If you have a round face, you have probably been told a hundred times to choose angular, rectangular frames to "balance" your features. But what does that actually mean? And are round frames automatically off-limits just because your face is round?
The truth is more nuanced than the simple rules suggest. Yes, certain frame shapes tend to complement round faces better than others, but personal style, face width, and individual features all play a role. In this guide, we will break down which glasses work best for round faces, which shapes to approach with caution, and how to choose frames that make you look and feel great.
Before we talk about frames, let us make sure we are on the same page about what a round face actually is. A round face typically has these characteristics:
Think of celebrities like Selena Gomez, Chrissy Teigen, or Leonardo DiCaprio (in his younger years). Their faces have a soft, circular quality rather than strong angles or elongation.
If you are not sure whether your face is truly round or just slightly fuller, try this: look in the mirror and trace your face shape with a dry-erase marker or your finger. If the outline is close to a circle, you have a round face. If it is longer than it is wide, you might have an oval or oblong face instead.
The traditional advice for round faces is to choose frames that add structure and create the illusion of length. This does not mean you need to hide your face shape or that round faces are somehow "wrong" – it simply means using frames to create visual balance.
Here is what works:
The idea is not to fight your natural features, but to use frames as an accessory that complements them.