One thing’s for sure: the fashion world is not lacking in sunglass styles. From rectangle to round, angular cat eye to just plain cat eye, oversized to aviator - there are more sunglass shapes than ‘90s trend comebacks (hello scrunchies, mom jeans and combat boots!) But which style flatters your face shape? We’re here to help.
The Cat Eye
Best For: Heart-Shaped Faces
Exaggerated cat-eye frames really peaked in the ’90s. Now the style is more modern, and looks great in tortoiseshell. You’ll know if you have a heart-shaped face because your forehead or cheekbones are the widest part of your face, and taper down to a narrow chin. “Heart-shaped faces look fantastic with cat-eye sunglasses as they draw attention away from the more pointy chin,” says Abbey Booth, personal stylist and founder of Stories With Clothes.
We love our Norrsken Feminina Sunglasses, complete with a slight cat-eye.
Who to watch: Reese Witherspoon, Scarlett Johansson. Naomi Campbell
Skinny/Narrow or Rectangular
Best For: Round Faces
If you're thinking to yourself, I've seen these on a fashion girl I follow on Instagram, you're probably not wrong. These skinny narrow frames are everywhere right now but oh-so-trendy that you might be hesitant to try them. But good news for those with rounder face shapes: they’re great for people with a petite or short face to create the illusion of more length! ”If you have a round face, it's important that your frames aren't too small because they won't provide enough contrast to your facial features,” says Booth. “Broad rectangular sunglasses and squared wayfarer sunglasses are best suited. Create contrast or your face will appear rounder.”
Who to watch: Selena Gomez, Mila Kunis, Chrissy Teigen.
The Oversized
Best For: Oblong (or Rectangular) Faces
Statement-making oversized frames are always a good choice. You’ll know if you have an oblong face because it’s long and narrow, but the same style rules apply to a rectangular face. To balance this face shape, choose styles that create the illusion of width. ”An oblong face shape suits oversized style sunglasses as they can take the extra size - think rectangular styles,” says Booth. ”Oblong face shapes also wear aviators well to offset the length of the face by providing interesting shapes.”
We love our Norrsken Square Sunglasses, with high-quality crystals in Smoked Topaz.
Who to watch: Alexa Chung, Joan Smalls, Sarah Jessica Parker.
The Retro Round
Best For: Triangular Shaped Faces
As if we didn’t have enough throwbacks in fashion right now, the retro round style (think John Lennon) is back. And it’s great for triangular shaped faces – which, yes, is similar to the heart shape but with the notable lack of a widow’s peak hairline (the triangle shaped face hairline is either straight across or slightly rounded).
To balance this face shape, you’ll want to create the illusion of a broader forehead and jawline. ”Triangular shaped faces look great with this style as it balances out the angular point of the face,” says Booth.
We love our Norrsken Classica Sunglasses.
Who to watch: Camila Alves, Freida Pinto, Halle Berry.
The Ever-Popular Aviator
Best For: Oval Shaped Faces
Maybe it's our love for Tom Cruise in Top Gun, but we will always have a thing for aviator glasses. They seem to look great on every single face shape (lucky for aviator brands, no wonder they’ve been popular forever!), but oval face shapes, which are slightly longer than they are wide, will really suit. “An oval face shape is very balanced and in proportion which is why so many styles suit this face shape,” says Booth. ”Your face shape can take any style of sunglasses as your face shape is very balanced - lucky you!”
Who to watch: Jessica Alba, Beyoncé, Kerry Washington.
