Mirror Magazine - Saying it with shades

One year ago my best friend turned up for a rugby match wearing the biggest sunglasses I'd ever seen… and no I am not exaggerating.

Being the true friend I am, I laughed in her face, claiming that it looked absolutely ridiculous, while she calmly said, “you wait and see, in a few months you would want one too.”

Yeah right, I thought and we went back to watching the match while she continued to get looks from people, and she just stood there confidently wearing her martian look-alike shades. Days go by, and one by one people start wearing these types of shades, and then suddenly everyone is wearing these shades, even my co-worker turned up for one of our trips wearing them. Now I look stupid and my shades start to feel a bit outdated.

Yes, sunglasses are usually used to shield us from harmful UV rays, but over the years it has become a prime fashion accessory.

Right now as it stands, the bigger the shade the more ‘in fashion’ you are. I remember seeing Victoria Beckham’s shades, the one she wore for the England vs. Portugal World Cup football match, you could barely see her face which was lost behind her glasses. It is true that you have to ‘get with it’ as far as fashion in concerned. But just like every other fashion accessory, when it comes to sunglasses you must remember that the shape of a person’s face helps determine which styles look best.

After spending a day scouring through shops for sunglasses and spending some time on the internet, I came up with a bit of info on which pair would best suit your face.

Please note that this is just me talking and you are allowed to wear what ever you feel is right and what you are comfortable in. Just remember that it is preferable if the frames don’t echo your contours, but reflect the opposite. With that being said… here we go with the list.

What if your face is oval shaped?
They say this is the perfect face shape for sunglasses because you would look absolutely smashing in any type of sun glasses . (Lucky you!)

This is the most balanced face shape, with the jaw line being slightly narrower than the forehead, noticeable cheekbones and just enough softness to keep you from looking sharp and angular.

So what kind of sun glasses are for you? You could stick to the more sedate traditional versions. But let's not be boring shall we? Be a bit adventurous; remember you are the one who can wear just about anything.

Be a bit experimental and go get yourself a bold pair of sunglasses, like the big and round “Jackie O's,” oversized white-framed ’70s squares, or sleek, futuristic wraparounds. But note that if you have a smaller face, you’re better off sticking to more delicate, even rimless frames, while larger faces are made for what is called, the latest blink-and-you-miss-it trends.

Heart shapes, listen up!
Your best bet is to sport rimless shades, which turn out to be a good choice for a face that is broader at the top and tapers down to a slim chin.

For pear shaped faces, smaller, rimless styles are ideal because large heavy-rimmed glasses make a narrow jaw line look overly sharp. Designs you should avoid are the wide-topped pairs and those with oversized lenses, busy detail work and high sides. What works wonderfully for you are light colours, thin nose bridges and frames with wider bottoms, for example, try those ultra-hot aviators.

If it is round…
This means that your face is curvy and soft with no harsh angles, a face that’s as wide as it is long. If this is your face type, there are a lot of specific hints you might want to consider. Let me start with what you should avoid.

Say no to round lenses, pairs with embellishment, or even colour on the lower rims. What will look good on you is the semi-rimless. Octagons and rectangles are the shapes to shoot for, as those straight lines help thin out the face, and higher temples will add height.

Through your sunglasses you need to create the look of wider set eyes with clear bridges, this adds more shape to the face.

Remember, darker colours, and classic patterns like tortoise-shell, will minimize fullness and add definition.

If your forehead, sides and chin are almost equal in width. Then you’ve got a square face. You can use your sunglasses to soften your angles, and this can be achieved with round shades. Just as it does to the oval shape, the popular “Jackie O’s” are said to look absolutely fantastic on you. But what if you have a smaller square face? No worries, a smaller, scaled down version of the sunglasses are now in the market. What you should avoid are the angular rims, especially squares, and aim for a more curvi-linear feel with narrow ovals or circular lenses. Frames that reach the edge of your face or a little beyond, like sporty wrap styles, will de-emphasize a large jaw line. Also choose frames that have more width than height, a high nose bridge and darker lenses.

With the oblong ...
Well this is one group of lucky people this season as the trendiest big shades of the season really suit this type of face. Although this year's oversized sunglasses aren’t on the enormous scale of some season's past, it's still difficult to wear them on a shorter face. Longer faces have the real estate to sport the retro mod look, heavy top lines, loud colours and odd shapes. Embellished sides are in vogue and add width to your face in a supremely stylish way. A longer nose sometimes accompanies an oblong face-wear glasses with a lower bridge to visually cut the length. If you have a shorter nose, try a high bridge for the opposite effect.

All right then, now that we have what kind of sunglasses would suit our faces… where do we buy them? While many think we should always stick to designer labels like Gucci or Christian Dior, it is really not the case. You do get equally good sunglasses at a relatively cheaper price.

It’s a matter of looking, and that's really not that hard. But one thing you need to remember is if you are going to buy those shades that are available at an insanely cheap price that would not really be a good decision.

Yes, they do look funky and come at a very cheap price, but they do not really achieve the purpose of sunglasses, which is to protect you from those harmful UV rays. When your next sunglass shopping expedition comes around, these tips could come in handy in making a good investment, but remember have fun, go wild with them and start making a statement. As for my friend, well she is having the last laugh after all… and has been kind enough to take me shopping to get my pair of sunglasses.