How To Find Your Style of Sunglasses for Women

Buying sunglasses for women can be confusing due to the variety of options. There are so many shapes, colors, and styles to choose from that finding a pair you love can be a challenge. But with a few styling tips and a little patience, you can find a pair you’ll want to wear even on cloudy days.

Consider Eye Health

Protecting your eyes and the delicate skin around them is job number one for sunglasses. Good glasses shield your eyes from ultraviolet (UV) radiation the same way sunscreen protects your skin. The American Academy of Ophthalmology reports that too much sunlight exposure increases the risk of developing melanoma on the surface of the eye. The right sunglasses limit exposure and help keep your eyes healthy.

Before deciding which style of frames looks best, consider these suggestions for optimal eye protection:

• Lenses that are labeled UV 400, which provide almost 100% UV blockage
• Larger lenses to protect more of the skin around your eyes
• Polarized glasses to reduce glare
• Specific frames for sports or high-impact workouts

A darker tint does not necessarily mean better protection, so always check the UV rating. Also, polarized lenses alone do not protect against UV, so combine UV protection with polarization.

Know Your Face Shape

If you’ve ever been frustrated because a gorgeous pair of sunglasses does not look gorgeous on you, the shape may have been the problem. Choosing glasses that compliment your face shape makes all the difference. Most people’s faces are either oval, round, heart-shaped, or square.

Oval

An oval face is shaped something like an egg. It is longer than it is wide. Women with oval faces look great in a variety of frame shapes. Aviator, oversized, rectangular, and geometric are excellent choices.  

Round

If the widest point of your face is your cheekbones, your face qualifies as round. Sunglasses with straight lines will help balance your round features. Consider cat-eye, square, and oversized glasses.

Heart-Shaped

People with heart-shaped faces have narrow chins and jawlines. You can balance your shape with frames that are wide at the top. Some square and rectangular styles fill the bill. Also, look for cat-eye and some geometric frames.

Square

Oval and square faces have similar proportions, but people with square faces have strong angles and may also have wide cheekbones. If you want to soften a prominent jawline, choose sunnies that are rimless or those that have softer lines. Try aviators, oval, and round frames, but avoid square and rectangular styles.

Choose a Flattering Color

Believe it or not, there is not one perfect color for frames. For sunglasses, the best color is whatever complements your hair and skin tones beautifully. In most cases, hair, eyes, and skin tones are harmonious. The most complementary color for your skin will usually look great with your eyes and hair. If you have colored your hair a vivid shade, that may not be the case.

Best Colors for Skin Tone

Choose cool-toned shades like green, silver, blue, or gray if you have cool skin tones with pink or blue undertones.

Try frames in brown, gold, yellow, red, or tortoise if you have a “peaches and cream” complexion.

Women with darker skin tones look great in a wide variety of frame colors. Experiment with white, pink, black, brown, red, blue, purple, and even clear glasses.

Best Colors to Complement Hair Color

If you want frames that will draw attention to your shining mane, select a color in the same tonal family. For brunette hair, try shades of brown, tan, or tortoise. Blondes will have more fun with metallics and neutral colors. If you’re rocking some fire-red locks, go for frames in shades of red, orange, and purple.

Match Your Style

Now that you know what quality, shape, and color of sunglasses you’re looking for, it’s time to put it all together with your personal style. A pair of high-quality sunglasses is an accessory you’ll wear year after year — as long as you choose a style you love.

While sunnies don’t need to match your outfit, they should complement your overall wardrobe style. It’s probably not worth it to invest in a pair of groovy retro sunglasses if you’re really a traditional girl at heart. For clarity on your personal style, take a look in your closet.

If you lean toward conservative dressing or just love a flouncy boho skirt, bring your personal swagger up to your face with sunglasses. If your wardrobe is all over the place, that’s okay too. You can create a wardrobe of sunglasses to fit every mood.

Stylish and Classic Sunglasses for Women

Whatever your style, Vint & York has sunglasses with the shapes, colors, and protective qualities you're looking for. Designed in classic styles with high-quality materials, we have a wide selection of frames and customizable prescription lenses to suit your vision needs.