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Everyone has different
needs when choosing eyeglass frames.
Proper fit and a style that suits you
are probably your two main objectives.
Your face size and shape, hair and eye
color, and other factors should affect
your decision. To make the best
selection, you should have a good
understanding of what constitutes
"proper fit." This will affect how your
glasses look, whether or not they are
comfortable, and how well you see with
them.
Proper Fit
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| Proper
temple width, bridge iz and
position of pupils are essential
to good fitting frames. |
- Temple to
temple -
The first variable in fitting frames
is width. The distance between your
temples should determine the width
of the frames.
- Temple to ear
- The
temples should be long enough to fit
comfortably around your ears, but
short enough to effectively hold
your glasses on your face with your
lenses positioned properly.
- Bridge -
The next
factor is the bridge, the part that
joins the lenses and crosses your
nose. The width of the bridge and
whether it is low or high on the
frame varies. These should match
your needs according to the length
and width of your nose.
- Pupil position
- The most
important factor for your glasses to
work is the position of the pupils
in the lenses. In single vision
lenses, the pupils should be close
to the center of the lenses to take
full advantage of the refractive
correction. For multi-focal lenses,
there should be enough room just
below the pupil for unhampered
focusing on close visual work.
- Fit with
function -
If your frames fit
properly, they will not pinch or
move around on your face when you
smile, raise your eyebrows, or make
any facial expressions. They should
not rest on your cheeks, touch your
temples, or make contact with your
brows. If any of your normal
expressions or movements shifts your
glasses or causes discomfort, they
may not be appropriate for you.
However, adjustments to the ear
pieces, nose pieces, or other parts
of the frame may improve the fit.
The Right Style
The color, shape and proportions of your
eyes, eyebrows, hair, hairline, nose and
cheeks are all physical features that
should be taken into account when you
choose your frames. Eyeglasses come in
all shapes, sizes and colors, and they
make a statement about you. Choosing the
right style can be tricky, but there are
a few general rules that you might find
helpful.
Face Shape
The shape of your frames should work
well with the shape of your face. There
are five main face shapes: oval, round,
rectangular, square and triangular.
Determine the shape of your face. Once
you do, it will be easier to see the
effects of various frames on your
overall look.
 |
| Proper
temple width, bridge iz and
position of pupils are essential
to good fitting frames. |
- Oval -
If you have an
oval face, you have the widest range
of frames to choose from. Large,
small, conservative or trendy, all
kinds will suit you, as long as they
fit properly.
- Round -
Frames can either
accentuate or downplay this shape.
Oval or round eyeglasses will make
your face look rounder and softer.
Frames with crisp, straight lines
will give you a more structured,
angular look.
- Rectangular -
Smaller
frames with a horizontal line tend
to emphasize the length of a
rectangular face. Bigger, longer
frames will make your face appear
shorter.
- Square -
Circular
and oval glasses will contrast the
squareness; straight lines,
rectangular or triangular frames
will emphasize it.
- Triangular -
Glasses
with pointed angles will bring out
the shape of your face. If it's a
straighter, longer look you want,
try on some rectangular frames.
Nose
The size and position of the bridge of
your frames should be adjusted according
to the length, width, and depth of your
nose. If your nose is short, narrow or
high, the bridge should be placed high.
Long, wide or low noses need wide and
low bridges. These positions can help
create the most complementary look for
your glasses and face.
Hairstyle
Hairstyle is another variable of shape
that should be considered when choosing
your frame. If you have bangs, avoid
glasses that are too large. Frames that
are too dark or heavy in combination
with bangs can cause your face to
disappear. Short hair will showcase your
glasses better than any other style.
Short styles create a clean-cut look.
You can emphasize a refined, classic
image or contrast it. Hairstyles with
high volume that expose your face and
make your head look bigger need to be
counterbalanced with larger frames to
maintain the proportion.
If you change your
hairstyle often, you may want to
consider more than one pair of glasses
to go with them. Your hairstyle and your
glasses work together to shape your
face.
Eyebrows
The position of your glasses relative to
your eyebrows is the final factor in
determining the shape of your frames.
Glasses should not hide the eyebrows.
Make sure the top of your frames falls
just below your eyebrows. Frames that
are curved on top should follow your
brow line as closely as possible without
crossing it for a harmonious look.
Hair, Eye and Frame
Color
Brown hair goes well with metal or
darker frames. Transparent or
light-colored frames are best for
blonds. All colors except yellow and
white work well on redheads. The color
of your eyebrows should also be a
determinant in your frame selection.
However, if your hair and eyebrow colors
are different, your hair color is a more
important consideration.
Your eye color can be
complemented by or coordinated with your
frames. Dark brown eyes are the most
versatile. Almost any color will work
well but dark brown frames are probably
the least flattering. Rosy, orange,
tawny, and dark purple tones look best
with blue eyes. Roses, purples, warm
greens and gold highlighted frames look
good with light brown or hazel eyes.
Green eyes look best with khaki,
chocolate, purple and burgundy colors.
Thickness of Frames
and Lenses
Lastly, when choosing a frame, you
should consider how well it would work
with your customized lens.
Over the years, a
great deal of progress has been made in
reducing the thickness and magnifying
appearance of lenses. Nonetheless, if
placed in the wrong frames, strong
prescription lenses may produce some
unnecessary effects.
If you are farsighted,
convex lenses may make your eyes look
magnified to others. Larger frames can
bring your eyes back into proportion
with the rest of your face. If you are
nearsighted, the opposite is true. Your
lenses may make your eyes look smaller
than they are. Large frames will
increase this effect, whereas compact
frames will reduce it.
With any type of lens,
frames with thicker profiles can mask
the thickness of the lens.
Sources
"Polycarbonate," L'Opto85, Mar
1997, pp 23-25
Benjamin, WJ, ed. Borish's clinical
refraction. Philadelphia, PA: WB
Saunders, 1998, pp. 868-76
Fowler,C. "Why Not Make Your Own
Varifocal Lens?" Optician, 1998,
vol. 216, no. 569, pp. 18-20
Malaval, C, ed. "Seeing the World Past,"
Essilor, Paris: Creapress, 1997,
pp. 42-29 & 70-89
"Markets," SPC, 1999, vol. 99,
pp. 3-6 & 31-32
"Markets," SPC, 1999, vol. 102,
pp. 3-6
Mercier, J-L, Miege, C, LeSaux G,
Chauveau J-L. "The Design Loop for
Progressive Lenses," Points de Vue,
Apr, 1996. pp. 22-27 |
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