Choosing the right Frame

HOW TO SELECT FRAMES

There are two basic components to eyeglasses and sunglasses, the frame and the lens. To purchase glasses online at www.KerrDrugOptical.com you need only shop and select a frame, add a prescription lens and then check out. We supply information for each step so you will have the guidance you need to select the frames and eyeglass lenses for you. Every order is reviewed by a Licensed Optician to ensure the proper lens choice. If you have questions, we are available to answer questions from our main page by clicking: Ask Our Certified Optician.

The first step in buying eyewear is to choose the style that appeals to you. What material (plastic or metal) do you prefer? What design (full frame, half frame, or rimless frame) best fits your face? What shape do you prefer (oval, rectangular, round, cat eye, aviator)? What colors complement your skin tone? If you have no idea what you are looking for, ask a friend or use or EMAIL A FRIEND feature to solicit input from family and friends.

For many of us, the most important aspect of choosing eyeglass frames is how they look on our face. To narrow your search you simply need to determine your face shape and color and understand which eyeglass frame styles and colors would look best on you.

EYEGLASS FRAMES AND FACE SHAPES

1. Eyewear should repeat your personal best feature (such as a blue frame to match blue eyes).
2. The frame shape should contrast with the face shape.
3. The frame size should be in scale with the face size .

While most faces are a combination of shapes and angles, there are seven basic face shapes: round, oval, oblong, base-down triangle, base-up triangle, diamond and square. Here is a further description of these face shapes and which types of frames work for each shape.

Round

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 jaw line, 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.

COLOR ANALYSIS

The keys to color analysis are that …
All people have either a cool (blue-based) or warm (yellow-based) coloring

• Everyone looks best in his or her own color base.
• Eyewear color should complement personal coloring. The main factors to determine the best color palette are the colors of the skin, eyes and hair.

Skin

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.")

Eyes

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

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.

FRAME COLORS

Once you have determined if you are "warm" or "cool," 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

DETERMINING THE PROPER FIT

Getting the right size glasses for you is a combination of choosing the right frame style and then fitting the glasses to your face. You can measure your current eyeglasses with a ruler and use them as a guide. Because lenses are custom made to fit the frames you pick and your particular prescription, no matter what size frame you choose, the lenses will be in the perfect place in front of your eyes. Most people choose frames that are approximately the same width as their head.

There are a number of ways to make sure your glasses will fit before ordering them from our site.

• Check the measurements of an old pair of glasses that fit you. We show measurements for every frame in our catalog so that you can compare them for a close match.
• Shop at a local brick and mortar retailer. If you find a frame that you like at a local retailer, just note the model number, size and color and we can sell you the EXACT frame for a fraction of the price.