Glasses guide
Glasses for Oval Face
An oval face is about one and a half times as long as it is wide, with a forehead a little wider than the jaw and a softly rounded chin. That balance is why so many frames work — the best glasses for an oval face keep the balance rather than fight it.
Not sure your face is oval? Check it with the free face shape detector or read more about the oval face shape.
Side by side
Five frames on the same oval face
One face, five styles — all of them work. Pick by the look you want.
Rectangle
Oversized square
Aviator
Browline
Cat-eye
Best styles
Best glasses for oval face shapes
Why each style works on an oval face, and where to find it.
Rectangle glasses
Clean straight lines add a little structure to soft oval curves — a safe everyday choice.
Oversized square glasses
Bold, wide frames work because an oval face is in proportion; keep the top of the frame at your brow line.
Aviator glasses
The teardrop lens follows the natural taper of an oval face from cheekbones to chin.
Browline glasses
A strong top rim highlights the brow and adds character without upsetting your proportions.
Cat-eye glasses
Lifted outer corners draw attention to the cheekbones, the widest point of an oval face.
Fit
How to pick frames for an oval face
Do
- Match the frame width to your cheekbones — the widest part of an oval face.
- Keep the top of the frame at or just under your eyebrows.
- Go bold if you like: oval faces carry thick acetate, bright colours and oversized shapes better than most.
- Use the bridge to tune length: a low bridge shortens a longer oval, a high bridge lengthens a shorter one.
Avoid
- Frames much wider than your face, which make it look narrow.
- Very deep lenses that cover your cheekbones.
- Tiny frames that leave a lot of face around them.
Very few frames clash with an oval face. The main thing to avoid is frames much wider than your face, or so deep they cover your cheekbones and hide your balanced proportions.
Try on
Try these glasses on your face
Add a photo to confirm your face shape and try each style on. Your photo stays on your device.
Check your face shape
Face the camera, pull your hair back, use even light and take off your glasses for the most accurate result.
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Buying guide
How to choose the right frame size, material and colour
Read the numbers on your arm
Most frames have three numbers printed inside the arm, for example 52-18-140. Use the ones on glasses that already fit you as your starting point when buying online.
| Number | Means | Typical range |
|---|---|---|
| 52 | Lens width (mm) | 48–56 |
| 18 | Bridge width (mm) | 14–22 |
| 140 | Arm (temple) length (mm) | 135–150 |
- Frame about as wide as your face at the temples.
- Top of the frame at or just below your eyebrows.
- Pupils near the centre of each lens.
- Frame bottom clear of your cheeks when you smile.
Materials
- Acetate
- Thick, colourful and bold. Adds definition — great for round and oval faces, or for a statement.
- Metal and titanium
- Thin and light. Softer on strong, angular faces and on heart faces where you want less weight on top.
- Rimless and semi-rimless
- The most understated look; suits almost any face and keeps attention on the eyes.
Colours
Black and dark tortoiseshell add the most structure. Clear, champagne and light tortoise soften the face. Warm skin tones suit gold, honey and tortoise; cool skin tones suit silver, grey, navy and black. When in doubt, start with tortoiseshell — it suits most skin tones and face shapes.
FAQ
Glasses for oval face FAQ
Rectangle, oversized square, aviator, browline and cat-eye frames all suit oval faces. Because an oval face is balanced, you can choose almost any style; just match the frame width to the widest part of your face.
Yes, they can — an oval face is balanced enough for round frames. Pick a frame with a defined rim so it doesn’t blend into the soft curves of the face.
Avoid frames much wider than your face and very deep frames that cover your cheekbones. Both hide the balanced proportions that make an oval face easy to dress.
An oval face is about one and a half times as long as it is wide, with a forehead slightly wider than the jaw and a rounded chin. Add a photo to our free face shape detector to check — it never leaves your device.
Almost all of them — wayfarers, aviators, cat-eyes and oversized square sunglasses all suit oval faces. Keep the frame about as wide as your face.
Yes. Oval faces carry oversized frames better than most shapes. Keep the top of the frame at your brow line so the frame doesn’t swallow the face.
Other face shape? See glasses for my face shape.
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