You probably don’t think much about your eye shape or the eye shape of others. Unless you’re reading a crime novel where the antagonist is described as having close-set, beady eyes, the shape of a person’s eyes is far less noticeable than the color.
When it comes to selecting eyeglasses, however, understanding the shape of your eyes will help you find a complementary pair of frames. It may help balance out your facial features so that your glasses look custom-fitted to your face.
Another consideration? Eye shape (in some instances) may affect your vision. We’ll explain how it all works, cover the different eye shapes we know of (because, of course, there could be some yet discovered) and talk about which frames work best for beady-eyed film noir criminals and the everyday, law-abiding citizen.
Why Eye Shape Matters
So what’s the big deal with eye shape? The shape of your eyeball can play a major role in your vision.
How Eyeball Shape Affects Your Vision
If you’re born with a particularly elongated eyeball, you may have myopia, a condition that causes you to have trouble seeing objects in the distance.
Myopia affects people differently, and most adults will experience age-related vision impairment (also called presbyopia) sometime in their late 30s and early 40s. If your eyeball shape is naturally longer, you could need corrective lenses sooner than your friends.
Alternatively, if you have a particularly short eyeball shape, you may develop hyperopia, which causes you to have trouble seeing objects that are close up.
The shape of your cornea (the protective dome over your eyeballs) also affects your vision. Depending on the shape of your eyes, the cornea may bulge or begin to change with age. A bulging cornea can result in a condition called keratoconus. This condition is usually genetic, so if mom or pops has it, you might too.
How Eye Shape Affects Your Style
The shape of your eye (along with the shape of your face) are two factors you can use to help select the perfect pair of specs.
Now hear us on this: If you have all the facial features and eye shape that perfectly match you to a pair of hipster, rectangle frames, but you adore cat-eye glasses, get the cat eyes. Your personality and personal style will keep you more comfortable in those frames and ensure you’re wearing your glasses as you should.
However, suppose you’re feeling a little lost and just want eyewear that you can wear confidently. In that case, we’ll teach you how to determine your own eye shape and give you some tips on how to pick the perfect glasses so you can look good while correcting your vision (or simply wearing frames for aesthetic purposes).
How Eye Shape Affects Your Makeup Application
Just kidding. Makeup tips and tutorials aren’t us. For the best in winged eyeliner technique and how to perfectly smudge out your bottom lash makeup like a celebrity makeup artist, you’ll need to try another Google search.
In the meantime, stick around and let us help you level up your eyewear.
Eight Different Eye Shapes and the Glasses That Match Them
In case you’re wondering, we’re going to cover eight different eye shapes. Keep in mind that your eye shape could be a combination of two or several of the ones listed. After we describe them, we’ll help you learn how to figure out your own eye shape.
1. Almond Eyes
They’ve been referred to as the perfect eye shape, and with good reason. People with almond-shaped eyes have the benefit of being perfectly suited to virtually any eyeglass frame available.
You might have almond-shaped eyes if:
- You can’t see any of the whites of your eyes above or below the colored part of your eyes (the iris).
- You have a small upper eyelid with a definite crease.
- Your eyes are longer than they are wide and taper at each end (just like the shape of an almond).
Almond eyes are well suited to virtually any eyeshadow look (as your other Google search can tell you) and to a wide array of eyeglass frames.
Cat eye frames will make your eyes appear longer, while round frames can add width and height to your eyes.
2. Round Eyes
If you’ve ever been told you have big, beautiful eyes, or bright, piercing eyes, you may have eyes with a round eye shape.
Round eyes are typically a very prominent feature on the face. You might have round eyes if:
- Your eyes are wider than they are long.
- The inner corners of your eyes and outer corners of your eyes do not come to a point but rather follow a circular shape.
- You can see the whites of your eyes visibly above and below your iris.
To balance the round shape of your eyes, rectangle frames and square frames are ideal choices. You can also add length to your eyes by choosing rectangles or cat-eye shapes.
3. Downturned Eyes
Like the name, downturned eyes have an element that angles downward instead of upward. Often referred to as compassionate eyes or descending eyelids, these types of eyes appear warm, kind, and relatable.
You might have downturned eyes if:
- The outer corners of your eyes are angled downward toward your cheekbone.
- Your upper eyelid has a deep crease or a fold that meets the lower lash line at the outer edge.
- There is more space between the outer edge of your brow bone than the lower edge of your outer lash line.
Frames that work well for downturned eyes are cat-eye shapes, which can help bring balance by elevating the outer corners of the eyes and giving them a visible “lift.” You can also downplay the downturn by selecting round frames, which will create a larger eye look.
4. Upturned Eyes
The opposite of downturned eyes are upturned eyes. These eyes are similar to downturned eyes but have edges that angle upward toward the brow line.
Your eyes are upturned if:
- You've been told you have cat eyes or exotic-looking eyes.
- The outer edge of your eye turns upward instead of downward or lying straight across your face.
- Your lower lash line meets the upper lash line at the outside corner of each eye.
Rectangle and square frames work well for upturned eyes, as well as round frames and aviators. If you really want to play up that cat-eye look, a pair of cat-eye glasses will create an even more dramatic appearance.
5. Monolid Eyes
Many people of Asian descent will have monolid eyes. Monolid eyes feature eyelids that do not have a visible crease. It’s also very common to have monolid eyes and wide-set eyes (eyes that are further away from the bridge of the nose).
You may have monolid eyes if:
- You can’t see a visible eyelid crease.
- It’s harder to see your upper eyelid.
- The top of your eyelid appears flat.
