An oval face is gently balanced, slightly longer than it is wide, with proportions that most frames complement. It is the most versatile face shape, which means the decision becomes less about correction and more about expression. This guide covers both glasses and sunglasses for an oval face, because the rules of proportion are the same whether the lenses are tinted or prescription.
What an oval face needs from a frame
Almost anything works, so let your taste lead. The only guideline is proportion. The best glasses for an oval face are roughly as wide as its broadest part, so the balance is preserved rather than overwhelmed. The top of the frame should sit just under the brow, and the lower edge should clear the cheekbone.
Frames that are overly large can shorten the face and hide its natural symmetry. Very narrow frames do the opposite and leave the cheeks looking wider. Both are questions of scale rather than style. Stay close to your own proportions, and the shape is yours to choose.
Frames that suit an oval face
Oversized frames
Elegant and effortless on an oval face. Explore oversized sunglasses. Because the face has length to spare, a generous lens height does not crowd the cheekbones. Look for a lens that reaches toward the cheekbone without resting on it, a bridge that holds the frame steady, and temples long enough to lie flat. The outer edge of the frame should stay close to the widest point of the face.
Round frames
Soft and timeless. See the round collection. A round lens echoes the curve of the cheek, which an oval face carries with ease. Alexis is a round titanium frame with tortoise acetate tips. Its thin rims keep the eyes in view, and the acetate tips give the temples grip. The bridge should sit snug, so the circles stay level with the brows.
Square frames
A square frame adds a little definition without disrupting the balance. Browse square frames for the straighter line. Paname is a rectangular titanium frame, and its horizontal line gives an oval face a touch of structure. Keep the lens height moderate, so the frame does not shorten the face. The corners should land inside the width of the cheekbones.
Cat-eye frames
The upswept corner of a cat-eye lifts the outer edge of the eye. Browse cat-eye sunglasses. Romy is a titanium butterfly in lacquered gradients, and the butterfly shape works the same way: a wider upper edge, a softer lower lens. On an oval face, the lift at the temple should sit level with the end of the brow. Keep the lens height moderate and the bridge snug, so the sweep of the front remains the only flourish.
Sunglasses or prescription glasses
The advice above is not limited to sunglasses. The same round, square and upswept shapes exist as optical frames, and the fit rules do not change: a bridge true to the nose, a lens that clears the cheekbone, temples that lie flat. If you wear prescription lenses, start with the women's optical collection or the men's optical collection.
Titanium or acetate for an oval face
Because the shape is so forgiving, the material becomes the statement. A titanium frame in plated gold feels quietly luxurious, while tortoise acetate adds warmth. Titanium is light and thin, so the frame reads as a line on the face. Gold here is always plating over titanium, 18K gold plated or 14K white gold plated. Where a frame carries gold, see our gold eyeglasses. Acetate is thicker and bolder, and an oval face has the length to hold that presence. Emmanuelle, Elsa and Charlotte are feminine acetate frames with gold-tipped arms. Victor, Riviera and George are masculine acetate frames with art-deco engraved temples. Browse the acetate sunglasses.
If you would rather echo your proportions than contrast with them, the oval sunglasses are the quiet option: Morgane is an oval titanium frame, and Lissa a lighter one. For more, see our complete face shape guide. French design, handcrafted in Japan, in limited quantities.