Last Updated on September 13, 2023 by Ash Salleh
The right eyeglasses always complement the wearer’s face. When choosing new glasses, it is important to consider face shape as a crucial factor. While the four most common face shapes are circle, oval, heart, and oblong, all face shapes can come in various widths. The best glasses for wide faces, narrow faces, or faces in between are all different. Wide faces are easily identified; people with wide faces have rounder chins, wider foreheads, and fuller cheeks than those with other face shapes.
When searching for glasses for wide faces, shoppers should choose shapes that elongate the face, contributing to a more balanced look. The best glasses for wide faces add the illusion of angles, helping to slim the face overall. Glasses for wide faces have strong and geometric details, are wider than they are tall, and complement the wearer’s full cheeks.
If you’re unsure if your face falls into the wide category, measuring your face from temple to temple can help give you a better idea. People with face widths of less than 4.5 inches should be looking for glasses for narrow faces. Widths between 4.5 and 5.5 inches fall in the medium category, and those whose temples measure greater than 5.5 inches apart should look for glasses for wide faces.
Glasses with strong details
Wide faces have soft, circular features, so glasses for wide faces often have strong, angular details, which offset the soft, round nature of the face. Geometric frames have sharp angles and good glasses for wide faces. Many people choose rectangular glasses for wide faces. Rectangular frames add angles and make round faces appear longer and thinner. Because wide-face shapes are as wide as they are long, the best glasses for wide faces include strong angles and geometric features, which offset the characteristic roundness of wide faces. Our rectangular Prescott frames add angles, making them a great choice of glasses for wide faces.
Complementing your cheeks
Most people with wide faces have round, full cheeks, which can be fun to draw attention to. Upswept frame shapes make great glasses for wide faces because they complement the fullness of the cheeks. Upswept frames are almost rectangular but slightly curved over the cheeks, accentuating soft, round cheek shapes. When choosing glasses for wide faces, shoppers can choose glasses that complement their full cheeks while adding angles to the overall face shape. Our upswept Nova frames are great glasses for wide faces with full cheeks, as the shape complements the fullness of the cheeks while adding angles and elongating the face.
Use bold colored frames
A great way to pair glasses with wide faces is to choose frames with a bold color or pattern. Bold frames can draw attention away from the width of the face and create a standout look. It’s important to choose a color or pattern that complements the wearer’s skin tone and personal style. Also, a bold color paired with a thicker frame width can be a great option for those with wider faces. This can create a balance between the face shape and the glasses, making them a great match.
Choosing the best size for you
One of the most important parts of choosing glasses for wide faces is picking frames of an appropriate size. People with wide faces should search for flattering and comfortable glasses, which means that one should always know what size best suits them.
Glasses for wide faces should always be wider than they are tall. Wide frames make the face appear longer, which provides wide faces with a more balanced look. People searching for glasses for wide faces should look for frames at least 52mm wide. Choosing wide frames will lessen the visual wideness of wide faces. The frame width is the first number in the set of three (i.e. 52-18-140) used to convey frame measurements. Our Waverly frames are popular with all face shapes, but their width makes them an excellent choice of glasses for wide faces.
The second number is the bridge width. Bridge width is also important for people looking for glasses for wide faces. Because people with wide faces can have either narrow or wide-set eyes, this number can vary slightly among people looking for glasses for wide faces. People with wide faces and close-set eyes should look for a bridge width between 15 and 18mm, and those with wide-set eyes should look for frames with a bridge width between 18 and 22mm. People with wide faces can have either high or low bridge locations. To choose frames with the correct bridge location, notice where the bridge of your nose is compared to your pupils. High bridge locations are above the pupil, while low bridge locations are below the pupil. For those with eyes that are set close together, a clear bridge helps to widen the eyes, which makes the face appear more balanced overall. When choosing the best glasses for wide faces, it is also important to consider the bridge location of the glasses. Our Ashland and Cooper frames are great glasses for wide faces with high bridge locations, and our Sedgwick frame is one of our best glasses for wide faces with lower bridge locations.
The third number in glasses measurement is the temple length, which is less important when choosing glasses for wide faces. Still, it is very important for overall comfort when wearing glasses. The temple length is between the hinge and the spot where the frames’ arms bend around the wearer’s ear. Those with wide faces and larger heads will need a longer temple length.
When choosing glasses for wide faces, sizing is a very important consideration. Glasses that fit well are both more flattering and more comfortable to wear.
Wide-faced celebrities like Adele and Mila Kunis choose glasses that complement their face shapes. Adele often wears upswept frames that accentuate her round cheeks, making her face appear longer and more angular. Mila Kunis is often seen sporting rectangular frames that make her face appear thinner while still embracing its round shape. Try our Nova glasses for a daring look like Adele’s or our larger Prescott frames for Mila Kunis’s look.
Frames that are too small or short often make a face appear even wider, in contrast to the smaller glasses, so smaller frames do not make good glasses for wide faces. Frames that work well for wide faces are always wider than deep ones. People with wide faces should also avoid round glasses, as these do not contrast with the natural roundness already present in the face.
The right glasses for wide faces will celebrate the natural roundness of wide faces and add more length and angles to the face. Geometric and strongly detailed frames help to accentuate the face’s best features while elongating the face. Up-swept frame shapes add dimension to round, full cheeks, complementing the wearer’s natural facial structure.
Wrap Up
People with wide faces should look for frames with strong geometric shapes. This will help the face look longer and thinner and complement the person’s cheeks. Here are some frames that will be perfect for people with wide faces:
- Rectangular Prescott frames add angles, making them a great choice of glasses for wide faces.
- Upswept Nova frames are great for people with full cheeks. The shape complements the fullness of the cheeks while adding angles and elongating the face.
- Ashland and Cooper frames are great glasses for wide faces with high bridge locations.
- Sedgwick and T frames are the best glasses for wide faces with lower bridge locations.
