The gallery is designed to teach you how to look at a frame for fit not for fashion.
To really know how a frame fits you need to train yourself to see beyond how a frame looks.
With practice you too can become a pro.
In A Perfect World
We would all look great in a pair of glasses.
But, before a frame can ever look great, first it has to fit great.
The First Thing We Look At Is Width
You may have noticed that people come in all sizes.
Everything from your “peanut-head” all the way to your “pumpkin-head” and of course everything in between…
The textbook definition of the perfect width is:
“The temple leaves the frame front, goes straight back and only touches the face where it meets the ear.”
What Is Too Much
You will often have a slight angling out of the temples.
What matters is that they are not placing pressure on the side of the face or head which will force the glasses down the nose.
You NEVER want any angling in.
Here Is What We Don't Want
See what happens when we try to squeeze a child’s frame on a girl ready for a tween size?
See how the temples angle out and rub the sides of her face?
See how it should fit from the yellow lines?
This frame is too small for her.
Another Example
Pretty girl.
Pretty frame.
Not a very pretty fit.
This frame is too small for her.
A Great Tip It Doesn't Fit!
A great tip that a frame is too small is an open spring hinge.
A spring hinge should only be open when the frame is being taken on or off or when it is struck from the side.
This frame is too small for her.
What Too Big Looks Like
Although subtle these temples are angled in.
You will also note the large gaps between her face and the temples.
This frame is too big for her.
Another What Too Big Looks Like
Here it cannot be clearer!
The temples are clearly angled in as shown by the lines marking proper and improper fit.
This frame is too big for her.
The Next Thing We Look At Is Your Nose
Noses, as you might have noticed, come in many different shapes and sizes.
From your petite little button to your great big ol’ schnoz.
For eyeglasses it is not “one-size-fits-all” you must look at how a frame fits the individual nose.
What We Look At When We Look At Your Nose
When an optician is looking at your nose they are looking at many things. But we can keep this pretty simple.
Big nose = Wide bridge
Thin nose = Narrow bridge
Flat nose = Nosepads on frame
Plastic frame = Shape fits nose
Bridge Too Wide
Here I am – thin nose with a wide bridge.
Notice that the frame is not resting on the nosepads but the bridge is actually resting on my nose.
If I jam the nosepads over to make up for it the fit would look silly.
Bad Plastic Fit
This is a great shot!
This is what you never want to see for fit on a plastic frame.
See how it is resting on two sharp points?
This frame will quickly become uncomfortable for her to wear.
Good Plastic Fit
Here is another great shot!
This is what you want to see for fit on a plastic frame.
See how the shape of the frame matches the shape of her nose perfectly?
Notice no gaps, spaces, sharp points or missing contact points?
Compromise Plastic Fit
This fit is a compromise.
It is not perfect but it would serve her fine for a backup pair.
It has a little too much of a gap over her bridge but no sharp edges or points that will cause discomfort.
Plastic Frames With Nosepads
Many frame manufacturers are now offering plastic frames with nosepads.
This allows almost anyone, even those with a flat bridge or no bridge, to wear a plastic frame.
If your heart is set on a plastic frame and you have a flat nose you may find an experienced optician that can add nosepads to the frame.
Function & Fashion!
Looks like a regular plastic frame but if you look close you can see the nosepads behind it.
About Nosepad Fit
If a frame has nosepads and it is the bridge is the correct width for your particular nose then the pads allow for small adjustments to get a perfect fit and look.
What you are always after is the maximum contact between the pad and the nose.
Great Nosepad Fit
This is what you want!
The Next Thing We Look At Is Temple Length
Generally the bigger the head – the longer the temples need to be to get a good fit.
A child’s frame may have temples just 125mm long while a “Big-Guy” frame may have them 160mm long.
A standard adult frame is usually 145mm +/- 10mm.
The only way to know if it is long enough is to look. Your optician should lift your hair up off your ear and look!
What Are We Looking For For Temple Fit
The temple should be long enough to pass over the ear, start bending then hug the back of the ear ending on the bump behind and about 2/3 of the way down your ear.
That bump, is the mastoid bone and the bend is called the mastoid bend.
Temple Too Short
This temple is too short for him.
Once bent it will not reach the right spot.
Temple Too Long
This temple is too long for her.
It will be annoying, catch her hair and it looks bad too.
This is not unusual in kids and tweens and many temples can be trimmed by a competent optician.
Temple Just Right
This temple is just right.
It has nice curves, in the right place and the temple tip end right where it should.
Other Things To Consider
Three other things worth considering when shopping for a frame:
1) Is there enough depth in the lens for a progressive lens to work?
2) Does it sit level? If it does not can it be adjusted?
3) Do your eyelashes touch the back of the lens? This will only get worse with your Rx in them.
Depth For Progressives
Since every person is different and every frame is different the only way to know if a frame will work for a progressive lens is to put it on and measure.
An experienced optician can tell if it has enough room or not.
If they say, “Sorry, but not quite enough.” thank them and find another frame!
Depth For Progressive Lenses
As a rule for a progressive lens to work properly it needs 18mm or more from the center of your pupil to the bottom of the lens.
Does The Frame Sit Level
We can’t all be Patrick Dempsey or Heidi Klum…
The rest of us have one ear a little higher than the other, one eye a little higher, crooked noses, etc…
To adjust for these differences a frame needs to be adjusted.
If your face is very asymmetrical be sure to choose a frame that can be easily adjusted.
Frame Not Level
Don’t tell anyone but my one ear is much lower than the other.
When I put on a frame that is in perfect alignment it will sit crooked on my face.
Frame Level
With adjustment, OK a lot of adjustment, I can get a frame to sit level on my nose and look level on my face.
Eyelashes Touching Back Of Lens
Great image!
If you have long eyelashes you will need to be careful about frame fit.
If they touch with the demo lenses in the frame it will only be worse with your Rx.
Look for a frame with adjustable nosepads.
A competent optician can adjust them so the frame front is pushed away from your lashes.
Your Turn For The Yes Or No Game
10 Images
10 Choices
Does the frame fit?
Or does it not?
It is up to you!
Yes Or No Frame 1
The Answer Is
NO!
Too small.
Temples are angled out.
Yes Or No Frame 2
The Answer Is
Yes!
Good fit, good look, good choice.
Yes Or No Frame 3
The Answer Is
No!
Frame is resting on just two points.
Yes Or No Frame 4
The Answer Is
Yes!
Although the temples are touching his face a little early I think he could wear this.
If it was available in one size larger I would certainly have him try it on.
Yes Or No Frame 5
The Answer Is
Yes!
Sure, looks good!
Yes Or No Frame 6
The Answer Is
No!
I would say that this pair is just a little snug on her.
