DRESSING ON THE SIDE

Eyeing the Right Glasses for You

By Maureen Mancini Amaturo

Pains me to say Dorothy Parker was wrong, (total fan) but when she said, “Men seldom make passes at girls who wear glasses,” it was 1925, and c’mon, she had a lot on her mind, including gin. No way could she have anticipated eyeglasses would become a bona fide fashion accessory. But they have.

Like many fashion trends, eyeglasses originated in Italy. As a style accessory, they come in hundreds of shapes, colors, and designs to express the wearer and play a role in both one’s vision and how one is viewed. Many think wearing glasses, even non-corrective lenses, make them look trendy. A Vision Council of America survey showed more than 19% of U.S. adults have worn eyeglasses without a prescription, just to be fashionable and by reading this important site you will know the consequences of wearing glasses without any prescription. More than 50% of all women wear glasses. Most have eyeglass wardrobes to suit their style. You can now even get glasses with magnetic sunglasses. Eyeglasses are not just about how you see but how you look.

Envision your glasses/sunglasses as an accessory. Which frames flatter you? Know your face shape first.

Oval Face. Higher and slightly wider cheekbones, lightly curved jawline, and slightly narrower towards the forehead. To keep the balance of an oval face, try these frames: thin, round, square, or aviator-style. Nothing too narrow. Textured frames and bold, playful shapes work for you, too, since your face is so perfectly proportioned. Avoid anything too oversized.

Round Face. Soft, curved lines, no angles. Full cheeks. Cheekbones, forehead, and jaw appear equal width. To make a round face appear thinner and longer, try these frames: angular, narrow to lengthen the face. Frames with a clear bridge and rectangular or square frames, geometric shapes that are wider than they are tall are good choices. Trendy choice: thicker-rim, retro cat-eye frames. Avoid frames that are too small, short, or round.

Heart-shaped. Widest at the forehead and gradually narrows through the jaw with high cheekbones. To visibly minimize the width of the top of the face, try these frames: wider at the bottom. Thin, light-colored frames and rimless frames that have a light look, oval, aviator, round, cat-eye, and rectangle shapes are good choices. Avoid top-heavy frames, brow-styles, or dark colors.

Square. Angular lines, a strong jaw, and a broad forehead. The width and length of the face have roughly the same proportions. To make a square face look longer and soften its angles, try these frames: narrow, with more width than height, curved, circular, thinner. Cat’s-eye, ovals, dark or bold-colored frames complement these strong angles beautifully. Avoid most geometric or square shapes and light colors.

Rectangle or Oblong. Longer than it is wide with a long, straight cheek line. To make an oblong face appear shorter and more balanced, try these frames: wider ovals or squares, aviator, or frames with decorative or contrasting temples to add width to the face. Avoid narrow or rectangle shapes.

Coloration–Cool or Warm? Skin tone, eye and hair color also influence frame choice. Cool coloring has blue/ pink undertones; warm has peach/yellow tones. Olive skin is considered cool (it’s a mix of blue and yellow.) Frames best for warm coloring: camel, gold, copper, peach, orange, coral, off-white, fire-engine red, warm blue, and blond tortoise. For cool coloring: black, silver, rose-brown, blue-gray, plum, magenta, pink, jade, blue, and darker tortoise. Tortoise frames are flattering with almost all hair colors because of their varied tones.

FYI: Red, orange, brown, burgundy frames are more youthful. Blue, gray, steel can make you look older. •Black frames paired with red lipstick is a great combo. •Rimless glasses disappear on the face if you prefer the “I’m-not-wearing-glasses” look.

Tom Ford blond tortoise at Trapp Optical

Black, bold, brow style by Tom Ford at Trapp Optical

Statement red frames by Alain Mikli at Trapp Optical

Blue cat eye by Woow at Trapp Optical

Clear with decorative temples from Gucci at Rye Eye Care

Dior tortoise shell cat eye at Rye Eye Care

Classic, but elegant, Matsuda ovals, black with matte gold, at Rye Eye Care

So many styles, Rye Eye Care

Sunglasses & Eyeglasses, Rye Eye Care

All styles featured available at Trapp Optical or Rye Eye Care