Gok Wan’s top tips on choosing glasses

Mums Tips

Fashion & Beauty

Published on Tuesday, 06 August 2013 09:05

Last Updated on 23 July 2013

Monica Costa

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Gok Wan is an expert on what to wear to flatter different body shapes but, when it comes to faces, he also knows how important it is to select specs that complement your best features and reflect your personality. In his role as Specsavers’ style advisor he gives us here top tips on how to choose glasses for specific face shapes.

The eyes are the window to the soul, so don’t be eternally damned by your specs. Make the most of your best features and play down your least favourite by using a combination of colour and shape.

With a bigger choice of glasses than ever, the secret is to understand the theory before starting to improvise and create your own look. Once you’ve mastered the basics, you could be ready for some free-styling statement specs – if you dare!

There are six styling secrets to choosing great glasses:

Fit

It doesn’t matter what look you’re aiming for, your glasses need to fit you well. Specs come in many sizes, which can really change the way they look on your face. If your frames are higher than the line of your eyebrows then they probably don’t fit properly. The lower edge should not sit on your cheeks, even when you smile.

Consider the width of your frames – if they are too narrow on your face they will make your eyes look close together. Likewise, they should be no wider than the width of your face at the temples as they may distort your face shape.

Face shape

Make sure you choose specs to suit the shape of your face.

An oval face is evenly proportioned and softly rounded. It suits almost all frame shapes, so be adventurous! Rectangular and geometric shapes will look better than round frames.

A rectangular face has high cheekbones and a deep forehead. This shape is balanced by wide frames with a strong brow line at the top. An all-over colour will work well but avoid small or deep frames.

A round face is fairly short with a wide forehead and a round chin. It suits angular or geometric styles. Steer clear of oval or round frames, which will make the face look even rounder.

A square face is defined by a broad, deep forehead, a wide jaw and a square chin. Oval or round frames will balance this face shape, while angular frames will emphasise angular features.

A heart-shaped face has a broad forehead and tapers to a small, neat mouth and chin so suit slender, rounded or square styles. Avoid frames that are wider at the top, as these will emphasise the face shape.

A triangular face is narrow at the forehead and eyeline but widens at the jaw. It needs bold, strong shapes to add balance to the face. Avoid small, narrow frames.

Hair

The colour, style and length of your hair will give the next clue to finding your ideal glasses.

Dark frames look delicious against dark hair and flashes of gold or silver also look gorgeous against a dark background. Dark frames can provide a fabulous contrast for blonde hair and can also make a real style statement with short hair.

Light frames keep the focus firmly on the hair so, if your hairstyle is your key feature, it’s best to go for a lighter coloured glasses or maybe something rimless.

You can use frames with colours to complement skin tone and hair colour. Green-toned frames look fantastic with red hair and tortoiseshell is just fabulous against auburn hair. Blue tinted specs are beautiful with silver-grey locks. Trust auntie Gok.

Skin and eyes

Colour is critical and, just like clothes or jewellery, specs should complement your skin tone or eye colour.

Gold, tortoiseshell and bright colours can look fantastic against darker skin tones. Silver and black frames work well with darker skin and eyes but can also make a big statement with lighter skin tones.

Soft browns look fabulous with paler skin tones, as do burgundy or pink frames, while blues, greens and purples can really highlight blue eyes.

Also, think about the position of your eyes. A thin or clear bridge can add width between close-set eyes and a coloured bridge will make wide-set eyes appear closer together.

Frames can showcase your finest qualities. If you want to draw attention to your eyes, choose glam glasses with a bit of bling on the arms, or a flash of colour to complement your eyes. Gorgeous!

Nose

Don’t forget that the shape and size of your nose will affect the look and feel of your specs.

Long noses suit a lower bridge and a thick plastic frame, while shorter noses can be balanced with a high bridge or a frame with a thicker brow line.

Remember that your specs need to fit well, so very wide, narrow or broken noses may need a metal frame with adjustable nose pads. A nose with a naturally low bridge will be flatter on the face, so it’s really important to try on plenty of glasses to get a good fit.

Personality

Style is about more than just following trends – it’s an expression of your personality and your specs should be no exception. Once you’ve mastered the basics of styling, you can start using glasses to express your mood. For instance, there are days when I want something that shrieks confidence, so I choose bold statement specs that ooze attitude. Big, 60’s presidential-style glasses continue to be a huge hit, with plenty of people who don’t even need to wear specs adopting the geek chic look.

Other days, I just want a lovely frame that blends into the background. Whatever the mood or occasion, your glasses should enhance your look. Don’t be afraid to experiment but remember that some frames will always suit your face, features and colouring better than others. Use the rules to your advantage but be ready to break them when the time – and the look – is right.

For me, glasses are just another part of my wardrobe!