Going to the optician is not just about getting your eyes tested and coming away with a prescription. It can also be about choosing your next pair of frames, and with the huge amount of choice available and the extensive range of designer options, selecting a frame to suit your face, lifestyle and budget can be a daunting task.
Our eye specialists make it their business to help you decide on a pair of glasses that we know you will be happy with. We appreciate that your glasses represent your style and personality and can be a really important part of your identity, which is why we know our products inside out and take great pride in advising our clients on their next eyewear purchase.
Here is what we take into account when we are guiding our customers towards their new specs:
Face Shape
We always start with considering the face shape of our client, and whilst almost nobody has the perfect heart shaped, oval or square face it is remarkable how the balance of a face changes depending on the shape of a frame. The general rule of thumb is to go for a style of frame that is the opposite of your face shape. This provides balance and harmony.
What Shape Are You?
Square The angular features associated with people with square faces look fabulous with rounded frames that are slightly wider on the side, while thinner frames create a natural look on this bold face shape. We would definitely advise round or oval shaped frames for a square face shape, as the softer curves complement the sharper features; they look great with coloured eyewear too.
Round Soft and smooth lines are the key to round shaped faces that also boast fuller cheeks and a rounded chin. We like to point our clients who have this shaped face to the more angular glasses. Clean lines and rectangular shapes always look striking and cat-eye frames look particularly good on someone who wants to draw attention away from curvaceous cheeks.
Heart Shaped This kind of face tends to feature high cheekbones and usually narrows down to the chin. It is a versatile shape and looks really stylish with winged-out frames that jut out slightly wider than the forehead. Rounded bases and bottom-heavy frames suit this look as they provide balance, but frames with low-set temples are also a good option for anyone conscious of the width of their forehead. When we consider colours, we would suggest a light-colour or even a rimless frame. The idea is to keep the frame less intrusive.
Triangle These faces are wider at the bottom and narrower towards the forehead. The perfect accessory to this shape is a frame that is bold on top and lighter on the bottom. Round and angular frames complement this face shape well, as do cat-eye glasses.
Oval Face A very versatile face, the oval shape suits most frames, which can make it really tricky when it comes to choosing a pair if you find decision making hard. Oval faces can have free rein when it comes to shape, colour and style, so it really is up to you to take your pick, although our experts will be on hand if you need help deciding.
Other Top Tips
There are lots of other things our team here at David Paul will consider when helping you choose your new glasses.
Colour Colour is obviously a matter of taste but when you look to us for advice on what colour suits you best, we will always consider your skin tone. Warmer skin tones don’t really suit pastel colours, but instead look striking with a bold colour (for those who prefer to make a statement) or a simple light option (for anyone who likes to remain less conspicuous). Paler skin tones are complemented by black, blue, silver and grey frames.
Choose Frames that Centre Your Eyes We will always look at a person’s eyes and advise that they consider how far apart they are before picking up a pair of potential specs. If eyes appear too close to the inner corner of the frames, it can make someone look cross-eyed and if the eyes appear too close to the outside of the frames it can make the glasses look too small.
Consider How The Frame Fits on Your Nose Most of our clients invest in their glasses because they are wearing them everyday. They need to feel comfortable and unobtrusive. They can’t slip down their nose constantly, they shouldn’t leave a red mark on their nose and they should not interfere with the eye lashes. We will definitely be making sure your glasses fit absolutely perfectly before we let you go home with them. Lifestyle When advising a client on which glasses to choose we always ask them about their lifestyle. Their new pair of specs has to suit whatever they spend their days doing. For people who lead a very active life, spending lots of time outdoors, a practical more robust option is recommended. Anyone working in a high powered job requiring them to conduct meetings and presentations, a bolder, more classic frame is definitely advised.
Our clients who require varifocals will be guided towards a frame that has a predetermined minimum height in order that the lens can be made to fit.
A Final Word…
When it comes to buying glasses, it really does come down to individual choice. You can be as bold or as playful as you like with your choice but if you are keen to get the look just right and are not sure where to start, let our team help you out. We have a huge range of designer eyewear and are expert in guiding people and helping every individual gain the confidence to make the right decision.