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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.
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.
What Size Should I Try?
Your size will depend on your specific facial measurements and features, but here’s the ballpark for petite glasses.
TOTAL WIDTH
Petite: 123 to 127 mm
True Petite: 114 to 122 mm
LENS WIDTH
Petite: 47 to 50 mm
True petite: 45 to 46 mm
BRIDGE WIDTH
Petite: 16 to 20 mm
True Petite: 15 to 16 mm
For more help with sizing, check out these useful links
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.
Great article related to best small glasses for narrow faces. The lens width has a major role to play here to fit in properly. We too have written a blog around best glasses for small faces which you will like (here: https://belsonopticians.co.uk/blog/best-glasses-for-small-faces/) thought posting as it was relevant to the blog
Thanks so much for sharing!
Love your suggestions and your website. My face is both small and long, and I’m not a fan of conservative glasses. My current glasses are round and a bold, cobalt-blue plastic. I’ve gotten many compliments on them–and, yes, they are kids’ frames from a French designer. I’m looking forward to seeing more frames in bolder colors on your website. Thicker frames seem to work for me as long as the size and proportions are right. I figure that I wear my glasses on my face every day, so I don’t mind splurging on frames that I love.
Thanks so much for sharing, Sheila! Personally, I also really love bold styles and colors and certainly hope to offer more in the future.
Very helpful blog and dedicated styles, for those of us with petite faces. What’s the trick to figuring out if eyes will be centered in the lens? Any tips are appreciated.
That’s a great question. I’ve been wanting to create a video or blog post about how to estimate your correct glasses size. I’ll work on that 😉 Thanks for the encouragement.
Statements are true for both sexes but appears too oriented to women’s glasses
Thanks for your comment! Yes, although my site is currently focused exclusively on women’s glasses, many of the tips would also apply to men’s frames.
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 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.
Such a great concept. So overdue. So how is it that I DON’T SEE A SEARCH FEATURE. I knew I wanted ONLY wire glasses and instead had to scroll through everthing (I suppose that was the purpose) in vain. Just a suggestion.
Hi Lorrie,
Thank you for that suggestion! I feel very fortunate that my little store has grown to the point that a search tool is called for, and I look forward to adding one just as soon as I am able.
Just what I needed, thank you for the help
My pleasure, Mary! I’m happy you found it useful. Thank you,
Great article! Thank you. Any suggestion for men with the same challenge of finding frames that fit? Online shop? Thanks.
Hi, Thank you for visiting! I’m glad you found the article useful.
As a matter of fact, I do intend to offer men’s narrow glasses in the future. Please send size and shape requests: [email protected]
Thank you!
I’m a man and I I’m not sure what type of glasses suits me. My face is long not wide and also skinny and my head overall is small. So should I follow the guide for narrow faces or small faces?
Thanks for your question! I’d recommend that you follow the recommendations for narrow faces. Based on your description, you will likely do best with frames in round / square shapes rather than oval/rectangular, and with smaller total widths. If you measure the width of your face at the widest point, you will want frames that are about that wide or slightly wider.
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!
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.