To make the choice a little easier, we’ve put together the ultimate guide to finding the best eyeglasses, whether you want to shop by color, frame style, or face shape.
Determine Your Style
To buy eyeglasses online that will complement your overall style, you first need to determine what your style is. This is also a great time to change up your style. So think about what you’d like to try. Your glasses style may be influenced by:
- Frame shapes you like to wear
- Where you’re wearing your glasses
- What colors you like to wear
- What clothing styles you like to wear
Formal and Business Styles
Whether you wear glasses in the office or have a formal event to attend, you can find plenty of eyeglass frame styles that enhance your professional look. As you search for formal or business glasses, consider the:
- Color: Neutrals like brown, gray, and black are timeless, and they go with any formal or professional outfit. When you look for glasses in these classic colors, you’ll have a wide array of options to choose from, but starting your search with these colors helps narrow it down.
- Material: Plastic frames are usually simple, making them an ideal addition to an outfit for the office or a formal occasion. The classic material keeps your eyeglasses low-key. You should choose a pair that incorporates metal if you want a slightly modern twist.
- Shape: Frames on the smaller and thinner side often keep your glasses understated. Rectangular or oval lenses are versatile and often dominate the glasses scene, giving you plenty of options to consider as you search for the right pair of formal or business eyeglasses.
Wearing glasses to work or other professional occasions doesn’t mean you have to downplay your frames. Go with retro styles in neutral colors that will draw just enough attention to your glasses while still being an understated touch to your formal look.
Fashionable Styles
You want your glasses to stand out, draw attention, and add a fashionable touch to every look. If you don’t mind the more dramatic glasses styles, you can get fashionable with frames that have these details:
- Color: Glasses come in a rainbow of shades other than the neutrals. Show off your personality with anything from blues to reds to pinks, and everything between. If you like the neutral look, go for trendy tortoiseshell lenses that combine a mix of browns and tans for a pattern that’s simple but fun. Not ready for such bold color choices? Choose a pair that’s neutral in the front and colorful on the temples or stems to add a less noticeable pop of color.
- Material: For glasses that turn heads, you can’t go wrong with fun, transparent materials. Combine that with a fun color, and you’ve got fashionable frames that are sure to stun. If you want simple or understated options, go for wire metal frames that are sleek, stylish, and more flexible to different outfits and styles.
- Shape: If you’ve ever wanted to choose a fun frame shape, now’s the time. Cat-eyes are popular options for fashionable women’s prescription glasses, while fashionable men’s prescription glasses feature aviators and other large, fun styles.
Sporty Styles
For those who are on the go or a bit more laid back, you may want casual, sporty styles for your glasses. Whether you’re involved in sports or prefer simple eyeglasses, consider frames with these qualities:
- Color: There aren’t many limits when it comes to colors for sporty frames. Black is a rugged option, while brighter, bolder colors, like yellow, blue or orange, add a bit of fun. Many sporty pairs of glasses combine a neutral base with temples or other areas that have a bit of colorful detail.
- Material: Choose metal and plastic frames that combine durability and style for sporty styles. The metal is usually used in smaller accents that add a slightly modern look to your frames.
- Shape: Rectangular frames are sleek, sporty, and versatile, but you can also choose square frames for a more modern yet sporty look. If you’ll actually be wearing your glasses during physical activities, choose a durable style in the right size to avoid losing or damaging them. Full-rim glasses are the best bet, and they bring more of that sporty look to your style.
Sporty styles often combine simplicity with fun colors that make great prescription glasses for kids, so consider the qualities above if you’re searching for children’s eyeglasses.
Determine the Frame Type
As you shop for glasses online, you’ll find that there are various rim styles. The type of rim your glasses have can create a whole new look for your frames. You’ve got a few options to consider, like:
1. Rimless
Get a simple yet dramatic look with rimless glasses that only connect the lenses with the hinges on the temples and at the bridge across the nose. With no part of the frames circling your lenses, you get an airy and trendy style. Rimless glasses typically come in classic shapes, like rectangular, square, oval and rounded rectangle. The result is a classic look with a unique spin that you can easily dress up or down.
