How Do I Choose the Right Glasses?
The key to picking glasses is a combination of personal choice and keeping in mind that opposites attract. When picking glasses, select eyeglasses that contrast from your facial contours, provide symmetry, and balance out any prominent features. The truth is that humans are attracted to facial symmetry and a great pair of glasses can enhance your facial symmetry.
At Real Eyes Optometry, picking glasses is easy. You can try on dozens of frames to see which styles compliment you best.
4 Simple Steps to Picking Glasses Perfect For You
1: Find Out Your Face Shape
The secret is picking glasses that best fit your face shape. This may seem like a daunting task with the number of frame styles available but we have a simple method. Grab a dry-erase marker, stand in front of a mirror, and trace your face on the mirror. Most people will fall into one of the following categories:
- Oval
- Round
- Square
- Triangular
- Heart
Once you have determined your face shape, picking glasses that are complementary becomes easy. Certain frames can help accentuate, or even slim, parts of your face or prominent features such as your nose, cheeks, or eyebrows. If you have an oval-shaped face, the great news is that most frames will look amazing on you. Round frames that are thicker on the top can help balance a small chin and are great for a heart-shaped face.
Check out the chart below for help picking glasses that are right for you.
2: Select Colours to Complement Your Skin Tone
Picking glasses that compliment your skin tone, and wardrobe, is easier than you think. For cool skin tones, seek out shades of black, gray, purple, and blue. For warm skin tones, try picking glasses that are tan, pink, yellow, and red. If you aren’t certain which skin tone you are, here are a few ways to find out. What color clothes are you most comfortable wearing? Typically it’s the same tone that would apply to picking glasses. If your wardrobe doesn’t help narrow it down, check out the color of your veins:
- Warm: Your veins look greenish, and the base tone of your skin is yellow or gold.
- Cool: Look for blue or purple-ish looking veins, and a skin base tone with hints of blue, pink, or red.
- Neutral: Your veins may look colorless or match your skin color. Your skin tone could be a mixture of both warm and cool hues, or have an undertone which is the same color as your actual skin color.
3: Consider Your Lifestyle
The choice is personal and the best option for you is heavily tied in with your lifestyle. Other factors to take into consideration when picking glasses are ease of use, eye health, comfort, cost, and convenience. If you are an active person, an athlete, or have a job that is physical, picking glasses with a more durable frame is ideal.
If you find it an inconvenience to switch between contact lenses and glasses for working out, consider comfortable, sturdy frames that won’t distract you from your workout.
Do you work in front of a computer most days? Then adding blue-light lens filters and anti-glare coatings is a must. Yes, you will spend a bit more, but these glasses will be with you for years. Years of discomfort or lower quality sleep due to blue light is not worth it.
Do you live in a sunny climate? Consider glasses that have transition lenses, or convert them into sunglasses (ex. clip-on’s). It will not only save you from buying two pairs of glasses, but it will also ensure that you can move throughout your day with ease, regardless of the weather, brightness, and UV exposure.
4: Show Your Personality
Picking glasses that reflect your personality is the perfect way to show off who you are. With all the options that are available, virtually every shape, color, or pattern is at your fingertips. However, be wary of cheap or poor-quality glasses. Not all sunglasses or glasses are created equal. The cheap pair picked up at the gas station, or a vintage pair purchased at a thrift store may not have the appropriate UV coating to protect your eyes. Cheaper sunglasses may not provide complete protection, whereas more expensive pairs often are a better bet for full-spectrum coverage.
No matter which style you choose, a colorful pair for the weekend or a functional pair for work, ensure you feel confident and they make you happy.
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How Do You Know What Size Glasses to Get for Your Face? (4 FAQs)
Now that we have narrowed down the type of glasses you want for yourself, here are some frequently asked questions to ensure the pair you fall in love with are the right ones for you.
Picking glasses that are the right size for your face is a bit more precise and is something your optometrist or eye care specialist can help you out with. Have you ever worn a pair of glasses and noticed a small indent at the top of your nose when you took them off? Or experience what feels like a headache behind your ears? These are common issues when your glasses aren’t the proper fit. Glasses with the proper fit will distribute the weight and pressure evenly between your ears, the width of the frame, and your nose. So how do you go about picking glasses that are the right size? Ask yourself these questions.
