. If your face is rounder with softer curves, choose a more angular frame to highlight your bone structure. If your face is more angular, choose rounder frames to soften it a bit. If you start from here, your choice instantly becomes less daunting.

2. Create harmony with your skin tone

Now that you’ve chosen a shape that compliments your face well, you need to find a color that suits your skin tone.

If your skin has a yellow, bronze, or golden tone to it, you have a warm skin tone that will look best with warm earth tones such as beige, ochre, honey-gold, and lighter tortoiseshell. You should avoid washed out hues such as pastels as it will clash with your skin’s natural luster.

Cool skin tones have undertones of blue or pink and will look better with darker colors such as black, navy blue, and dark tortoiseshell. Avoid warm earth tones.

Keep in mind that skin tone is different from skin color. Skin tone is more how your skin looks in the light than a base color. People with darker skin can have cool skin tones and people with paler skin can have warm skin tones and vice versa.

3. Consider your lifestyle

You need a set of frames that can keep up with you, so it’s important to take your lifestyle into account. If you spend most of your time working on a computer indoors, then you might want to prioritize lenses and frames that will be comfortable looking at a screen for extended periods of time.

On the other hand, if work takes you outside and has you working with your hands, you’ll probably want something durable that can survive a fall or two.

Likewise, a more hardy frame would probably be better if you play a lot of sports and spend your time in the gym. Heavier, more fashion-minded frames might be better if you spend your free time socializing or at home.

4. Eyeglasses are not sunglasses!

You might look amazing in a pair of aviator or wayfarer sunglasses, but this does not mean you will look good in eyeglasses with the same frame! Eyeglasses will proportion your face differently, so it’s important to take that into account when making your decision.

5. But what do you like?

Look, you could agonize all day about what kind of eyeglasses will frame your face the best, and skin tones, and face shapes, but at the end of the day, you are the one wearing them, so you should choose something that you like! Show your personality and get the frames that speak to you. You can get something more conservative for special occasions, but make sure that you are wearing a pair of glasses that is uniquely you!

We hope this has helped you narrow down your choices a bit. If you feel overwhelmed, just prioritize finding something that you enjoy and if you ever have any questions, stop by our office and let us help you find the frame that fits you the best!

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