Glasses for a triangle face

How frames work on a triangle face

Glasses sit just below the forehead, the narrowest part of a triangle face. A frame with a strong, dark or detailed top bar adds visual weight exactly where the face lacks it and brings the top of the face into balance with the jaw.

A frame that is light on top and heavy at the bottom does the opposite: it adds a second wide line above the jaw and makes the face look bottom-heavy.

So the rule for a triangle face is weight on top, width at the temples, as wide as the jaw.

Frame shapes that suit a triangle face

• Browline frames, with a thick upper rim and a thin or absent lower rim. This is the purest version of weight on top.
• Cat-eye frames, whose upswept outer corners add width at the temples, where a triangle face is narrow.
• Aviators with a strong top bar, because the bar draws a wide line across the upper face.
• Frames with colour or detail on the upper rim, including two-tone styles that are darker on top.
• Wide rectangular or wayfarer frames in a bold colour, as wide as the jaw, which give the upper face a matching edge.

Frames to avoid on a triangle face

• Bottom-heavy and semi-rimless frames with the rim on the lower half.
• Small, narrow frames, which make the jaw look wider by contrast.
• Rimless frames, which add nothing where the face needs weight.
• Round frames with a thin rim, unless they are oversized enough to reach the temples.

Width, height and bridge

Frame width should match the jaw width or come close to it, which usually means a frame slightly wider than the cheekbones. The face shape test reports both widths. A lens that is a little shallow rather than deep keeps the frame from reaching down toward the jaw.

A bridge that sits the frame high on the nose lifts the whole frame toward the forehead. A low-set bridge lets it drop toward the cheeks, which is the wrong direction for this shape.

Colour and material

Bold colours and thicker materials suit the top of the frame: dark tortoiseshell, black, deep colours, thick acetate on the upper rim. If you prefer a lighter frame, choose one where the colour is concentrated on top or at the outer corners.

Match the tone to your skin undertone, which the test reports: warm undertones with tortoiseshell, gold and warm browns; cool undertones with black, silver and cool greys.

Sunglasses for a triangle face

Cat-eye sunglasses and oversized frames that reach the temples are the classic choice, adding width to the upper face. Aviators with a heavy top bar, browline sunglasses and wide wayfarers in a dark colour also suit.

Avoid small round sunglasses and bottom-heavy shapes that leave the jaw as the widest line on the face.

A quick check

Photograph yourself straight on with the frames. If the jaw looks wider or the forehead looks smaller with the frames on, the frame is too narrow or too light on top. The right frames make the top of the face look as wide as the bottom.