Because monolid eyes don’t necessarily determine the actual outer shape of your eye, you probably will also need to define your eyes by whether they are upturned, downturned, round, or almond.
You can add depth to monolid eyes by choosing frames in stronger colors. You can also add more shape by choosing unexpected frame shapes, like round and cat eye.
5. Deep-Set Eyes
Sometimes referred to as hooded eyes, these types of eyes also have a less-visible upper eyelid and appear to be set deeper within your facial structure than other features of your face.
You may have deep-set eyes if:
- The crease of your upper eyelid appears to fold over and meet your upper lash line.
- There appears to be less space between your brow line and your lash line.
- The upper eyelid is less visible, and if you try to apply eye makeup, it is more difficult (i.e., you have to stretch your upper lid to apply eyeshadow or lift your lid to apply mascara).
You may also have deep-set eyes if your eye sockets (the bones that support your eyes) protrude past your eyes.
Frames that work well for deep-set eyes help highlight the natural shape of the eye while bringing it forward and making it more noticeable. You’ll want to look for vibrant colors and shapes that draw attention. Aviators are a great choice for deep-set eyes.
6. Close-Set Eyes
If you wear corrective lenses, you probably already know whether or not you have close-set eyes. Your optician will take a specific measurement to determine the distance between your pupils.
Close-set eyes are typically defined as eyes that are less than one eyeball width apart. You have close-set eyes if the distance between your eyes and the bridge of your nose is shorter.
Rectangle frames are a go-to solution for helping add length and distance to close-set eyes.
7. Wide-Set Eyes
Opposite of close-set eyes are wide-set eyes, which may be further apart. Typically, the distance between your two eyes will be more than one eyeball width apart, and the distance between your eyes and the bridge of your nose will be further.
Round eyeglass frames are perfect for helping make your eyes look closer together and bringing balance to your face.
8. Protruding Eyes
The last eye shape we’ll cover is the opposite of deep-set eyes. Protruding eyes look very alert and have a shape that looks as though the eyeball is set further out from the upper and lower eyelids.
Protruding eyes usually have another complementary eye shape, just like deep-set eyes, so you’ll need to take that shape into consideration when choosing your frames. For a lovely balance, consider larger frames, like aviators.
How To Determine Your Eye Shape
If you still feel lost about your eye shape, here are a few helpful hints to point you in the right direction.
- Consider the overall shape of your eye. Is it longer than it is wider, or wider than it is longer? This can help you determine whether you have almond or round eye shapes.
- Look at your lids. If you can see a definite crease, it is more likely that you have deep-set, hooded, almond, or protruding eyes. If you see no crease or if your eyelid appears flat, you likely have monolid eyes.
- Cut to the corners. The outer corners of your eyes will either point straight toward your temples or angle upward or downward. This will help you determine whether you have upturned or downturned eyes.
Remember, most people have a combination of at least two eye shapes, so it’s quite possible you have hooded almond eyes or upturned monolids.
Choosing Safety Glasses
If you’re in the market for safety glasses (and if you don’t own a pair, you should be), your eye shape can help you pick the perfect pair. Thanks to the innovative designs available through Stoggles, you don’t have to settle for the heavy, uncomfortable hardware-store glasses you might have used in the past.
The Specs
Whether you choose Stoggles cat eye frames or our incredible new aviators, you’ll be getting industry-leading safety features that keep your eyes as safe as they’ll look stylish.
- ANSI Z87.1-2020 certification. This means your Stoggles will provide a certified amount of coverage that’ll protect your eyes. Certified awesome.
- Anti-fog lenses. No more wiping and swiping. Your Stoggles won’t fog, no matter how steamy your situation.
- Top and side shields. Toss those wraparound glasses-they warp prescription lenses and don’t compliment any eye shape. Top and side shields protect your eyes better and never interfere with your vision.
- UV protection. Whether you are exposed to UV light indoors or outdoors, the lightweight polycarbonate material used to create every pair of Stoggles is naturally UV-blocking to protect your eyes from damaging UV rays. Even in one of the cloudiest cities like New York, you still need UV protection when the sun’s not out.
- Blue light blocking technology. Scrolling or sawing, Stoggles has you covered. Our lenses are injected with blue-light filtering material to block out dangerous blue light emitted from smartphones, tablets, LED light bulbs, and televisions.
In terms of safety, there’s nothing we don’t cover. We give you all the safety features you need so you can wear your Stoggles confidently, knowing your eyes are protected.
Style and Comfort
Because we elevate style right along with safety, you’ll find all Stoggles are available in numerous shapes and colors. Our advice? Grab a few pairs, so you can match them to your favorite outfits, activities, or moods.
Pair the straight line of the Stoggles in Rectangle with a smart blazer. Or, rock the smokey charcoal Aviators with a leather jacket that totally implies you’re cool enough to plane. Either way, you’ve got tons of options.
Now. We love a look that shimmers, but here’s something more important (maybe):
Whether it’s a wool sweater or false eyelashes, you won’t wear something if it’s uncomfortable, even when your best friend insists it’s *so you.* That’s why we made Stoggles as comfy as your favorite bedroom slippers.
Shape Up and Shine With Stoggles
Knowing your eye shape can help you pick eyewear that looks like it was custom fitted for your face, and knowing where to shop for the perfect eyewear can really seal the deal. Stoggles is your go-to solution for safety eyewear that looks as good as it protects.
We make it easy for you to stay safe, look sharp, and grab frames that work well for whatever eye shape you have.
Sources:
What is my eye shape? The best tips for each, according to makeup artists | Today
Keratoconus - Symptoms and causes | Mayo Clinic