1. How Do You Tell if Glasses Are Too Big for Your Face?
The easiest way to tell is if they are constantly sliding down your nose or falling off your face. Properly fitted frames should align horizontally with your eyes, rather than the edge of the frame dipping down on either side. The bottom of the frame should be closer to your face than the top of the frame.
2. Are My Glasses Too Narrow?
Common ways to tell are if the nose pad, at the bridge of your nose, is pinching you. Do you experience indents on your face from where your glasses sit? Also, if your pupils are not centered in the frames, it means your frames are likely too narrow.
3. Should My Glasses Touch My Cheeks When I Smile?
If this occurs, it may depend on your face shape but it is not something to seek out when picking glasses. This is because when you smile, it will push up your glasses, lifting the nose pads off the bridge of your nose. In addition, make sure the lenses are not too close to your eyes to avoid eyelashes brushing against the lens.
4. What Is a Good Weight for Glasses?
Most light to standard weight glasses are 1/2 oz. Heavy glasses can be 3/4 oz. When picking glasses most people prefer lighter glasses. While the difference in weight may seem negligible to most people, the difference can have more of an impact on children and higher power lenses.
Heavier glasses can place too much weight on your child’s nose, causing the frame to slip and obscure vision. Higher power lenses will be thicker and have more weight. Regardless of your age, it’s important to understand how glasses should fit.
Worried about figuring out if the glasses you just picked out will fit or not? Check out these easy methods to measure your face and ensure you get the perfect fit.
Top 2 Apps to Help Measure Your Face For Glasses (Plus 1 Free Method)
1. Face Shape Meter from VisTech.Projects ($1.49-$1.99)
FACE Shape Meter is a well-rated app that offers a simple and easy-to-use tool for identifying your face shape from your picture. Aside from using this app when picking glasses, knowing your face shape comes in handy for finding “the right” haircut or even makeup contouring for your face.
You upload a photo of yourself and are given a tracing tool to draw around your face, then press a button to automatically calculate your face shape. In order to get the best results, use a neutral expression and ensure your head is straight (looking directly ahead) when taking your picture.
2. PD Meter from Tech Positive ($4.99-$5.49)
Pupillary distance (PD measurement) is the distance in millimeters between the centers of the pupils. This measurement is different from person to person but for people with stronger prescriptions, it is vital when picking glasses.
PD can be measured with a ruler, but it can be tricky measuring and keeping your eyes straight ahead at the same time.
App-less Measurement
If the cost of the app doesn’t appeal to you, all you need is a ruler for taking measurements. Read on for the steps to measure how your glasses frames should fit your face:
- Find a Mirror. Stand in front of a mirror and hold the ruler flat (in a horizontal line) with your temple
- Ear-to-Ear. Measure the distance (in inches) between your temples
- Time for Math. Convert from inches to millimetres by multiply your measured value by 25.4
- Your frame size should vary no more than +/- 3mm from your measurement
What Happens When You Pick Up Glasses?
It is best to pick up your glasses yourself, as your eye care specialist will have a chance to adjust the new glasses to help get the appropriate fit. This isn’t only about how the glasses look on you, but the fit affects how you see through the lens. Here are a few steps your eye care specialist will check to ensure you have the correct fit.
- Bridge Width. Your eye care specialist will confirm the bridge is not too narrow (pinching your nose, and contributing to headaches) or too wide (glasses will easily slide down your nose, impacting your vision).
- Arm Length. The end of the glasses arm should not extend too far past your ear in order to provide the proper grip.
- Lens Diameter. The width of the lens impacts which part of the lens your pupil sees through. If your pupil is not centralized it negatively impacts your vision.
- Lens Height. The lens height is largely determined by the frame height. The top of your frames should be no higher than the line of your eyebrows. In addition, the lower edge of the frames shouldn’t sit on your cheeks as it will rub your skin and can cause irritation.
At Real Eyes, we know how important it is to feel comfortable in your glasses. Your purchase includes a 60-day adaptation policy which lets us make any changes if your glasses don’t feel right or if you feel your glasses aren’t fitting well. Feel free to come back and see us for any issues you may have with your lenses or frames. It can take a few days to a few weeks to get used to a new pair of glasses. By making some minor adjustments you will have a pair of glasses that are perfect for you.