The oblong face shape

What an oblong face shape is

An oblong face is defined by length. From the hairline to the chin it measures clearly more than one and a half times its width across the cheekbones, often around 1.6 to 1.8 times. The sides of the face run nearly straight, so the forehead, cheekbones and jaw are all about the same width, and the chin is longer than on other shapes and often slightly squared. Some oblong faces have a high forehead; others have a long chin; many have both.

Oblong is the shape people mean when they say "long face" or "rectangular face". Rectangular usually implies a square, angular jaw on a long face; long implies a softer jaw. Both are oblong in our five-shape system, and the styling advice is identical.

The proportions the test finds for an oblong result: a length-to-width ratio of 1.55 or more, forehead and jaw ratios that are close to each other and close to the cheekbones, and a chin angle that is often squared. Oval is the usual runner-up because the two shapes differ mainly in length.

How to tell if you have an oblong face

The length ratio decides it. Photograph your face straight on with your hair pulled back, or measure:

1. Face length, from the hairline at the centre to the tip of the chin.
2. Cheekbone width, across the most prominent points.
3. Forehead width and jaw width, for the shape of the sides.

Divide length by cheekbone width. Above about 1.55, with the widths roughly equal and the sides straight, you have an oblong face. Between 1.35 and 1.5 with curved sides and a rounded chin, you are oval. If the width and length are nearly equal with a strong angular jaw, you are square; an oblong face is often described as a square face stretched taller.

One caution when measuring by hand: hair pushed up or a photo taken from below both exaggerate length. The face shape test corrects for head tilt and measures from landmarks, which is more reliable than a tape measure held to a mirror.

Oblong vs oval vs square

The practical tell against oval: look at a straight-on photo and check whether the outline curves inward at the temples and at the jaw. An oval curves; an oblong runs straight down from the temples to the corners of the jaw.

What styling an oblong face is trying to do

The aims are the reverse of a round face's. Add width at the sides, especially at the cheekbones and jaw, and take away height by covering the forehead or keeping volume off the crown. Break up the vertical with horizontal lines: a fringe, a wide frame, width in the hair at cheek level.

The mirror-image mistakes: height on top, long straight hair with no width, tall narrow frames, and long chin beards. Each one adds to the length.

Best hairstyles for an oblong face

• Fringes and bangs are the single most useful tool. A full fringe covers part of the forehead and shortens the face immediately.
• Width at the sides: waves, curls, layered bobs and cuts with volume at cheek and jaw level.
• Chin-length and shoulder-length cuts with movement, rather than very long straight hair.
• Side parts add a diagonal and break the vertical line.
• Avoid height at the crown, very long straight one-length hair, and tight, close cuts at the sides.

Cuts by length, plus men's styles, are on the hairstyles for an oblong face page.

Best glasses for an oblong face

Frames that are tall rather than shallow, and wide rather than narrow, add both height coverage and width. Oversized frames, round and square frames with a deep lens, and frames with decorative or contrasting temples that add width at the sides all suit an oblong face. Avoid small, narrow, shallow frames that leave most of the face's length exposed. The glasses for an oblong face page has the detail.

Best beard styles for an oblong face

A beard on an oblong face should add width, not length. Keep the chin short and the cheeks and sides fuller: a full beard trimmed short under the chin and left fuller at the sides, mutton chops or wide sideburns for a bolder look, or a well-shaped short beard with a higher cheek line. Avoid long chin beards, ducktails and goatees, all of which extend the length. See the beard styles for an oblong face page.

Makeup for an oblong face

Contour along the hairline and under the chin shortens the face from both ends; blush on the apples blended outward, horizontally, adds width; highlight stays on the cheekbones and off the centre line. Brows should be flatter and longer rather than highly arched. The makeup for an oblong face page covers placement.

Celebrities with an oblong face

Faces commonly described as oblong or long include Sarah Jessica Parker, Liv Tyler, Meryl Streep, Kate Hudson, Adam Levine and Ben Affleck. Their most flattering looks show the playbook: fringes, width at the sides, and for the men, short beards that widen rather than lengthen.

Frequently asked questions

Is oblong the same as rectangular?

Rectangular is an oblong face with a square, angular jaw. Both are long with straight sides; rectangular has sharper corners. In our five-shape system both are reported as oblong and styled the same way, with the rectangular version borrowing a little softening advice from the square face page.

Does a high forehead make a face oblong?

A high forehead adds length and is one of the commonest reasons a face is oblong. It also responds best to styling, because a fringe covers it directly.

Why does the test sometimes call an oval face oblong?

The boundary between the two is a length ratio around 1.5, and faces near it can land on either side. Head pose matters too: a photo taken slightly from below, or with the chin raised, lengthens the face in the image. The test reports the ratio and the pose so you can see how close the call was, and a straight-on retake will settle it.

Can weight change an oblong face?

Weight adds soft tissue at the cheeks and jaw, which adds width and can move an oblong face toward oval or even square in outline. The bone length does not change, so the face returns to oblong if the weight goes.