Your glasses can have a profound influence on the overall effect of your entire outfit, especially when it comes to selecting the right fashionable eyewear – here’s how:
Frame Colour
The colour of the frames you choose can serve to both complement your skin tone, eye and hair colour and also influence the appearance of your outfit choice.
A bright choice of eye frame can be a pop of colour and interest when worn with a monochrome ensemble; but if you want to avoid a ‘busy’ look then it may be wise to steer clear of bright coloured, patterned or embellished frames if you wearing an intricately patterned outfit, or lots of colours.
Purple and grey or silver frames highlight green eyes, while brown eyes will benefit from green or dusky lilac tones. Make the most of blue eyes with brown, orange or gold frames.
Spectacle Style
The overall style of your eyewear can compliment your outfit, or contrast with it to make a bold sartorial statement; for example a pair of retro style frames paired with a romantic floaty dress can be an eye-catching coupling! Or consider teaming a pair of round ‘John Lennon’ specs with a business suit.
High prescription spectacles are no obstacle to a stylish look. Lens thinning treatments are available to ensure lenses sit beautifully in even the most light-weight of frames; progressive glasses are on the market, too, which act like varifocals without the visible line on the lens.
For a more subtle ensemble, think about the style of your glasses and what would work most harmoniously with them – consider accessories, too, when putting together your look.
Shape of Frame
The overall shape of the frames you select can make a big difference to your entire look. Larger frames can overwhelm a petite face,while glasses that feature a lot of embellishment on the arms may not be the best choice for someone who likes to wear a lot of other accessories in proximity to the face, such as earrings and necklaces.
When considering the frame choice, bear in mind your face shape: for example, a square face with angular features will benefit from round or oval shaped glasses, while cat’s eye frames will look great on a heart shaped face.
Matching with Accessories
If you like to wear accessories, then consider this when selecting your eyewear. As noted above, glasses that feature a lot of embellishment or detail on the arms may clash with your style if you like to change up your earrings and/or necklace choice daily.
Before picking out your new glasses, take stock of the accessories you have, and the items that are your go-to choices. If you tend to favour silver jewellery and wear this regularly, consider silver coloured frames for a put-together look. Alternatively, if you like to incorporate lots of colour into the accessories you put with your outfit, then plain frames may be the way ahead for you.
Thinking about how your accessories will work with your spectacle frames can make a subtle but significant difference in your success at achieving the look you want.
Lifestyle Factors
Your choice of eyewear may well be largely dependent on lifestyle factors – for example, your prescription, your hobbies or your job.
If you partake in an active life and play a lot of sports, you may prefer durable, anti-glare glasses to protect against both UV and breakages. Sports glasses are widely available in a range of styles, but if the ones you select are particularly ‘sporty’ looking, such as wraparounds, then you may need to consider this in light of your wardrobe and how they will work with different outfits.
The Psychology of Perception
Research has continually found that the general perception is that folk who wear glasses are more intelligent and more likely to be awarded a promotion at work. While this view has no doubt been influenced by generations of TV programmes and books portraying erudite characters wearing specs, it largely still holds today. Use this to your advantage, and team stylish eyewear with a sharp suit at work for an ultra-competent look. Or play with perceptions by matching a no-nonsense, bottom-heavy frame with a T and cut-off jeans.
Eyewear and Hairstyle
Your choice of glasses frame will have an impact on the effect of your hairstyle. For example, if you wear a heavy or stylized fringe, simple, light, or rimless glasses will likely look most flattering, while square shaped frames tend to look best with longer, straight ‘dos.
Your hair colour will work with your choice of frames to create an overall look, too. Dark or metallic frames work beautifully with brown or black frames, those with blonde hair may find that transparent frames or glasses with very light frames look best, while redheads will find that a green frame will highlight their hair tone.
Multiple Choice Question
The sheer choice of eyewear styles available now makes finding glasses that work with any style possible. Luckily virtual mirrors allow you to try on glasses online from anywhere you would like. Whether your look is sporty or conservative, preppy or edgy, there are many options to enable you to successfully team your eyewear with your look.
If you like to change up your style regularly, or own an eclectic wardrobe, then choosing multiple pairs of glasses may be the way ahead for you, to ensure that every outfit looks its best and matches your specs to perfection.