You’ll want rimless glasses if you don’t want your eyeglasses to stand out or you find thicker frames to be distracting. Rimless glasses are ideal for those who are new to wearing glasses and don’t want their frames to overwhelm their face. The temple areas of the frames are often metal with the occasional plastic and colored detail on the ends, and the front of the frames have a mostly clear look except for the bridge across the nose.
2. Half-Rim
For glasses that are lightweight and trendy, choose half-rim styles that only cover the top half of your lenses with the frame. Half-rim glasses are perfect for everyday wear or business casual outfits. You’ll often find them in rectangular frames, but you can find circular and oval lenses that come in half-rim styles, as well.
Half-rim glasses come in a variety of materials, primarily plastic and metal. Black plastic frames in a half-rim style are more dramatic and noticeable, great for those who want a fashionable option in a versatile color. Colorful half-rim glasses are another fashionable take on the trend, guaranteed to draw attention.
Get a more subtle half-rim glasses style with metal wireframes. Lighter colors, as well, will have the look of rimless glasses from a distance, but give you a bit more durability, if that’s what you need from your lenses.
3. Full-Rim
Draw attention to your eyes with full-rim glasses. Full-rim glasses are versatile, stylish, and timeless. If you’ve been wearing prescription glasses for some time, you’ve probably had a few pairs of full rim-glasses. They’re durable and come in a wide array of styles that make them perfect for anyone’s tastes.
Most full-rim glasses come in plastic, metal, and combination varieties with a full circle of colored or patterned material around the lenses. If you like the look of half-rim frames but want a more sturdy pair of glasses, choose a style that features a darker color above the lenses and a lighter color around the lower half of the frames. The multi-color style looks fashionable and draws attention to your unique glasses. Full-rim glasses, whether single or multi-colored, come in the widest variety of shapes and styles, like:
- Rectangular
- Oval
- Round
- Aviator
- Retro
In need of prescription glasses for kids? Consider full-rim styles for playful and sporty kids who need the most durability from their eyeglasses. Rectangular frames or other simple shapes in full-rim styles are perfect for kids since they’re versatile styles that will last a long time.
Select a Shade for Your Skin Tone
Have you ever tried on a pair of glasses and felt washed out or thought something about the color didn’t look right? You may have picked a shade that doesn’t compliment your skin tone. In general, complexions can have warm, cool, or neutral undertones that can either stand out or blend in with the colors we wear, and that includes our eyeglasses.
If you have a neutral skin tone or aren’t sure what color would suit you, go for versatile tortoiseshell frames that complement any skin tone, or choose rimless options, so there’s not much color to consider. But, if you know the undertones in your skin and want the colors in your eyeglasses to complement it, consider these options:
Glasses for Warm Skin Tones
With peach, yellow or golden undertones in your skin, you’ve got a warm skin tone. The best glasses for a warm skin tone are generally ones with warm colors, but you can get even more specific recommendations if you consider the shade of your skin tone, as well:
- Light: If you have a fairer, warm-toned complexion, create contrast with dark colors in warm tones, like a rich brown. Want fashionable styles or fun colors? Choose warm hues of purple or deep red for options that show off your personality. Shades of blue and any light shade may wash you out, so unless you’re looking for the look of a rimless style, go darker with your frames.
- Medium: Complement a warm, medium skin tone with similar warm shades of brown and tan in your eyeglasses. Keep your look sophisticated and neutral with muted earth tones, or go a bit bolder yet chic with gold glasses. Try to avoid clashing your warm skin tone with cool jewel tones, like sapphire, and stick with warm greens if you want a bit of color.
- Dark: Match deeper skin tones with a dark brown pair of glasses for a sophisticated style. Go a bit more modern and trendy with gold-tone frames and warm metallic touches that complement your complexion even more. Tortoiseshell glasses will also help bring out the golden undertones in your skin and give you a timeless pair of glasses.
