Glasses can accentuate your face or detract from it. It goes without saying that the wrong pair of glasses can completely ruin your look and sap your confidence. The right pair can do just the opposite, highlighting your favorite features and making you feel like a million bucks.
Safety glasses are another story. We don’t always think about safety and fashion being hand in hand; in fact, we usually believe those two terms are mutually exclusive. Although so many of us know the importance of wearing protective eyewear, most of us don’t know that we aren’t limited to the dollar bin safety glasses at the home improvement store.
The team at Stoggles is all highly attuned to both safety and fashion. When you’ve decided you want to retain your style and protect your vision, you’re ready to learn how to choose the perfect glasses frame color for yourself.
Let’s talk about the basics, what facial features you’ll consider, what options are available, and how to put it all together to get the perfect safety glasses for your face.
The Basics
Grab a mirror, pen, and notepad. We’ll wait. Now that you’re face to face with yourself, jot down a few notes about your facial characteristics. We’ll start with the face shape.
Face Shape
There are seven basic face shapes, according to beauty experts.
- Oval. The oval face shape is wider through the midface and cheeks, but only slightly. The forehead and chin are almost equal in width, producing a perfect oval shape.
- Round. Round faces are wider through the cheeks, chin, and temples. The overall appearance of the face is circular, with little definition around the cheeks.
- Heart. Heart-shaped faces have angular, pointed chins and a forehead that is broader than the cheeks, giving the appearance of an upside-down heart.
- Square. Square face shapes have angular jawlines, a prominent forehead, and little definition throughout the cheeks.
- Diamond. Similar to an oval face shape, a diamond face shape is wider through the cheeks but more prominently defined through the cheeks than an oval face shape.
- Pear. Pear-shaped faces have smaller foreheads and are wider through the cheeks, chin, and jaw.
- Oblong. Oblong face shapes are very similar to oval face shapes but slightly thinner and longer. Think of this shape like an oval that has been squeezed together just slightly on each side.
Knowing your face shape can help you determine the style of frame that will best fit your face.
Eye Color
When determining which color of frames you’ll choose, your eye color can be a major contributing factor. Most people have eyes that are
- Blue (light or dark, or even violet-colored)
- Green
- Brown (including dark brown and black)
- Hazel. Hazel eyes look brown with gold or yellow flecks.
If you feel your eye color isn’t easily defined, you probably have hazel eyes or a variation of blue that is slightly darker and sometimes referred to as gray.
Hair Color
Take a look at your locks. When determining the best frame shade, you’ll want to pick a color that compliments your hair color. If you frequently change your hair color, this might not be the best standard to use to select your frame color. Instead, you can use eye color and skin tone.
If your hair color is fairly constant, you can match your frame shade to your tresses. Although there’s a myriad of hair colors, for our purposes, we’ll stick to gray-white, brown, black, red, and blonde.
Skin Tone
Your skin tone can help you pick frames in a shade that will always look perfectly matched to your face. Your skin tone stays the same, even if you are exposed to the sun. According to researchers who studied thousands of skin tones worldwide, there are at least 100 identifiable different skin tones.
Most skin tones will fall into one of three categories: cool, neutral, or warm.
- Cool. Cool skin tones have pink or bluish undertones and are usually fair-skinned. You can tell you are a cool tone if you burn easily in the sun (rarely tanning), look best in silver jewelry, and look dashing in pure white.
- Warm. Warm skin tones have gold or peach undertones, tan easily, and look best in gold jewelry. If you love off-white colors like neutrals and creams, you’re likely a warm skin tone.
- Neutral. If you have trouble figuring out whether you are a cool or a warm tone, you’re probably a neutral tone. Neutral skin tones sometimes appear yellow or even olive, tan easily but occasionally burn, and look good in both whites and off-white colors.
Your skin tone is an ideal guide for helping you pick frame colors because, unlike your hair color, it doesn’t change.
The Options
If you’ve been shopping for bargain bin glasses at your favorite big box store, we’re here to save you (from yourself). Although most safety glasses come in a one-size-fits-all shape and color, Stoggles are available in numerous sizes, shapes, and colors to fully customize your safety glasses experience.
Shape
No frog-dissection spectacles here! Stoggles are available in three specific shapes to compliment the shape of your face and your favorite style.
- Round. Move over John Lennon, these round glasses are every bit as iconic, but a lot more protective. Round glasses soften sharp features. Choose round eyeglass shapes if you have a square, heart, or diamond-shaped face.
- Rectangle. You probably won’t be the only hipster on the block, but you’ll definitely be the most fashionable. Rectangle Stoggles add a touch of sophistication and work perfectly for practically any face shape. They look especially smashing on oval, round, and heart-shaped faces.
- Square. It’s hip to be square, especially if you have sharp features you’d like to naturally soften. These glasses will do the trick and work well for oblong, oval, and pear-shaped faces.
Pro tip: Grab a few different shapes to see which you love the most. You might be surprised to find you love several different frame shapes.
Size
Ill-fitting glasses are glasses that don’t get worn. Safety glasses that aren’t worn can’t protect your eyes. That’s science. Thankfully, Stoggles are available in three different sizes so that you can get a perfect fit that’s comfortable and protective.
