How to Choose Sunglasses - Our Expert Guide | Fashion Eyewear UK
When sunny days are on the horizon, it’s time to think about shades. How do you even decide on what sunglasses to choose? There’s so many options for material, shape, style, designer. It’s easy to get a little overwhelmed with all the choices. But don’t worry - we’ve put together the ultimate guide on how to choose sunglasses, covering a full range of eventualities.
How to Choose Sunglasses to Protect Your Eyes
First things first - sunglasses are both fashionable and functional. Their primary purpose is to protect your eyes from harmful invisible UV light, as well as reduce eye fatigue in bright conditions. Before you even look at frames, you want to make sure the lenses you’re buying are up to the job. Rest assured, sunglass lenses at Fashion Eyewear provide eye protection to the highest standard. Here’s what you should be aware of in a pair of sunnies.
They’ll need UV protection - both UVA and especially UVB.
Larger lenses protect more of your eye area.
Remember, just because lenses are darker doesn’t mean they protect against UV. Always check the product information to check the level of protection. Also note that too-dark lenses may not be safe to wear whilst driving.
Remember that anti-glare or polarised lens coatings don’t offer UV protection.
Here’s the lowdown on different colour tints. Darker colours are great for everyday use, but the more brown the tint is, the more distorted the colours you see will be. The darker the colour, the more reduced glare and eyestrain.
There’s also a couple of other lens options to consider, but this all comes down to how you plan to wear your new pair of sunnies. Are they for sports, gentle activity, or casual wear? If you’re wanting to wear them whilst exercising, we highly recommend choosing a pair of lenses suitable for sports. These lenses provide specialist tints that not only protect your eyes, but also improve your visibility. Lighter colours in particular improve depth perception, improve contrasts where there is flatter light, and make surroundings look brighter.
Following on from choosing the right lenses, you’ll also want to consider the frames themselves. If you want to wear them during activities, you might want to opt for a pair that are lightweight and durable. The type of materials can affect this. For instance, metal is easy to adjust, but heavier and less durable than plastics such as acetate. Check the product descriptions on frames that take your fancy for more information on the frames and how they feel.
How to Choose Sunglasses That Fit Properly
You might now have an idea of the type of lenses and materials in your perfect pair of sunglasses. Now, let’s talk about fit. Like prescription glasses, the fit of a pair of shades should be snug and comfortable. They shouldn’t be too loose or too tight.
An easy way to check if a pair of sunglasses fit properly is to pop on the glasses and move your head around and look down. If they move, they’re too loose. If they dig in and leave pressure marks, they’re too tight.
How to Choose Sunglasses Based on Size
To know how to choose sunglasses that fit properly, you’ll want to check out the measurements in product descriptions and compare them to your own face measurements. Here’s how to go about this:
Stand in front of a mirror, and have a measuring tape or ruler to hand.
Measure the following in milmeters (mm): the distance between your temples (this aligns with the frame width), the width of the top of your nose (this is the bridge measurement), and the distance between your temple to the back of your ear (this is the arm length).
When measuring these, you can also determine how high up your temples and nose bridge sit. This will affect how high up glasses will sit on your face.
Other measurements to consider include the length of your face, the distance cheekbone-to-cheekbone, and your jawline.
When comparing the measurements in a product description, also consider the width of the brow bar, how tall the frames are, and how big the lenses are. You’ll then get a better idea of how certain sized frames will fit on your face.
How to Choose the Best Sunglasses for my Face Shape
Now that you have your measurements, you’ll have a better idea of how certain frame designs will sit on your face. However, if you’re really stuck, getting to know your face shape and frames that would suit it, is a great place to start. This approach is not the be-all and end-all on choosing sunglasses. Think of it as a useful tool rather than something you must stick to. At the end of the day, what’s more important is that you feel good in your new sunglasses.
First of all, do you know what your face shape is? If not, it’s easy to determine.
Stand in front of a mirror.
Look at your hairline. Is it rounded or straight?
How about your jawline and chin. Are they rounded or pointy? Oval or round? Is your jawline wider than your cheeks? Is the distance from jawline to forehead a similar width?
We explore this further in our article on what sunglasses suit your face shape, but it’s likely that your face will fit into one of these categories: round, square, rectangle, heart, and oval.
Width, length and facial features can play a big part in how flattering a pair of sunglasses look. It’s about balancing size and proportion. The goal is to accentuate your best features, create contrast and length. Here’s a quick rundown of what styles suit these face shapes:
Round - opt for bold styles like square, rectangular, wayfarers, cat eye, or aviator to create contrast and angles. Narrow bridges also look really good!
Square - choose large, frameless, round or aviator frames to soften angles.
Rectangular - large styles, aviator, and round create balance and gentle lines.
Heart - frameless, aviators, wayfarers, round, small frames, and prominent brow bars complement the angles of the face type.
Oval - this face shape suits a wide variety of frame styles!
We recommend getting familiar with brands that specialise in certain designs and styles that suit your face shape. For example, Prada sunglasses are known for large, bold and geometric designs that would look great on round faces.