Glasses for Cool Skin Tones
Those with cool skin tones have blue or pink undertones. Neutrals work well for this general complexion, but if you want to tailor your eyeglass frame color to the shade of your skin, consider these general categories:
- Light: Wear lighter colors if you want glasses that don’t stand out against your complexion. Cool beige tones are ideal for a light and cool skin tone, but you can also go classic with black or gray. Choose jewel tones in blue or purple for a darker, more dramatic contrast that still complements your skin.
- Medium: Play with color if you have a medium, cool complexion. Again, jewel tones in blues and purples work well, but you can also try reds that lean more on the blue or cool side. Black and dark gray are also ideal for your complexion if you’d rather go the neutral, more versatile route.
- Dark: Keep your glasses simple with black frames that complement your cool, dark skin tone. If you want a bit of color that won’t stand out too much, go for a cool purple shade. For something unique, try cool off-white tones or cloudy frames that pop against deep skin tones while still complementing a cool complexion.
Pick the Best Frames by Face Type
With colors and frame styles in mind, you may also want to consider what eyeglass frame shapes will work for you. If you’ve ever looked up what type of haircut suits your face shape, you may also wonder if different glasses complement face types in similar ways.
Because there are so many varieties of eyeglass styles out there, it’s easy to find just the right one for your face shape. If you aren’t sure what shape your face is, take a look in the mirror and see if your features are:
Some face shapes fall under one of these categories more so than others are, so pick which is closest to yours as you seek inspiration for choosing the best glasses by face shape.
- Oval
- Round
- Square
- Base-up triangle or heart-shaped
Some face shapes fall under one of these categories more so than others are, so pick which is closest to yours as you seek inspiration for choosing the best glasses by face shape.
Best Glasses for an Oval Face
Those with oval-shaped faces often have a more narrow chin, longer face, and somewhat prominent cheeks. If the widest point of your face is around your cheeks and eyes, and it’s balanced with a longer face, you likely have a proportional look. Highlight the existing balance with:
- Glasses that are as wide or wider as the widest part of your face.
- A walnut shape, which is more top-heavy and rounded on the bottom like a rounded D-frame.
- Colorful options if they complement your skin and your style.
You also have plenty of other options with an oval face since it’s already balanced. Contrast rounded features with angular glasses in square or rectangle styles, and don’t be afraid to try oversized options.
Best Glasses for a Round Face
The rounded lines of an oval face are similar to the features of a round face shape. With a round face shape, you may have prominent cheeks and a softer jawline. Your goal when you pick glasses for a round face is to create balance and contrast, which you can do in different ways:
- Contrast the round shape of your face with rectangular or square frames.
- Go bold with cat-eye glasses that add angles and put the focus on your eyes.
- Add some curves with lenses that are straight at the top and curve slightly at the bottom.
- Avoid smaller frames or entirely round options.
Try to choose frames that aren’t wider than the widest point on your face, because you could risk having glasses that look too large for your face. Stick to neutrals if that works with your style and complexion, or choose glasses in subtle but colorful options if you prefer a fashionable look.
Best Glasses for a Square Face
Just as round faces look good with squared lenses, round glasses look good with square faces. Rounded lenses balance the look of a sharp jawline and prominent cheekbones. If you don’t like the look of circular frames, try squared lenses that are rounded on the bottom and the corners to soften your features. Get those styles in:
- A thinner frame that doesn’t overwhelm your features.
- A width bigger than your cheekbones to create balance.
- A colorful option that draws attention to your eyes.
- A style that’s proportional to your face, such as oval for wider or longer features.
Best Glasses for a Heart-Shaped Face
A heart-shaped face, also called a base-up triangle shape, includes a more prominent forehead and cheeks with a narrow jawline and sometimes pointed chin. With features that are both rounded and angular, you can focus on bringing balance to the entire look of your face shape. Some of the best ways to pick glasses for a heart-shaped face include:
- Add balance to the lower half of your face with details below the lenses.
- Choose rimless frames rather than half-rim styles.
- Try frames that sit lower in relation to your temples to draw attention below the forehead.
- Use oval lenses to soften your features and draw attention to your eyes.
- Consider lightly colored frames for a subtle look.