- Medium. Our most popular fit, these feature a 50mm lens, 20mm bridge, and 145mm temple.
- Small. For children and some adults, our small Stoggles measurements are 47mm lens, 19mm bridge, and 140mm temple.
- Low bridge fit. For a comfortable fit lower on the bridge of your nose, our rectangle Stoggles are available with a 52mm lens, 21mm bridge, and 145mm temple.
It’s never been easier to stay safe and comfortable simultaneously.
Colors
Sure, you could grab clear frames (and we carry them). Crystal clear frames are elegant and understated. At Stoggles, we like options.
Our range of colors allows you to match your safety glasses frames to your eye color, hair color, skin tone, or simply your mood.
Our color family includes:
- Rectangle Stoggles: denim, moss, antique, cold brew, clear, and charcoal
- Round Stoggles: cold brew, blush, clear, champagne, charcoal, sky blue, mint green, lilac, coral red
- Square Stoggles: cold brew, blush, clear, sky blue, lilac, charcoal, champagne, mint green
Don’t worry if you’re having trouble deciding which color is best. We’ll give you some tips on how to make the best decision.
Choosing Your Best Frame Color
You can choose your frame color based on your eye color, hair color, skin color, or personal preference. We understand it can be a little overwhelming, so here’s a handy guide to help you decide.
Remember, ultimately, the perfect frames are the ones you love the most. If they don’t fit the guidelines, that’s okay. We like a pair of frames that are a little rebellious.
The Eyes Have It
If you want to match your frames to your eyes, you can do so relatively easily.
- Brown eyes. Virtually any color looks suitable with brown eyes. Neutrals like clear and charcoal look professional and polished. Bolder colors like mint green and sky blue will bring attention to your eyes.
- Blue. If you have blue eyes and would like to wear a neutral tone, try cold brew or champagne. For a bolder look, we love coral red.
- Green. Green eyes pair well with virtually any color. Coral red, lilac, and moss are all perfect matches that make bold statements. For an updated neutral, try antique.
- Hazel. Hazel eyes can play with the same colors brown and green eyes can. Because your eyes tend to change color based on your hair color and what you’re wearing, you have the ability to play with color better than other eye colors do. You’ll also find clear frames that make your eyes pop.
Your eye color can help you pick a frame color that looks like it was custom-fitted for your face. If you want an even better match, cross-reference your frame color with your hair color.
Hair We Go
Many of us change our hair color frequently, so it’s not always a possibility to match our frames to your hair color. If your hair color is pretty consistent, you can use it as a guide.
- Black or dark brown hair. Dark frames look great with darker hair. We love charcoal frames to complement dark locks. For a lighter, more neutral look, champagne works well and isn’t too stark in contrast.
- White or gray hair. There’s virtually no way to go wrong with white or gray hair. You’ve got a neutral palette that works well with a myriad of colors. Try a pop of color like mint green or moss to highlight your hair's natural undertones.
- Red hair. Red hair practically begs for an equally vibrant colored frame. Jewel tones like coral red and sky blue are striking against the backdrop of red hair. Clear frames are also a smart match.
- Brunettes. Brown hair finds a great match with greens like moss, and with earthy tones like cold brew and champagne.
- Blondes. Blonde hair provides a semi-neutral palette that works well with many colors. Blush, lilac, and champagne match perfectly with blonde hair. For a bolder look, go for darker colors, like charcoal.
Hair color can help you pick frames that give you either an understated or bold look.
In This Skin
Matching your glasses frame color to your skin tone might be the easiest way to get a match that always looks amazing. Here are some easy ways to match your glasses to your skin tone.
- Cool tones. Avoid incredibly dark frames (like black). Mint green, moss, cold brew, and clear will all compliment your skin.
- Neutral tones. You hit the jackpot! Neutral skin tones look great in virtually any color. From bold, statement-making colors like coral red and sky blue, to understated neutrals like champagne and cold brew, you can change your frame shade to match your outfit with ease.
- Warm tones. Warm skin tones love warm frames. We love the yellowed antique frames on warm skin tones, as well as coral red, charcoal, moss, and mint green.
Your skin tone helps you find a match that is constant, no matter what your hair color may be or what you’re wearing. If you match your frames to your skin tone, you can be sure you’ll always have a complete look.
Stoggles: The Stylish Way To Stay Safe
With safety glasses, you’ve got options you probably didn’t know you have. Instead of settling for the same old clear, chemistry class-type glasses you’ve always used, grab a pair that keeps you as fashionable as they do safe.
Stoggles are certified ANSI Z87.1-2020 for impact resistance and feature upgraded safety features, like blue light blocking lenses that make them the best option for keeping your eyes protected.
You need eye protection, but let’s be honest: we all want to look great at the same time. Stoggles make safety and style possible.
Sources:
Fitting of Eyeglasses and Forming Relationships | 2020mag
How to Find Your Face Shape in 4 Easy Steps, According to Experts | Hello Giggles
ANSI/ISEA Z87.1-2020: Current Standard for Safety Glasses | ANSI