Expert style advice

Spectacles are one of the first things noticed about you

Finding the right style of frame for you is important to convey the right message to people who are important, be it in the workplace or socialising.

A study by Lancaster University found that a third of adults think that spectacle wearers look more professional with almost half think that spectacle wearers appear more intelligent.

Helping you make the best choice

Our team has over 20 years experience in helping understand patients needs and advising them on the style that’s right for them according to their faceshape and eye colour. Below is a brief guide to choosing the frame that is right for you:

• Frames MUST LIFT: Specs look best when they lift the cheek and eye area at the bottom outside corners of the frames upwards. If they don’t, your facial features look like they’re drooping which is unattractive. So be wary of the vertical height of the style. It’s awfully unflattering if it’s too high or sags downwards.
• Your eyes should be centered within the frames: They don’t need to be absolutely dead center, but thereabouts is good.
• Match the scale of the frames with your facial proportions: Bold, oversized frames are dramatic and fabulous, but that doesn’t mean they will work for you. A small person with dainty facial features is overwhelmed in thick, chunky frames. But that person can still wear bold frames if they choose a refined version of a chunky style.
• Follow the line of your brows: Choose a frame shape that mirrors the arch of your eyebrows.
• Don’t be scared of extra width: Many people wear specs that are too narrow for their face. Their eyes may be centered and the style “lifts upwards”, but the narrow width of the frames constricts the face. You want a shape that “opens up” the face, so add a little width to the top outside corners of the frames. It makes a world of difference, often balancing out a pear shaped face.
• Think in three dimensions: You see your frames from the front, but everyone else sees them from all angles. They also catch glimpses of the inside of the frame. That’s why it’s important to pay attention to temple and inside colour detailing. Often, if the colour on the inside of the frames and the temples is different, the overall look is softer and more interesting. My favourite specs are black and white, but they are bright turquoise on the inside which softens the harsh contrast against my pale skin and soft features.
• Choose a color that complements your skin tone and eye colour: The operative word is “complement”, not “match”. Bright blue-eyed people shouldn’t wear bright blue specs. But wearing brown specs with blue detailing might be ideal. Do not confine your choice to neutral tones either. Eyewear does not have to match what you’re wearing, but rather go with everything because it compliments your face, not your clothes. You don’t change your face to match an outfit – it’s the same with eyewear. You can absolutely wear an orange or pink top if you wear red specs.
• Create the right amount of contrast: If the contrast between the colour of your skin tone and the frames is too strong, you’ll look severe. If it’s not strong enough you’ll look blah. This is not a hard and fast rule, but generally, choose a colour that is different to the colour of your hair and eyes. There are brown-eyed people with brown hair who get away with wearing brown specs, but this is not the norm.