The eyewear market is saturated more than ever. There are thousands of brands. They offer glasses of all kinds, in the most varied shapes, in the most innovative materials and in a thousand different colors.

When it is time to choose a pair of glasses, it’s always difficult to find the model that best suits us. The frame will be part of our face and will accompany us in all the moments of our lives. So it is forbidden to make mistakes. Here are a few tips to make the right choice.

Choose by your physiognomy

The first thing to take into account when choosing a pair of glasses is your physiognomy. The parameters to take into account are the shape of your face, head, nose and skin. If you have an angular face, it is likely that you will look better with a rounded frame.

Conversely, if you have a rounder or more oval face, then a square frame is best. As for the head, if it is wider at the top it is better a pair of glasses with the edge more pronounced downward, vice versa if it is wider at the base. If it has a rather long nose, look for glasses with a low bridge (the part in the middle that joins the two lenses), so it will look shorter.

Complexion is important when choosing a color. If you have fair skin and blonde hair, stick to soft colors. If you have olive skin and brown hair, metallic or brown glasses might suit you, while if you have a darker complexion, it is better to opt for metallic colored glasses.

Look for a frame that is neither large nor small

Choose a frame that is neither too large nor too small in relation to your face. A frame that includes giant lenses can cause a distorted view of your surroundings. Glasses that are too small, on the other hand, will cause you to lose your peripheral vision.

The ideal frame should not be wider than the widest point of your face. The upper edges should remain below the eyebrows, while the lower edges should not touch the cheeks.

Finally, check that the glasses you are about to buy do not leave red marks on your nose, but also that they are not too wide to fall off and that they fit comfortably behind your ears.

Remember your lifestyle

When I should decide which frame to buy, think about your lifestyle and how you dress every day.

For example, do not buy a vintage frame if you’re only going to use a retro look during special occasions. You will be wearing those glasses at many different times of the day, so look for a frame that is versatile and easy to match, unless you have the ability to buy more than one pair of glasses.

Keep in mind the prescription

Depending on the vision problem you have been diagnosed with, you will need different lenses. Those for correcting myopia are thicker at the edges than in the center, vice versa for those against astigmatism.

So consult your optician to make sure that your preferred frame is actually compatible with your eye doctor’s prescription.

Find the right material for you

You can find eyewear made of metal, plastic, or these two materials combined. Figure out which material is best for you. A metal frame lasts longer and is easy to adjust. It is obviously not recommended in cases of allergies, but there are hypo-allergenic frames in that case. If you choose a metal frame, take into account the jewelry you usually wear. Make sure they match the color of the frame.

A plastic frame is cheaper. However, it can expand and shrink depending on the temperature. So it requires it to be adjusted more often. Then, if you are one of those people who tend to break things accidentally, you could opt for a frame with flexible hinges: practically indestructible.