The square face shape

What a square face shape is

A square face is defined by its jaw. The jaw is about as wide as the cheekbones and the forehead, so the three widths are nearly equal and the sides of the face run almost straight down. The corner of the jaw below each ear is a visible angle, not a curve, and the chin is broad and relatively flat rather than pointed or rounded. The face is usually about as long as it is wide, or only slightly longer.

The angle at the jaw is the key measurement. Press a finger just below and in front of the earlobe: on a square face you feel a distinct corner of bone where the vertical part of the jaw turns into the horizontal part. On a round face, which has similar overall proportions, the bone curves without a corner.

Our test finds a square result with a length-to-width ratio around 1.1 to 1.3, a jaw-to-cheekbone ratio at or above 0.85, forehead and jaw widths that are close, and a jaw angle that is tighter than on round or oval faces. Round is the most common runner-up.

How to tell if you have a square face

Photograph your face straight on with your hair pulled back, or measure by hand:

1. Forehead width, across the widest point.
2. Cheekbone width, across the most prominent points.
3. Jaw width, straight across at the level of the mouth, and separately feel for the angle at the corner of the jaw.
4. Face length, hairline to chin.

You have a square face if the three widths are within roughly 10 percent of each other, the jaw has a distinct corner, the chin is broad and flat, and the length is not much greater than the width. If the length is clearly greater, with the same straight sides, you are looking at an oblong face, which is essentially a square face stretched taller. If the jaw has no corner and the chin is soft, it is round.

The face shape test measures all of this from 478 landmarks and reports jaw width and jaw angle directly.

Square vs round vs oblong

The classifier separates square from round mainly on jaw width and jaw angle, and square from oblong mainly on length. If your result is square with oblong as runner-up, you have a long square face and can borrow from both pages.

The two styling strategies

Every other face shape has one goal. The square face has a choice.

Soften. The traditional advice for a square face is to soften the angles with waves, layers, rounded frames and blended contour. This reads as more classically feminine and is what most magazine advice defaults to.

Sharpen. The square jaw is also the most sought-after feature in men's grooming and in a lot of contemporary women's beauty. Leaning into it with clean lines, structured cuts and angular frames makes the jaw the focal point.

Neither is right in general. The rest of this page gives both options where they differ, so you can choose.

Best hairstyles for a square face

To soften: waves and soft curls, long layers that begin below the jaw, a side-swept fringe, and length that passes the jaw rather than stopping at it. Texture around the jawline blurs the corner.

To sharpen: a sleek, straight lob that ends at the jaw, a blunt cut, or a slicked-back style that exposes the whole jaw. For men, a short back and sides with a clean line, a crew cut or a textured crop show the jaw plainly.

Avoid in either case: a blunt, straight-across fringe combined with a blunt jaw-length bob, which boxes the face in with horizontal lines top and bottom. The hairstyles for a square face page has cuts by length and texture.

Best glasses for a square face

Round and oval frames are the standard recommendation because they contrast with the angles. Thin metal frames soften more than thick acetate. Frames that are slightly wider than the face keep the jaw from looking wider than the frame.

If you want to lean into the jaw, a moderately angular frame such as a soft square or a browline works, as long as it is not smaller than the face. Full detail on the glasses for a square face page.

Best beard styles for a square face

A beard on a square face is a choice between rounding the corners and emphasising them. A fuller beard with a rounded shape at the jaw and chin softens; a short, sharply-lined beard, a chinstrap, or heavy stubble with a clean cheek line makes the jaw look even more defined. The beard styles for a square face page covers both.

Makeup for a square face

Contour on a square face goes at the corners of the jaw and the corners of the forehead, blended well, to round the outline. Blush on the apples blended upward softens the cheeks. Brows with a soft arch echo the softened outline; a straight, flat brow repeats the square. The makeup for a square face page has placement for both the softened and the sculpted look.

Celebrities with a square face

Faces commonly described as square include Angelina Jolie, Olivia Wilde, Keira Knightley, Sandra Bullock, Brad Pitt and Henry Cavill. Note how often they are photographed with either soft waves around the jaw (softening) or a clean slicked-back style and stubble (sharpening). Both strategies are on display in the same set of faces.

Frequently asked questions

Is a square face masculine?

A defined jaw is associated with masculinity in most cultures, which is why it is prized in men's grooming. Plenty of women have square faces and it photographs exceptionally well. Whether to soften or sharpen it is a style decision, not a rule.

What is the difference between square and rectangular?

A rectangular face is a square face that is noticeably longer than it is wide, with the same straight sides and strong jaw. In our five-shape system that is classed as oblong.

Can jaw exercises or "mewing" change a square jaw?

Facial exercises affect muscle tone, not bone. The masseter muscles at the jaw corners can enlarge with heavy chewing or clenching, which can make a square jaw look wider, and reduce a little if that stops. The bone angle itself does not change.

Why did the test say square when I think I am round?

Round and square are the two most confused shapes. The test looks at jaw width relative to the cheekbones and at the jaw angle. If your jaw is nearly as wide as your cheekbones with any corner at all, it will lean square. The runner-up percentage tells you how close the call was.