Best Glasses for an Oval Face: Styles & Where to Buy

If you have an oval face, you’re in luck when it comes to glasses. Most frame shapes work well for oval faces.

An oval face shape is known for being proportional, often with defining cheekbones. The oval shape typically narrows a bit toward the top of the forehead and bottom of the chin. 

A small oval face can look great in a half-rimmed frame. A longer oval face may be complemented with an oversized frame. 

Which Frames Look Best on an Oval Face?

What’s the best frame shape to complement an oval face? Because this face shape is so versatile, there are a lot of shapes that can flatter it. 

The top frames for oval faces add width and angularity, and they should match the size of your face. Ideally, choose frames that are wider than the widest part of your face.

• Angular frames: A geometric look can be stylish, sophisticated, and trendy for oval faces. Square frames add angles and sharpness, offsetting the softness of an oval face. Rounded square and rounded rectangular frames are good options to achieve a stylish geometric look.
  
• Aviators: Aviators tend to create an impression of width, which balances the length of your face.
  These glasses were first developed by Bausch & Lomb in 1936 to help protect pilots’ eyes. This iconic style continues to be in fashion today. Aviators come in a traditional rounded shape or slightly squared, and both work well for oval face shapes.

• Cat-eye frames: These frames offer oval-face women a great opportunity to play with a vintage look. These frames sweep upward and highlight your cheekbones while adding width. 

• Browline frames: These are a popular choice for men to create an illusion of width, shortening the length of an oval face.

For more inspiration on glass frames, look at celebrities who have oval faces. Photographs of Emma Watson, Cameron Diaz, Julia Roberts, Ryan Reynolds, Jude Law, Oprah, and Beyonce sporting glasses and sunglasses may spark your imagination.

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Top Brands & Styles to Buy

These are some of the top retailers selling great styles that work well for oval faces:

• Warby Parker: This company offers a how-to-guide for choosing the best glasses for different face shapes. For oval faces, just about any shape will work well to balance your face.
  
  If you have a sharp chin or jawline, rounder frames can add softness. If your cheekbones are not prominent, opt for upswept frames, such as cat-eye frames. 

Their Shea Eyeglasses in Oak Barrel offer an understated cat-eye look, and they are available in medium width, starting at $95.

• Zenni Optical: You can sort by frame styles for oval faces on their site. Choose geometric, cat-eye, aviator, or browline frames to flatter your versatile face shape. Zenni offers virtual try-on, and you can get single-vision prescription glasses in three to five days with the Fast Frame option.
  
  Their Ivory Tort Browline Glasses for women offer a high-quality frame for about $33.

• Liingo Eyewear: Find your best frame size by uploading a selfie to their site. You can check out their face shape guide for recommendations for the best styles for oval faces. Use the virtual try-on tool and/or try on five frames for free at home.
  
  Their Annie Eyeglasses for women, with free prescription lenses, are about $100. Their Richard frames for men, with free premium prescription lenses, are about $80 and offer a subtle browline look with sleek lines and sophistication. 

• Persol: Choose from 34 frames that work well for oval face shapes. Persol is known for their timeless style, and the frames are handmade in Italy.
  
  Their Persol in Spotted Tortoise features rounded frames with distinctive trim. They cost $354.

• Ray-Ban: A longtime name in the glasses business, Ray-Ban offers many frames that work well for oval face shapes. Their Ray-Ban Wayfarer frames feature the Ray-Ban iconic look of style and sophistication. They cost about $180.

• GlassesUSA: This site features a huge variety of styles at discounted prices. Use a filter for “oval face” to find the best frames for your prescription eyewear. Their virtual mirror is a quick and easy way to try on frames, and choose the styles that best enhance your features.
  
  Their Amelia E. Tricia glasses have a stunning rounded-square frame. They cost $44.

• EyeBuyDirect: This retailer offers many types of glasses for oval faces at a range of price points. Their Square Glasses offer a sleek silhouette and a stylish look for $42.

Frame Shapes to Avoid for Oval Faces

Although the oval face is extremely versatile, there are a few shapes to avoid. 

Oversized glasses can dominate your face and distract from your natural proportions, so it’s best to avoid frames that are too large. Similarly, steer clear of very narrow frames, as these can emphasize the length of your face and make your face appear longer. 

Avoid frames with extreme design elements, such as a lot of metal facets, rhinestones, or extra details. These can add extra length and not be complementary to your face. 

How to See Which Frames Look Best on You

You don’t have to travel to stores in person to try on different frames. Virtual try-on apps can simulate the experience of trying on glasses in a real shop or optometrist’s office. 

Virtual technology enables you to choose the glasses that match your face shape, lifestyle, and style preferences. Using a photo or 3D video, you can try on frames before you buy them. You don’t have to wonder how the frames will look on you. You can see it in real time.

A virtual try-on app can work across different devices, such as your smartphone, tablet, or computer. These are two options you can try:

• Ideofit: This easy-to-use app can quickly show you how you look in specific frames. It works great for trying on glasses and sunglasses. You don’t need to scan your face or upload a photo. It works in real time.
  
  It is available in the Apple app store and Google Play store.
  
• YouCam Makeup: This is a simple makeover app where you can see how different glasses look on your face. It’s an easy way to quickly see how certain frame shapes work for your face before purchasing them.
  
  It is available in the Apple app store and Google Play store.

Most major eyeglass retailers offer some version of a try-on app or feature on their site. Some require that you upload a photo of your face, whereas others use the camera on your computer, tablet, or smartphone to show you how glasses look on you in real time.

Even though most frame shapes work well for oval faces, it’s still very helpful to use these virtual try-on apps, so you can feel more confident in your purchase.

References

1. Finding the Best Glasses For Your Oval Face. Zenni Optical

2. Frame Selection Guide. Flaum Eye Institute.

3. Know Your Frame Shapes. EYESEE Magazine.

4. How Ray-Ban Invented Sunglasses and Framed 20th Century Style. (April 2017).The Rake.

5. The Cat-Eye: A Style for Every Decade. (January 2019). Zenni Optical.

6. The Best Glasses for Different Face Shapes. Warby Parker.

7. Face Shape Guide for Glasses. Liingo Eyewear.

8. Using Virtual Technology to Help Patients Choose Spectacles. (December 2017). Optometry Today.

9. How Many Optical Apps Are There? (August 2015). The Optical Journal.