How do you know what kind of glasses look good on you?

In My Humble Opinion
1

I’m off to the optometrist hopefully next week to get a new pair of glasses, and I realize I never really have any idea what looks best on my face. So I turn to you, Dopers.

There must be some basic guidelines. Like, if you have small eyes, you wear this kind of frame. I have very large eyes, and a large nose. My face is round and while I have bangs they don’t hang over my forehead.

Advice, anyone? I suppose if someone really needs I could post a picture of my face. Maybe there’s a website.

I know what colors I like. I really just need to know size and shape. I may not be able to check this thread until late today but I have been thinking of posting this for 2 weeks nad keep forgetting, so I wanted to get it posted.

2

There is probably a website out there that will tell you what shape to get based on the shape of your face, but when I go, I have mom in tow and ask her, the optometrist, and anyone else that happens to be standing around their opinion on different frames I try. Mainly because I can’t see a damn thing trying on frames. I’ve pretty much gotten the same frame every time for the past 6 years - those dorky, squared black ones. I got them a bit before their popularity reemerged and I’ll keep them after it goes away - I love them. And designer plastic frames are way cheaper than designer wire frames.

3

Best advice I have: Take along someone whose opinion you respect (either a friend with really good taste, or somebody you want to look good for :slight_smile: ), and let them help. Also listen to the sales people. Sure, they’re out to sell you the frame with the highest markup – but they also want to leave a good impression of the business, they will be hoping you’ll be back if you’re happy with their service. So you’ll get at least some help there.

Second best advice I have: In the end, it isn’t all that important – it’s the person behind the eyes that counts, not the frame in front of them!

4

First site I found when I did a search on ‘how to pick glasses’ here

5

I used to have trouble picking frames because you never get to see yourself in them properly until after the lenses are fitted. A lot of opticians here now have a ‘digital mirror’ - consisting of a flat panel display with a camera accessory - you try on the frames, and they snap a picture for you to look at properly when you’ve put your own glasses back on. It can also store the pictures and display several of them alongside each other for comparison.

6

Y’know, these days it’s pretty irrelevant. There is stunningly little variation in eyeglass frames at your local eyeglass store. There’s small oval frames and small oval frames with squarish corners, and the occasional tiny Lennon-esque round frame that no one looks good in but most of us secretly wish we did, then we hum a few bars of Imagine and get over it. There’s also a couple of huge plastic Elton John frames left from 1985 collecting dust in the corner.

If you want variety, get your prescription and order your glasses on line. You don’t have to get glasses at the same place you get your prescription. Problem there is you can’t try 'em on first, of course.

7

The Lenscrafters Lady was very helpful in finding the suitable frame for me. You don’t want them too wide for your face. Also, I have green eyes, and I chose fine rimmed red frames. They really bring out my eyes. I don’t wear them often, but I always get compliments on them.

Now I only wish I could see out of them as well as the cheaters I bought for $12.

8

This search turns up more links than you can shake a stick at regarding choosing frames. There’s more or less a consensus among the various sites, so the advice is probably pretty good.

9

What is your prescription? This makes a big difference in what frames you should pick. A nearsighted person’s lenses will become progressively thicker farther away from the center of the lens. In the case of significantly strong minus prescription, one should choose smaller, circular frames. Ovals or cat-eye frames will create this points on the edges.

Those who are farsighted will notice that their lenses magnify their eyes in an unflattering way. Those people will also benefit from smaller lenses.

Bear in mind that the frames you try on it the store will look different, sometimes much different, when they actually put your lenses in them.

10

Yeah. My glasses lenses pull the sides of my face in–I hadn’t thought that small lenses would help, but I can’t help but think they would make my already huge face look monstrous. It does suck that I can’t really see what the finished product would look like.

11

Trial and error. The suggestion of bringing a friend whos opinion you trust is excellent as well.

12

I like the kind that have no rim on the bottom. Seems to make the face look more natural.
But I recently bought generic wire anyway frames because they were cheaper.

13

I’ve been a dispensing optician since 1988. I might have something to offer.

I heartily agree with those who tell you to take with you someone whose opinion you trust. If you wear contact lenses, have them in your eyes while trying on frames. Don’t be afraid to show up a little early to look at frames before you see the doctor. If your eyes are dilated, it will be very hard to choose new frames. If you are dilated, don’t pick out frames you can’t see. Come back tomorrow. I offer that option to every single patient who says “I can’t see right”.

