Answer · Framing
What face shape do aviator glasses suit?
Aviators usually suit oval, square, oblong and heart-shaped faces. The thin metal rim and teardrop lens soften a square jaw, add width to a long face and put weight low on a face with a wide forehead. They are not a first pick for round or diamond faces, where angular or brow-heavy frames tend to balance better.
Why aviators work on these shapes
The rule behind every frame chart is contrast: a frame adds a shape to the face, so choose the shape the face lacks. That is a styling convention, not a research finding, but it is consistent and easy to test on your own photo.
| Face shape | Aviators? | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Oval | Suits | Already balanced; keep the frame about as wide as the cheekbones |
| Square | Suits | Curved lenses and a thin rim soften the jaw; sit just inside the cheekbones |
| Oblong | Suits | Tall lenses at full cheekbone width shorten a long face |
| Heart | Suits | The deeper lower lens balances a wide forehead against a narrow chin |
| Round | Not a first pick | The curve repeats the face; rectangles and squares add the angles it lacks |
| Diamond | Not a first pick | Browline and cat-eye add width at the brow, where a diamond face needs it |
Getting the fit right
- Width. In a straight-on photo, the outer edges of the frame should sit at the outer edges of the face at the cheekbones, or a touch inside on a square face. An oblong face can go to full width or a little beyond.
- Lens depth. Oblong faces want tall lenses; on a short face, a shallower aviator keeps the lens off the cheeks.
- Bridge. Most aviators sit on adjustable nose pads, which helps on a low or wide nose bridge. The lens centre should still sit in front of the pupil; see does pupillary distance change with age? for getting that figure.
Aviators are also a good way to see the contrast rule in action against the other classics: round glasses suit almost the same faces for similar reasons, and cat-eye glasses take over on the diamond face that aviators leave out.
Check it on your own face
Face shape labels are bins, and many faces sit between two. The face shape detector names your closest shape from one photo; the glasses guide for your face shape then shows where aviators sit among the other frames. The glasses by face shape guide has the full chart.
Find my face shape
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