Eyewear is not what it used to be, and with such a vast range of choice available in a plethora of colours and styles, it’s now possible to find the perfect eyewear to suit both your way of life and your style.
Use the hints and tips below to find the perfect pair of glasses for every outfit!
Consider Your Lifestyle
Before thinking about how to match your eyewear to a specific outfit, first of all be sure to consider your lifestyle and personal circumstances when choosing a pair of glasses or sunglasses. Are outdoor adventures high on your list of weekend priorities? How much close work do you do on an average workday? Is there any need for a protective element to be present in your eyewear?
Today there are a host of eyewear options to suit every lifestyle, from prescription sports eyewear to transition spectacles that react to light, to multifocal progressive glasses that correct astigmatism as well as long and short sightedness without the visible line present in bifocals.
Assess your lifestyle when choosing one or more pairs of glasses to ensure that your eyewear not only looks stylish but serves your needs, too.
Bring on the Colour Wheel
Now the practical side of things are taken care of, let’s think about how to match your specs with either a specific outfit or your style in general.
A colour wheel is your friend for this task.
If you’re choosing glasses and want the best match for your style in general, start by opening your wardrobe and having a peek inside. What colours or tones dominate in there? Consider how you would sum up your style – is it edgy? Elegant? Sporty? In the interests of sharing the experience, I’ve just done the same: mine is ‘tired mum. But trying.’
Once you’ve established what your signature colour and style is, pull out the colour wheel. You’ve now got two options. For a more ‘matched’ and less ‘statement’ look, you should choose a colour for your eyewear frames that sits next to your dominant wardrobe colour on the colour wheel. This is called an analogous match. For example, I love pink. So if I wanted some specs to nicely match with most of my wardrobe, I’m going to go for blush pink or coral frames.
The second option is to choose a complementary colour for your eyewear frames. In this instance, to go with my pink dominated wardrobe, I’m going to choose the colour on the wheel that is directly opposite – which is yellow-green. Nice. It’s a totally different look, but that’s no bad thing.
If you’re choosing multiple pairs of new glasses, then selecting frames in both an analogous colour and a complementary shade will serve you well in terms of matching your overall look beautifully.
Match Your Style
Okay, the colors in the bag, next we need to think about how to make sure your eyewear fits perfectly with the style of your outfit and wardrobe in general.
To do this, first consider things like your hairstyle, the accessories you are likely to wear and whether you want your glasses to pop or to sit harmoniously with your clothes.
Next, have a look at the styles of frames and colours available. If you’ve got red hair, for example, eyewear frames in tortoiseshell or warm neutral tones are a good choice in general – but if you want something more standout, that’s going to also bring out the colour of your locks, then green frames are a great alternative.
You could opt for cat’s eye frames for an elegant, playful look; or classic Lennon tea shades for a preppy style; and don’t forget that prescription sunglasses come in a huge range of frame varieties, too, so can be just as easily matched with your clothes.
Finally, think about your accessories. If you’re wanting to match your eyewear to a specific outfit, consider, for example, the earrings and shoes you’ll be wearing with it. Bring the colour wheel back into play to help you choose the best shade of frames to either subtly compliment your accessories or to turn them into statement pieces.
Makeup Magic
Add some extra flair to your outfit by choosing eyewear that matches your makeup for instant glamour. Specs naturally draw attention to your eyes, so use a good quality liquid eyeliner for extra oomph. Again, think about colour – if your frames are blue, an orange eyeshadow is a beautifully bold choice.
Given that glasses draw focus to the eyes, consider a strong, bright lip to balance the face and add allure to your outfit.
Life in Style
When it comes to matching outfits with your eyewear, the sky really is the limit. Have fun with different looks and frame colours until you find the perfect partners for your unique sartorial style. Don’t be afraid to experiment, or to use your specs to highlight your hair tone or face-shape. Your glasses allow you to see the world clearly – so now allow the world to see your style with just as much clarity.
Published on Holr Magazine