I Used The Face Shape Filter To Help Me Pick Out My Quirky Glasses
This article was written by The Zillennial Zine’s fall editorial intern Elizabeth Miller. Find them on Instagram at @Lizzy_7979. If you would like to share an article with The Zillennial, send us an email at thezillennialzine@gmail.com.
Over the last few years, I’ve primarily worn contacts, getting glasses only every couple of years as backups. I used to hate glasses. I was never really satisfied with how they looked on me, my hair would get tangled in them, and when they didn’t fit right I would get tension headaches. Once I switched to contacts, I thought I wouldn’t go back. But then the TikTok algorithm started TikTok algorithming, showing me people with all of these beautiful, quirky glasses in shapes I never knew existed. Seeing these glasses felt like a final push to reinvent myself, so for my next optometrist appointment I knew it was time for glasses. I cut my hair, thrifted and sewed some new outfits, and was ready for my new glasses. The only problem… which ones? I didn’t want another pair of glasses that I would be unsatisfied with how they looked on me. And then TikTok blessed me once again with the face shape filter.
Determining My Face Shape
The first step to figuring out which glasses might suit me best was figuring out my face shape. I had a bit of difficulty with this part because my facial features are rather in-between shapes. My jawline around my chin is very flat like for a square, but the outer edges are rounded like for the oval shape. My cheekbones at the sides of my face stick out and make the lines down my cheeks and up to my forehead just a bit diamondlike, and my forehead is neither very wide nor narrow. In the end, I determined my face was oval, mainly because my face from my forehead to my mouth has a more elongated oval look despite my chin being so flat. So, my face being mostly ovular with some not-so-traditionally-oval features meant that I had a little bit more to consider when looking at frame shape recommendations.
Looking At Frames
Luckily, TikTok has a bunch of videos from stylists that recommend glasses frames for different face shapes. Of all the videos I watched, I noticed two different ways stylists recommend frames. This part made me realize how subjective picking out glasses is! In the end, it comes down to what you like.
One route stylists go for recommending frames is going with frames that contrast the face shape and features. For example, rounder faces can achieve a balance by going with angular frames like square and rectangular glasses. I think this method works well if you want to change the way certain features look. The point is to use the frame shape like contouring when doing your makeup. Cat eye lenses, for example, naturally accentuate the cheekbones. In my personal opinion, this method does not always work for me.
The other route is to go with frames that compliment the face shape and features. This method relies on beauty and aesthetic appeal coming from similarities. In the past, I primarily wore rectangular glasses. But coming across this method I decided to try rounder frames. This is where I settled on the quirky style I was going for. To get the best of both the general oval shapes and more specific angular features of my face, I began my search for hexagonal frames.
My Search Online And Digital Try-On
I love my glasses now. The main thing I learned from this is that picking out glasses is very subjective. As much as other people can recommend frames for you based on your face shape, the decision is up to you and what you like. For me, it took finding out my face shape and analyzing my facial features to discover that I like glasses that complement my features rather than contrast them. If you’re looking for new glasses, I absolutely recommend figuring out your face shape as a starting point. I hope you find glasses you love!
Which style of glasses do you prefer, ones that compliment or contrast your face? Let us know in the comments below!