Frames

Everyone has different needs when choosing eye wear. Choosing a proper fitting frame and a style that suits you is generally most people's concern. Your facial size and shape, hair and eye color, among other factors should affect your decision. To make the best selection, you should have a good understanding of what constitutes "proper fit." This will affect how your glasses look, whether or not they are comfortable, and how well you see with them.

Temple to temple - The first variable in fitting frames is width. The distance between your temples should determine the width of the frames.

Temple to ear - The temples should be long enough to fit comfortably around your ears, but short enough to effectively hold your glasses on your face with your lenses positioned properly. As general rule, for most women, the temple length is 135mm otherwise the frame will extend too far behind the ear and won't fit properly. For smaller framed men generally the length should be the same and for men with larger features or who are taller the length should be 140 to 145mm. As a general rule of thumb, the taller in statue the man the longer the length of the temple should be.

Bridge - The next factor is the bridge, the part that joins the lenses and crosses your nose. The width of the bridge and whether it is low or high on the frame varies. These should match your needs according to the length and width of your nose.

The Right Style
The color, shape and proportion of your eyes, eyebrows, hair, hairline, nose and cheeks are all physical features that should be taken into account when you choose your frames. Eyeglasses come in all shapes, sizes and colors, and they make a statement about you. Our trained staff is adept at assisting you in finding the look you're seeking plus with over seven thousand frames to choose and one of the widest selection of styles you'll be so glad you chose Fashion Optical; this is what had made us famous! We know from experience that choosing the right style without guidance can be tricky, but here are a few general rules that you might find helpful.

Size of the Lenses
Today most eye wear is designed with the progressive lens wearer(no line bifocal) in my mind. When these products were first introduced it was necessary to have a large lens for the bifocal however now days, generally manufacturers that we use like Zeiss and Varilux make shorter corridors. Of course the larger tthe lens the more "reading" you have but it's not absolutely necessary you have a large or oversized lenses. For individuals with higher prescription (+/- 3.50 or greater)some factors to consider to reduce thickness of the lenses are to choose full-rimmed more rounded glasses, which generally speaking helps in decreasing the noticeable thickness of the lens. Our staff of trained experts are terrific at assisting you in which frames will suit your prescription and lifestyle needs. If you're buying from us online, we'll be glad to provide you with assistance to make sure your satisfied with your end results.

Face Shape

The shape of your frames should work well with the shape of your face obviously. There are five main face shapes: oval, round, rectangular, square and triangular. Determine the shape of your face. Once you do, it will be easier to see the effects of various frames on your overall look.

Proper temple length, bridge width and position of pupils are essential to good fitting frames. A good rule of thumb to go by to determine the correct shape for your face is to remember narrow, rectangular shapes elongate the face and rounder shapes shorten it. Sometimes the best fit is one that combines both elements.

    Oval - If you have an oval face, you have the widest range of frames to choose from. Large, small, conservative or trendy, all kinds will suit you, as long as they fit properly. Rectangular frames add balance to round/oval faces. If you face is a longer round face then try a deeper lens in a rectangle for balance and symmetry.

    Round - Frames can either accentuate or downplay this shape. Oval or round eyeglasses will make your face look rounder and softer. Frames with crisp, straight lines will give you a more structured, angular look. You may also want to consider geometric shapes like semi-diamond and bow-tie shapes and similar shapes for a greater contrast.

    Rectangular - Smaller frames with a horizontal line tend to emphasize the length of a rectangular face. Bigger, longer frames will make your face appear shorter. Try avoiding frames which look too small meaning that the front of the frame is not the same width as you face.

    Square - Circular and oval glasses will contrast the squareness; straight lines, rectangular or triangular frames will emphasize it. Round frames are very much in and look terrific for that retro-vintage inspired look. The rule of thumb is the darker the frame in a round the more noticeable so if you’re fair of a complexion then you might look at clear rounds or prep boys or try a honey tortoise.

    Triangular - Glasses with pointed angles will bring out the shape of your face. If it's a straighter, longer look you want, try on some rectangular frames.

Nose

The size and position of the bridge of your frames should be adjusted according to the length, width, and depth of your nose. If your nose is short, narrow or high, the bridge should be placed high. Long, wide or low noses need wide and low bridges. These positions can help create the most complementary look for your glasses and face.

Hairstyle

Hairstyle is another variable of shape that should be considered when choosing your frame. If you have bangs, avoid glasses that are too large. Frames that are too dark or heavy in combination with bangs can cause your face to disappear. Short hair will showcase your glasses better than any other style. Short styles create a clean-cut look. You can emphasize a refined, classic image or contrast it. Hairstyles with high volume that expose your face and make your head look bigger need to be counterbalanced with larger frames to maintain the proportion.

If you change your hairstyle often, you may want to consider more than one pair of glasses to go with them. Your hairstyle and your glasses work together to shape your face. Don't be afraid to play up your colors for example, blonds look fabulous in blacks among other colors and those with red tones in their hair look wonderful in honey colors and bronze.

Eyebrows

The position of your glasses relative to your eyebrows is the final factor in determining the shape of your frames. Glasses should not hide the eyebrows however some women prefer to have the frame follow the curvature of your eye brow but as a rule generally make sure the top of your frames falls just below your eyebrows. Frames that are curved on top should follow your brow line as closely as possible without crossing it for a harmonious look.

Hair, Eye and Frame Color

Brown hair goes well with metal or darker frames. Transparent or light-colored frames are best for those with medium to darker skin tones. All colors except yellow and white work well on redheads and red is fabulous on redhead. The color of your eyebrows should also be a determinant in your frame selection. However, if your hair and eyebrow colors are different, your hair color is a more important consideration.

Your eye color can be complemented by or coordinated with your frames. Dark brown eyes are the most versatile. Almost any color will work well but dark brown frames are probably the least flattering. Rosy, orange, tawny, and dark purple tones look best with blue eyes. Roses, purples, warm greens and gold highlighted frames look good with light brown or hazel eyes. Green eyes look best with khaki, chocolate, purple and burgundy colors.

Thickness of Frames and Lenses

Lastly, when choosing a frame, you should consider how well it would work with your customized lens. Lets consider that all lenses have a base curve, which is the outside curvature. This measurement is important when making sunglasses with your prescription in the lens. The optimal dimension to consider is called 6 base. Not all lenses can be adapted, but we are aware of all sunglasses in which this can be achieved and can point you in the right direction.

Over the years, a great deal of progress has been made in reducing the thickness and magnifying appearance of lenses. Nonetheless, if placed in the wrong frames, strong prescription lenses may produce some unnecessary effects.

If you are farsighted, convex lenses may make your eyes look magnified to others. Larger frames can bring your eyes back into proportion with the rest of your face. If you are nearsighted, the opposite is true. Your lenses may make your eyes look smaller than they are. Large frames will increase this effect, whereas compact frames will reduce it.