As far as “what looks good on me”, you want to go with a shape that will sort of contrast your face shape. Square jawline? NO to square/rectangle frames? Nice round babyface? Round frames will only make you look rounder. I often have to illustrate that to people by putting on a really round frame myself, and showing them how it instantly makes me look about 40 pounds heavier. Don’t be afraid of the optician. It is his/her job to make you a good, functioning, pair of glasses that you’ll be glad to wear. I’d honestly rather you walk out of my office and go elsewhere, than have you buy something that you’re not going to love. For color, consider how well they suit your wardrobe as well as your complexion. If you’re only going to have one pair, it should be fairly neutral. Avoid really shiny frames. They just look weird. Don’t buy gold-ish if all your jewelry is silver. Try on a color you might be afraid of, just because you never know. I have a gorgeous olive green frame in the office, and it’s meant for men. I just can’t get the men around here to try it on. I’m sure we’ll be sending it back.

If you tend to keep your glasses a really long time, don’t get anything “trendy”. Right now, crystal accents are trendy, but they may be way out of style in 6 months. You can get nice, fashionable frames without being a fashion victim. Also, don’t be afraid to ask to see something less expensive if you’re looking for that. Where I work, frames start at $70 and go as high as $280. I can find one at both ends of that range for just about every patient. It really depends on what you want. Some of my patients want glasses that function, and don’t care about fashion. Other patients want their glasses to be “jewelry”, and that’s how I want my glasses to be.

We are starting to see a slow shift toward larger frames for women. That’s a welcome change to anyone over 30. I can wear anything larger than a 49 eyesize. Your needs will be different.

Also, if you see something you like, but you’re not certain about it, ask the optician to write the frame style down for you, and go back in a few days. Try it on again, to make sure you didn’t just get excited about something. I’ve actually ordered frames for myself, and then when my lenses were mounted, I felt very ambivalent about them.

Good luck, and let me know if you need more help.

14

I’ve wondered about whether there’s anything I can do to keep my myopia from progressing too much. I came across something called the Myopia Manual which was written by a physicist rather than an optometrist, but it seems well-researched. It’s available as a free PDF download or in print. One thing it mentions is small lenses. When the lenses are small, the light from around the sides messes up the image you get through the lenses. (Since the lenses change the angle of the light, there is some overlap.) Reducing the quality of the image may increase eyestrain, which apparently tends to make things worse, so the manual recommends against very small lenses.

(hijack: any comment from experts on the validity of that manual?)

Myself, I’m sticking with the oval ones, middling in size, that were big several years ago though they aren’t popular now judging by how hard it was for me to find clip-on sunglasses. Are silver frames okay on a young man?

Marchon has an online form that will recommend frames based on your hair color and whatnot. They make the “Flexon” titanium frames which are supposed to bend back if they’re bent.

As far as looks go I didn’t go much into that because the woman doing the fitting and measuring was young and pretty and I was a little embarrassed asking her what looks good. Part of the fitting process involved me staring into her eyes so she could mark where my pupils were, on the old lenses.

15

Say what!?
Barbarian ponders his nice rectangular frames… and his prescription Ray-Bans

While I generally avoid arrogant salespeople, the only time I seek one out is when shopping for glasses. The person who can look at me and make a snap judgement? That’s who I want help from picking 'em out.

16

I recently saw a reference to a website where you can put up your picture and virtually try on various frames. Sounds very cool, but I don’t know what it is.

17

My wife and my friend went with me to pick out frames, as i am blind with out my glasses… Both of them suggested several frames, but I had just spent 6 yrs wearing small lenses and wanted something with a wider field of vision. Both told me “DON’T!” with the pair I chose, but i went with them anyway.

So, I now look exactly like the original model for “Hank Hill”…

Really I could play him if the animated version of “King of the Hill” ever goes live…

regards
FML

18

If you, like me, can’t see without your glasses, take a camera with you. Have the opitician take a pic of you in each frame. Then, with your own glasses on, you can see what each one looks like.

If your lenses are thick, don’t get them “rolled and polished.” That’ll give you glare. Get rolled only.

19

I figured out years ago that a good black frame, with rounded rectangular lenses suit me best of all. But it took me YEARS to find the style I was really happy with. Goodluck!

20

Anybody?