Four shapes cover most of the sunglasses you will see, and each one changes your face in a different way. A cat-eye lifts at the outer corners and draws the eye upwards. An aviator is a teardrop, usually in fine metal, with a soft curve below the eye. An oversized frame is simply larger than the face beneath it, which brings drama and coverage. A round or oval frame softens strong lines. Choose the shape first, for the effect you want, and the material second, for how the pair looks and feels.
Why Does Shape Matter More Than Colour?
Shape sets the outline of your face from across a room; colour only finishes it. The usual styling advice is about gentle contrast: angular frames give a round face definition, and curved frames soften a square jaw. A heart-shaped face, widest at the brow, tends to suit frames with lift or with depth in the lower half, and an oval face carries most shapes. Treat this as a starting point rather than a rule. The pairs below are grouped by shape, and every detail we mention comes from the frame's own description.
Cat-Eye Sunglasses
The cat-eye rises towards the temples, so the frame does some of the work that a flick of eyeliner would. It reads as polished and a little retro, and it gives a round face definition and a heart-shaped face an echo of its own width. In plastic, the line can be crisp or soft, and the finish of the frame matters as much as the shape.
These four from Guess show the range. The Transparent Cat-Eye Sunglasses are the lightest in look: a clear plastic frame with slim temples and pale pink lenses. The White Fleck Cat-Eye Sunglasses set dark gradient lenses in a white plastic frame scattered with gold flecks. The Tortoise Cat-Eye Sunglasses pair a tortoiseshell plastic frame with blue gradient lenses and small metal accents at the corners, which catch the light exactly where the shape lifts. The Retro Cat-Eye Sunglasses are the classic version: a black plastic frame with gold-tone accents and light blue lenses.
- Transparent Cat-Eye Sunglasses
- White Fleck Cat-Eye Sunglasses
- Tortoise Cat-Eye Sunglasses
- Retro Cat-Eye Sunglasses
Aviator Sunglasses
The aviator is defined by its teardrop lens, deeper at the outer edge and curving in towards the nose, and by its double bridge, the second bar that runs across the top of the frame. Most are made in thin metal, which keeps them light, and most have adjustable nose pads, so you can set how the pair sits on your nose. The soft lower curve suits square and heart-shaped faces especially well.
The Rose Gold Aviator Sunglasses are a thin rose gold metal frame with a slender double bridge and adjustable nose pads. The Gold Aviator Sunglasses, a unisex pair, take a slim gold metal frame with blue-to-beige gradient lenses and a decorative emblem on the temple. The Silver Aviator Sunglasses add warmth to cool metal: a slim silver frame with a tortoiseshell pattern on the top bar and the temple tips. For colour, the Pink Metal Aviator Sunglasses come in a pink metal frame with pink temple tips and blue-to-purple gradient lenses.
- Rose Gold Aviator Sunglasses
- Gold Aviator Sunglasses
- Silver Aviator Sunglasses
- Pink Metal Aviator Sunglasses
Oversized Sunglasses
An oversized frame is wider and deeper than the face it sits on. It brings instant glamour, it covers more of the face, and it tends to suit oval and longer faces, where the extra depth balances length. On a heart-shaped face, the depth in the lower half of the lens balances a narrower chin. Many oversized frames are square in outline; the larger the frame, the more a soft corner matters, because it keeps the shape from looking heavy.
The Beige Oversized Sunglasses are a thick beige plastic frame with square, gradient brown lenses and patterned inner arms. The Tortoise Oversized Sunglasses are a square tortoise brown plastic frame with gold accents at the corners and a letter G on the temples. The Oversized Square Sunglasses set pink gradient lenses in a black plastic frame with rose gold-plated metal accents and chain detail on the temples. The Gold Geometric Oversized Sunglasses show the same scale in metal: a gold metal frame with adjustable nose pads and triangular side accents set with rhinestones.
- Beige Oversized Sunglasses
- Tortoise Oversized Sunglasses
- Oversized Square Sunglasses
- Gold Geometric Oversized Sunglasses
Round and Oval Sunglasses
Round frames are the gentle shape. Their curves soften a strong jaw and a broad forehead, which is why they are the classic suggestion for a square face. Oval frames are a little wider than they are deep, so they keep the softness while sitting easily on most faces. If your face is already round, a thicker rim or a slightly elongated oval keeps the shapes from simply repeating each other.
The Retro Round Sunglasses have true round lenses in a light yellow plastic frame, with purple gradient lenses. The Off-White Retro Oval Sunglasses pair an off-white plastic frame with purple gradient lenses and a coloured detail on the temples. The Retro Pink Oval Sunglasses are a pink plastic frame with oval lenses, decorative stones on the temples and spring hinges. The Green Retro Oval Sunglasses, a unisex pair, combine a thick green plastic front with metal arms and green temple tips.
- Retro Round Sunglasses
- Off-White Retro Oval Sunglasses
- Retro Pink Oval Sunglasses
- Green Retro Oval Sunglasses
Plastic or Metal: What Changes?
Material changes how a frame looks and how it wears. Neither is better; they simply do different things.
- Plastic frames can be thick or thin, clear, flecked, patterned or a solid colour, so they carry the boldest looks. Cat-eye, oversized and retro round shapes are most often made this way.
- Metal frames are usually finer, and they often come with adjustable nose pads, which let you set how the pair sits. Aviators are almost always metal.
- Mixed frames, such as a plastic front with metal arms, combine the presence of plastic with a lighter line at the temples.
How Should Sunglasses Fit?
Whatever the shape, the frame should be roughly as wide as your face at the temples, with no gap at the sides and no pressure behind the ears. Your eyes should sit near the centre of each lens, and the top of the frame should follow, or sit just below, the line of your brows. Look for the measurements in the product details: the Gold Aviator Sunglasses, for example, are listed at 62 millimetres for the lens and 14 for the bridge, while the Retro Round Sunglasses have a 50 millimetre lens, a noticeably smaller frame on the face.
For lens categories, polarised lenses and UV labels, read How to Choose Sunglasses: Frame Shape, Lenses and UV Protection. For optical frames, and a closer look at matching a frame to the shape of your face, see Glasses Frames for Your Face Shape: How to Choose. If you need prescription lenses or glasses for reading, ask an optician for your strength.
In Short
A cat-eye lifts, an aviator softens with its curve, an oversized frame brings drama and a round or oval frame brings ease. Our suggestion is to decide which of those effects you want, choose two frames in that shape, and let material and colour make the final choice.
