color analysis
The Vision Council of America suggests these keys in
choosing the correct frame for your face:
- The frame shape should contrast with the face
shape - The frame size should be in scale with the face size
- The frame should repeat your personal best
feature
A round face has curvilinear lines with the width and length in the same
proportions and no angles. To make the face appear thinner and longer, try angular
narrow eyeglass frames to lengthen the face, a clear bridge that widens the eyes and
frames that are wider than they are deep, such as a rectangular shape.
Oval
The oval face is considered to be the ideal shape because of its balanced proportions.
To keep the oval's natural balance, look for eyeglass frames that are as wide as (or
wider than) the broadest part of the face, or walnut-shaped frames that are not too
deep or too narrow.
Oblong
The oblong face is longer than it is wide and has a long straight cheek line and
sometimes a longish nose. To make the face appear shorter and more balanced, try
frames that have a top-to-bottom depth, decorative or contrasting temples that add
width to the face or a low bridge to shorten the nose.
Base-Down Triangle
The triangular face has a narrow forehead that widens at the cheek and chin areas.
To add width and emphasize the narrow upper third of the face, try frames that are
heavily accented with color and detailing on the top half or cat-eye shapes.
Base-Up Triangle
This face has a very wide top third and small bottom third. To minimize the width
of the top of the face, try frames that are wider at the bottom, very light colors and
materials, and rimless frame styles (which have a light, airy effect because the lenses
are simply held in place to the temples by a few screws).
Diamond
Diamond-shaped faces are narrow at the eye line and jawline, and cheekbones are
often high and dramatic. This is the rarest face shape. To highlight the eyes and
bring out the cheekbones, try frames that have detailing or distinctive brow lines, or
try rimless frames or oval and cat-eye shapes.
Square
A square face has a strong jaw line and a broad forehead, plus the width and length
are in the same proportions. To make the square face look longer and soften the
angles, try narrow frame styles, frames that have more width than depth and narrow
ovals.
- Find out if you have either warm (yellow based) or
cool (blue based) coloring - Your color base defines the colors you will look
best in - Eye wear should complement your personal
coloring
the colors of your skin, eyes, and hair
Skin tone is the prime element in determining coloring. All
complexions fall into one of two color bases — blue
(cool) or yellow (warm). A cool complexion has blue or
pink undertones, and a warm complexion has a "peaches
and cream" or yellow cast. Olive skin is considered cool
because it is a mixture of blue and yellow. (In the United
States, cool, blue-based complexions are more common
than the yellow-based warm complexions. About 60
percent of the population are "cools.")
Eye colors are usually a secondary element in
determining coloring because of the wide range of eye
colors. For example, blue eyes can range from a cool
almost-violet to a pale blue-gray, which is warm. Brown
eyes can vary from a light cider shade (warm) through a
medium-brown to a cool almost-black.
Hair colors are also considered warm or cool. Strawberry
blond, platinum, blue-black, white, salt-and-pepper and
"dishwater" brown are cool. Warm hair colors include
golden blond, flat black, brown-gold, "carrot" and "dirty"
gray.
then you can find the eyeglass frame colors that will suit
you the best. Some examples of frame colors best for
warm coloring are: camel, khaki, gold, copper, peach,
orange, coral, off-white, fire-engine red, warm blue and
blond tortoise. For cool coloring, the best eyeglass frame
hues are black, rose-brown, blue-gray, plum, magenta,
pink, jade, blue and demi-amber (darker) tortoise.
