How To Pick A Pair Of Glasses That Are Perfect For Your Face, Life & Signature Style

Expert advice on how best to frame your face to save you from trying on each and every pair in store.

What is the first thing that shows someone’s signature style? Does the signalling start up top, your haircut a hallmark projecting how you see yourself and want the world to? Or do outfits initially outlay aesthetic allegiances?

For Auckland fashion designer Roanne Jacobson, the eyes have it. Or rather, the glasses do. She says the accessories can be a shorthand people use to see you as clearly as you see them in return.

“The beautiful thing about eyewear is that it’s one of the first things people notice about you, it’s a chance to communicate who you are before you even speak.”

Glasses are personal for Roanne. They’ve long defined her personal style and she recently launched a line of sunglasses through her brand Saben.

Her own signature silhouette has evolved over the years, always chosen to meet an amalgamation of factors, landing on “that sweet spot where the frames complement my face shape while still reflecting my personal aesthetic”.

“Eyewear isn’t just about vision correction; it’s about finding frames that feel like a natural extension of who I am.”

Read: 11 Pairs Of Sunglasses To Add Polish & Perfection For Summer Ensembles

Jo Poon, senior frame portfolio manager at Specsavers, suggests you keep a simple phrase in mind: opposites attract.

“If you have a round face, a square frame will really balance out those features. Conversely, if you have a square-shaped face, or more chiselled features, go for a rounder option.”

Contrast was a key consideration for Christopher Esber, who has just launched a collaboration line with the optical retail chain. The world got its first look at the range when the internationally recognised Australian womenswear designer sent it down the runway at Paris Fashion Week – a wink to the polarity of purpose eyewear fulfils.

Natural contrasts are a consideration seen in all mediums of his designs. He melds structured tailoring with fluid silhouettes, signature cut-outs and sculptural hardware. He’s thought about everything, so you don’t have to.

“In any design process, whether it’s eyewear or ready to wear, I go wide and I go deep and crazy and the result always is a reduction, the result of really pulling back and just making things look complete and pure.”

He says regardless of trends, the perfect fit in fashion is often one that “becomes a part of who you are rather than a piece that wears you, and I guess that can be applied to when you’re picking out a frame as well, it just feels right”.

Christopher’s a perfect fit for the mass retailer, which was looking for a premium designer that engaged with a female audience aged 18 to 29. The exercise in exposure goes both ways. Christopher’s designs have been worn by Hailey Bieber, Zendaya, Dua Lipa, Emily Ratajkowski and Charli XCX but he says he approached a line with a mass retailer as a way to amplify visibility, to “reach more people and either introduce them to the brand or actually make the brand more accessible to them”.

“My collections are always quite broad and I wanted a broad offer here as well. It’s a great way to be part of something that’s necessary and functional. It’s a cool space to play with.”

Playing is what he encourages everyone to do when defining their signature style.

“Don’t be afraid to make some big swings.”

In that vein, Roanne recommends approaching categories as mere serving suggestions; she’s been known to have prescription lenses fitted in sunglass frames because “those frames felt more me”.

Christopher approves of this approach; every frame in his 20-piece collection can be fitted with optical or sun lenses.

Practically, the first thing Roanne checks for is quality – the weight, the materials, how they sit on the face – but ultimately she’s guided by feel as well. If she isn’t comfortable in a pair “they won’t become part of my daily uniform”.

Finding something you’ll enjoy putting on every day is key, because chances are you’ll have to. To make this a painless prospect, Jo always wants to ensure the frames don’t slip down on your nose as you want the perfect fit across the bridge. “You also want to make sure that the temples fit snugly by your ears.”

To balance fashion and timeless function, Roanna says consider your lifestyle and style personality.

“Are you someone who’s always on the go? Do you prefer classic elegance or do you like to make a statement?”

Christopher says the best fit is ultimately one that feels authentic to you.

“If you don’t feel comfortable with what you’re wearing, whether it’s on your body or on your face, you can just smell it in the air.”

Runway Report

How do you design a collection that works on the catwalk in Paris and the dog walk in Dunedin? Before its October 16 launch, Christopher Esber talks Tyson Beckett through inspiration and considerations that went into his new Specsavers line, as seen on the runway at Paris Fashion Week.

I had a few muses in mind when designing. Definitely someone who’s cool and a bit quirky but can play into both feminine and masculine. I was leaning towards something that could work on, say, a Bella Hadid and maybe like an Elle MacPherson.

You wear glasses everyday so it was about designing in a way that is quite classic, that has a kind of universal appeal, especially in relation to the shapes. Some of the references I had looked at included Richard Gere in American Gigolo.

A lot of airport looks were on the mood board alongside a lot of details that feature within my clothing collections. My brand is always leaning into this idea of connecting with nature, we do a lot of natural stones. I’ve played with creating almost a vine detailing that goes into the arm. I wanted to bring that nature through with colour too. The palette was very much about jungle references – a lot of greens, browns, lots of tortoise, it’s quite earthy.

I always have this ambition to do what hasn’t been done before or push the convention of what you think a jacket is or what you think eyewear is. Knowing when to stop is instinctual, it’s like when it feels right, not overworked, you’re not going to look at that detail every day and be annoyed by it.

It was a really exciting process being quite hands-on and actually discovering the swatches and pulling with the team. We went to Milan to source a lot of the tortoises and the colours and the finishes.

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