Don’t be a square — unless, of course, your face is naturally shaped that way. Your face shape gives you a definite look, but it can also make it hard for you to find eyewear. You might love the look of round glasses but hate the way they make your face look less angular than you want.
We get it. Finding eyewear that fits comfortably and looks great can be a challenge, but it’s a challenge the Stoggles staff is definitely up to. If you’re dealing with a face shape that features more straight lines than a graphing calculator, we can help.
Before we help you develop your eyewear drip, we’ll give you some face shape facts, including how to find out what shape yours is if you’re unsure.
All About Face Shape
You’ve probably already got a good idea of what shape your face is, but if you aren’t sure or just want to brush up on your face shape identification skills, now’s the time.
The shape of your face is determined by a few important measurements. The relationship between your cheekbones, also known as your midface, your forehead, and your chin, are the factors you’ll consider when deciding the shape of your face.
The Quick Test
Finding your face shape isn’t rocket science, although there’s some really cool science behind how our genes express our facial shapes.
To find out what your face shape is, you’ll need a mirror and your face.
1. The first item of business is determining your cheek measurement. If your cheeks are wider than the rest of your face, you’ll likely have a heart or diamond-shaped face. If they are smaller, you’re more likely to have a round or oval face.
If your cheeks fall in line with your forehead and chin, you’ve probably got a square or rectangle face shape.
2. Next, take a look at your forehead. If your forehead is wider than your cheeks or in line with them, you’re more likely to have a square or rectangular face shape. A forehead that is smaller or features a widow’s peak hairline is characteristic of a heart-shaped face and oval face shapes.
3. The last place you’ll inspect on your face is your chin. A chin that is more narrow than the cheeks usually indicates an oval, heart, or diamond face shape. Structured jaw lines or chins that are the same width as the cheeks are more likely to be characteristic of square faces.
Bottom line: If your cheeks, chin, and forehead all lineup, and your face is about as wide as it is long, you have a square face shape. Now that you know, you can start looking for eyewear that helps balance out your angles and compliments your face perfectly.
How To Pick the Right Glasses for Square Shaped Faces
It’s hip to be square, especially when you’re shopping for eyewear. Some of the most common frame shapes work perfectly for square faces, so don’t worry that you’ll have to order some outrageous, custom-made shape.
Here, we count down the top frame shapes that will square off nicely with your quadratic countenance.
1. Round
Round eyewear can be hard to pull off, especially if you have a round face. Too many soft curves can make the face look unstructured. However, for people with square-shaped faces, round eyewear is a win.
The smooth curves will add balance and depth to the midface and soften the jawline, bringing balance to the face.
2. Cat-Eye
They’re retro-inspired and effortlessly fun. Cat-eye frames work well for square faces because they accentuate the cheeks and make them appear slightly lifted, which can help add dimension to the straight edge of your face.
Look for options that have more of an upward angle to accentuate higher cheekbones and minimize a larger forehead.
3. Aviators
They’re big, they’re bold, and they’re a bonus for square faces. Aviators are like the yang to the ying of cat-eye frames. Cat eyes usually angle upward, aviator frames tend to have outer corners that angle downward. The effect is the same: you get more balance through the midface by giving the illusion of cheekbones that are wider than your forehead or chin.
Frames to Avoid
If you’re in search of frames to balance out your geometry, you’ll want to steer clear of square or rectangle frames. These frame styles can call attention to your strict symmetry and make your face look more angular than it is.
That said, the best pair of frames are the ones you feel most comfortable in, and if you have a square face and love rectangle eyewear, then those are the frames that are built for you.
When it’s time to buy new eyewear, we have a few suggestions for where to shop. Spoiler alert: it’s with Stoggles.
How To Protect Your Eyes
Your eyes are important. Really important. Studies show that vision is the sense we rely on most heavily, followed by our ability to hear. Vision cells are limited, and when they are damaged, that’s game over for your ability to see.
Keeping your eyes safe (and ensuring you never compromise on style) are our two main priorities at Stoggles. Here’s how we do it.
Shatter Free Way to Be
It probably goes without saying, but eyewear that shatters and sends shards of glass or plastic into your eyes is a big eye care fail. That’s why Stoggles insists that our eyewear is all ANSI Z87.1-2020 certified.
This highly esteemed certification is only bestowed on eyewear that has proven its durability against high-velocity impact.
Light Protection
One of the best ways you can support your vision and take care of your eyes is by protecting them from intrusive light sources. Both UV light and blue light are capable of penetrating your cornea and reaching your retina, where your vision cells live.
UV light damage can cause early-onset macular degeneration and even cataracts. Researchers also believe that blue light may be able to do the same type of damage. Blue light comes from the sun but also from devices like your smartphone, laptop, and LED televisions, making our exposure to blue light nearly continual.
Keeping your eyes safe from blue light and UV protection is easy with Stoggles. Our eyewear is made of lightweight, ultra-durable polycarbonate material, which just so happens to be naturally UV-blocking. When we build our eyewear, we inject blue light blocking compounds into the raw material that the lenses are made from so you get effective blue light protection that doesn’t wear off.
No Fog Zone
Think of our fog-free lenses like coffee for your eyewear. It keeps them from ever looking hazy. Fogging lenses can create safety issues, but they can also lead to serious irritation. Continually removing your glasses to wipe them down isn’t our idea of a fun pastime.
Stoggles lenses are coated with a proprietary and state of the art anti-fogging compound so that you don’t have to worry about wiping, swiping, or throwing your eyewear in a fit of fog-induced rage.
Side and Top Shield Protection
Safety eyewear should offer all-around protection, and some styles don't. The spaces at the top of your lenses and on the sides (near your temples) are prime targets for debris, allergens, or splashes. We cover them up with top and side shields.
Top and side shields are low profile and offer streamlined protection that is barely noticeable. Wraparound eyewear may offer similar protection, but if you wear prescription lenses, there is a possibility the curvature of the wraparound lens could distort your vision.
Comfort
It’s key. If you aren’t comfortable in your specs, you won’t want to wear them. We placed a lot of emphasis on comfort, designing our Stoggles with ergonomic enhancements (like comfortable arms and nose bridges) to ensure that you stay supremely comfy when you’re wearing them.
Options You Didn’t Expect
When you shop for eyewear, no matter your face shape, you want options that protect your eyes and sound cool when described to your friends. We check those boxes and then some. Stoggles are available in numerous frame shapes (including square face-loving cat-eye and aviator) and in multiple colors so you can choose the combination that is right for you.
We also offer Stoggles with:
- Photochromic lenses. Stoggles Dimmers are UV light responsive, darkening when you enter a sunny atmosphere and returning to clear when you leave.
- Sun/Polarized lenses. If you want shade along with your UV protection, you can have it. Our Sun/Polarized lenses offer tinted lenses and polarization so you can see more comfortably in reflective situations.
- Prescription availability. It’s natural to want a pair of Stoggles, they’re the best options for your eyes and essentially the Cadillacs of safety eyewear. If you need corrective lenses, we won’t leave you out. Just upload your prescription to our website, and we’ll create your Stoggles in-house, saving you time, money, and hurt feelings.
There’s no base we didn’t cover when we created our eyewear, and we like to think our added features help us stand out in the sea of safety eyewear options.
Square Off With Stoggles
Your face shape may be square, but your eyewear doesn’t need to be. When you want frames that fit your face and provide essential eye protection with impressive style, the choice is always Stoggles.
Sources:
Science reveals genetic reasons behind different face shapes | Open Access Government.org
Evaluating Whether Sight Is the Most Valued Sense | PMC
How blue light affects your eyes, sleep, and health | Health.UCDavis.edu