How do I choose my frame?

AS with clothes or shoes or mobile phones or a million other consumer choices we have to make, it can seem daunting to make a decision on a new frame. They are many factors to consider, including, style, shape, colour, your face shape, image, and of course budget. (Not that you need to worry about that with our prices!) Nowadays we have the freedom to have more than one pair, to suit out career, our look, our lifestyle. The following guides will help you, or take advantage of our try a frame at home scheme. Read on for all the help you could need....

Style Guide

We have come a long way from the first spectacles ever invented, when frames were made of tortoiseshell, leather, or even wood! Frames today are light weight, durable, comfortable, and are as desirable as any designer handbag or pair of top name shoes. See them as jewellery for your face, an extension of your personality, the frame to the windows of your soul.....

We have recently moved on from the barely there look of minimalist, light as air metal or rimless frames to this years hot trend, the geek look. Thanks Ugly Betty! Frames are now bold, exciting, colourful and sure make a statement. Colours reflect the new fashion in the shops – teal, rich plum, warm brown or red. They are embossed, embellished, laminated with colour and pattern and maybe even scattered with glitter or crystals. Go as bold as you dare! Your eyewear can be fun for socialising, serious for work, casual for sport. At our prices you can afford all three or even more. So check out the magazines and look for your own version of Celeb style. Our frames are always new and bang on trend, so choose with confidence. Men as well as women are choosing chunky plastics, in colours to echo their clothes or their own colouring. Shapes this year are angular rather than oval, and the look is all about thicker sides and as much pattern as you feel you can handle.

Choosing a Frame to Suit Your Face Shape

Women

To decide on your face shape, pull your hair back, and look into a mirror. Draw round your face with lipstick, then study the guide above and decide on your face shape. Better clean the mirror before you read on!

Oval face – this is the ideal face shape, and you can wear anything! Your face is an even shape, with a soft jaw line that is curved, not angular. The best size is probably to choose a pair as wide as the widest point of your face.

Round face – These faces are equal in width and length, with a wide forehead and again, a softly curved jaw. Choose a frame with narrower proportions, as wide as your face but not too deep, as it may sit on your cheeks. Something squarer will take the emphasis away from your curves, so look for an angular frame.

Square face – This has the proportions of the round face, but with a square jaw. Still choose a frame with width but not too much depth, but go for a softer shape, to draw attention away from your angular jaw.

Heart Shaped face – These faces have wider foreheads, narrowing down to a smaller jaw with a small mouth and chin. You need a frame which does not overpower your delicate lower face. Choose something which sits lower on the face, and is not too heavy across the top rim.

The position of colour on the frame will also affect the shape of your face, so heart shapes need less colour across the top, square faces do not need anything angular or with square patterns. The frame size should be roughly the width of your temples, but to match the scale of your face shape and your features. If you have a larger nose that you want to draw attention away from, choose a lighter coloured bridge and don’t go for anything too small – it will look out of proportion and make your nose look bigger. Small noses need a light bridge that sits high on the face, to elongate the nose.

Go for a colour that suits both your colouring, and the clothes you wear.

Brunettes can wear strong colours and the darkest blacks and browns.

Blondes can wear delicate shades and pearly pastels.

Red heads can wear cool blues to enhance blue eyes, or rich Autumn tones to reflect all the tones of their hair.

Silver Foxes can wear blue or grey or silver to give them bold, clear colour that enhances their hair, or hot pinks and reds to bring warmth to their cool colouring.

Men

Take a look in the mirror and match your face shape as closely as possible to the outlines above. Or you could borrow a lipstick and draw round your face shape as for women above! Just remember to clean the mirror afterwards!

Square face – Most men have squarer faces, due to the masculine line of the jaw. Choose a frame with width but not too much depth, but go for a slightly curved lower edge, to balance an angular jaw. If your jaw line is starting to soften, stay away from drooped shapes which would enhance it.

Oval face – this should be an easy shape to dress, but you need to avoid styles which would feminise your softer face shape. The best size will be as wide as the widest point of your face, and go for corners to give you an angular outline, so rectangular rather than oval.

Round face – These faces are equal in width and length, with a wide forehead and a less discernable jaw line. You need to be careful that frames will not sit on your cheeks, so choose something fairly shallow. Rectangular shapes rather than rounder will give you some masculine angles. Make sure the frame is as wide as your temples.

Triangular face – You have a wider forehead, but a smaller jaw. You need to redress the balance and make your jaw line look more in proportion. Steer clear of frames where the emphasis is on the top rim, and make sure it doesn’t sit too high.

The position of colour on the frame will also affect the shape of your face, so heart shapes need less colour across the top, square faces do not need anything angular or with square patterns. The frame size should be roughly the width of your temples, but to match the scale of your face shape and your features. If you have a larger nose that you want to draw attention away from, choose a lighter coloured bridge and don’t go for anything too small – it will look out of proportion and make your nose look bigger. Small noses need a light bridge that sits high on the face, to elongate the nose.

Go for a colour that suits both your colouring, and the clothes you wear.

When deciding on colours, think about what you wear, as well as what matches your colouring. If you always wear dark suits or always wear denim, make sure your glasses will go with this. Or maybe you need an executive pair to go with those suits, and a funkier pair for time off.

If you are dark haired you can wear strong colours and the darkest blacks, browns or navy blues.

Sandy or red hair is enhanced with browns or rich bronzes, or you can wear gunmetal or blue if you’ve got blue eyes.

If you are fair you can wear lighter colours and metals – you could choose gold to match your hair or cooler silvers if you have blue eyes.

Silver Foxes can enhance their colouring with silver, gunmetal or blue. If your brows are still dark you may need a darker rim that won’t get lost.

Have fun with shapes, colours and styles, and why not treat yourself to as many pairs as you have shoes – would you wear your Wellies to a ball or your strappy stilettos to walk the dog?