Anyone who has found their signature shade knows that there’s just no feeling like it. After completely putting your ‘cool factor’ at risk in modeling style after style to yourself in the department store mirror, it’s worth it to find that perfect pair you can count on to flatter your face shape and to truly own as your signature. Since neither face shapes nor sunglasses are made equal, we’re breaking down the basics to help you find the best sunglass styles for every face shape. While some styles are known to be universally flattering (looking at you, aviator!), some face shapes are better equipped than others to handle the heavy lifting of a trendier shade—and our experts are here to decipher it all. Tuck this handy guide in your pocket for your next shopping excursion to find the perfect shades for that long-awaited beach getaway, and get ready to score major style points in the process.
If You Have A Round Face
If your forehead and chin extend widthwise to about the same place and your face is generally less angular, this is your zone. We recommend straying from round shapes and leaning more towards styles with angles to counteract and complement the roundness of your face. This style, in particular, will make your face appear thinner and more angular.
Buy It: $153; Nordstrom.com
If You Have A Heart-Shaped Face
Your face structure tends to be wider at the brow and extremely narrow at the chin. Play up your naturally high cheekbones with a cateye shape that will also help balance the difference in weight between your forehead and chin.
Buy It: $79; shopbop.com
If You Have A Square Face
If you have a broad forehead, a sharp jawline, and an overall rectangular appearance of your face, you likely have a square-shaped face. Contrasting with the rules laid out for a round face, choosing a shade with curves will balance out the sharp angles of your face to soften your appearance.
Buy It: $250; shopbop.com
If You Have An Oval-Shaped Face
The oval face shape is the most common and most average in proportion, with neither sharp angles nor curves. Lucky for you, you can get away with most anything, so get crazy with a trendy shade—but don’t go too large to distract from your naturally pronounced cheekbones.
Buy It: $153; Nordstrom.com
If You Have An Oblong Face
Your face shape is probably longer than it is wide, meaning that you’ll benefit from choosing sunglasses that create the illusion of more width. We suggest avoiding small shades that can amplify the length of your face shape, and instead opting for larger shades in a width-heavy shape.
Buy It: $55; Nordstrom.com
