Best Glasses for Narrow Faces
Is Your Face Narrow?
A “narrow” face is a lot longer than it is wide. When compared to other faces, it appears long and thin. In terms of face shape, it would be called “oblong.”
Quick test: take a ruler. Measure the height and width of your face. Now divide the height by the width. A narrow face has a height that is more than 1.5 times its width.
Shop Glasses for Narrow Faces
Find The Right Width
If your face is narrow, most glasses are much too wide. Petite glasses are made for small or narrow faces, so they have less total width, and a smaller lens width.
As a rule, glasses look best when the total width of the frame is about the same as the total width of the face.
For narrow faces, frame width should be equal to or slightly greater than the width of the face. That means it’s ok for your frames to come out slightly past your temples (say, up to 3 mm on each side). This looks good because it appears to widen the face, which balances out the length of the face.
For the same reason, avoid frames that are less than your face width. They will make your face look pinched. (A tricky balance, I know).
Estimate The Width You Need
You can estimate the total width that you need. Simply take a ruler and measure the width of your face at the widest area (usually temples or forehead). Stand back from the mirror at least a foot. (Standing too close to the mirror will give an inaccurate measurement).
You can also measure the width of your current pair of glasses, if they fit you well. Or, if they are too wide, then just measure how far they extend past your face, and subtract that amount from the total width to find the width you need.
Some online retailers include total width in their measurements, which makes this number very useful.
Balance Face Length With More Lens Height
If you have a long face, you need lenses that have enough height to look proportionate. Frames that are too short on a long face will exaggerate face length, making it appear even more elongated.
Long Face? Go For Taller Lenses
More lens height appears proportionate to a long face
Lenses with less height make a long face appear longer
Try Square, Round or Taller Cat-Eye Shapes
Choosing frames with more height means choosing square, round or taller cat-eye shapes.
Rectangular, oval, and classic cat-eye frames will often be too short. I’m not saying they will look terrible. I am saying that generally (provided that you have the correct width), taller shapes will be more flattering on a long face.
Yes: square, round,
or contemporary cat-eye
No: rectangular, oval,
or classic cat-eye
Does This Surprise You?
You may have worn rectangular or oval frames in the past. Here are some thoughts on that.
- Let’s say you had rectangular frames. Were they too wide for your face? If so, you might have had the correct height, and simply needed less width. And, of course, if you take a rectangle and decrease its width, it becomes a square. Likewise, if you decrease the width of oval frames, they become round frames. Hence my recommendation of square and round shapes.
- Fashions have an impact. Five to ten years ago, everyone was wearing tiny rectangular and oval frames because that was very much in style. Now, taller lenses are the thing. This is good news for you since they will look great on you!
- Lastly, it’s worth noting that shape categorizations are fuzzy. I’ve seen many websites list the same pair of glasses as both “square” and “rectangular,” because, really, it was in between. It could have been a tall rectangle, or a short square.
Avoid Top-Heavy Styles
Any glasses with an upper half that is darker, thicker, or bolder than the lower half are not ideal for long faces.
These frames make the face look longer. The heavy upper rim catches the eye at the top and makes everything below it look elongated. Great for wide faces! Not the best option for narrow faces.
No: Clubmaster
No: Semi-rimless
No: Fade or Ombre
Horizontal Fade Will Widen The Face And Eyes
If you can find them, frames that are darker on the sides and lighter in the middle will widen the face. They are also a good option if you have close-set eyes, as they appear to widen the eyes.
Yes: Horizontal Fade
Thickness and Color
- If you like thick frames, but they overwhelm your face, try thin frames in a bold color to get a similarly daring look.
- You can pull off a lot more thickness in clear (crystal) or semi-transparent colored plastic than you can with opaque colors.
- If black frames wash you out, try a light tortoise, dark blue, or burgundy.
- Grey or silver are great options if you have grey hair.
Comments (25)
Thanks for your kind comment. We are glad you find our information useful :)
Thank you! What a great website with so much good information
I’m very glad you found the information I provided to be useful! Thanks for taking the time to share.
I picked a pair just by looking for what fit aesthetically and realised later all you advice is spot on for what does and does not work. Mine fit the does work factors you explained and now I understand why!
Hi Julie,
Thanks so much for your message!
You are correct that a cateye shape will exaggerate your narrow chin, as the diagonal line at the sides of the cateye will repeat and therefore emphasize the diagonal line of your pointed chin and jaw. A better option would be frames that are rounded or squared off at bottom.
It also makes sense that frames with hinges that stick out a lot would repeat, and emphasize, the width of the cheekbones, again exaggerating your face shape, so it is a good idea to look for something that doesn’t have too much extra hinge space, in your case. (This is the opposite recommendation of someone with very narrow set eyes, who would benefit from extra hinge space).
Common recommendations for diamond face shape are frames that are:
-delicate and unobtrusive (so, favor thin over thick, transparent over opaque)
-top heavy (so, half-rims or browline styes. Not usually recommended for long faces, but could be a good counterbalance to your face shape).
On our site I would most recommend:
-Kara line – which comes in multiple sizes
-Kara half-rim – which will be delicate and unobtrusive
-Julie – which is one of our best options for narrow faces + progressive lenses
I hope you find a great fit!
Hi! Love your website for petite frames! Just what I need!! But, I need assistance in finding the correct shaped frame for me. I’m a 67 year old petite woman with a small narrow face. However, it’s also a little longish with high cheekbones, and a very narrow jaw and pointed chin. I guess it would be classified as a “diamond” or “inverted triangle” face shape. So I don’t like anything that makes my face look wider at ear level or cheek bone area as this is the widest part of my face. Unfortunately, almost all frames do. Especially cat eye and other style frames that are tall, extending high up at the corner to or above my brow line, or frames that have hinges that stick out, making them look even wider. I do wear progressive lenses so they have to be big enough to allow for that, but if they are too big they are overpowering. So which shape is best for me?! I’m very frustrated because everything seems to emphasize my narrow jaw and chin, or is too big. But your website has been the best resource so far so I hope you can help! I would just be grateful for some guidance.
P.S. As far as color of frames go, I was hoping for a muted black or dark gray maybe, I’m not sure. Nothing wild. My skin is pink toned and fairly pale and my hair is almost silver now so I am steering away from the browns I used to wear as a redhead.
Hi Gail,
That is a great question. There are several possible reasons:
1. low / shallow nose bridge
2. narrow / thin nose bridge
3. high cheekbones
4. frames have too much lens height
I’d recommend the Phyllis frame, which is our low bridge fit option, and also has a smaller lens height. It is our most popular option for low bridges as well as issues with frames hitting cheeks or eyelashes.
I seem to need nose pads to keep the glasses from sitting on my cheeks. Is that because I have a low or narrow nose bridge?
Hi Eve, Thanks so much for sharing your experience! I’m glad to hear that the narrow face guide to glasses inspired you to try something a little different. I hope the frames you chose will be both flattering and effective! Feel free to email photos of what you chose. I always love seeing frames on faces.
Thank you so much for your website. I’m in the UK, so I’m looking at frames locally, but your thoughtful articles and photos have made it so much easier for me to choose frames. I’m 4’11" and it’s always been a struggle, especially when big frames are in fashion, as they are now. I hadn’t realised that taller frames would suit my narrow face better, and the optician always steered me towards smaller lenses, as I have a high prescription. Hopefully the ones I’ve chosen will be a lovely compromise for all the factors involved!