Summer is finally in full swing and you cannot be caught without your sunglasses in this sweltering African heat. How do you choose which pair of sunnies will suit your face the best? We got you covered with our seven tips.

Choosing the right sunglasses may seem like an after thought for many but a lot of factors influence whether your new pair of sunnies will bring out all your best features and not drown your face. It all depends on what kind of look you are going for. Are you going for a Matrix look? Perhaps a classic Topgun look or taking some fashion inspiration from stars like Kim Kardashian or Cardi B? No matter what look you are going for, these tips will help you decide on what best suits your face.

1. Figure out your face shape

Finding the right sunglasses is very dependent on your face shape. How do you determine what face shape you have? Use a washable marker, chalk or pencil and look in front of the mirror. Stand at arm’s length in front of the mirror and trace the outline of your face starting from your chin up to your hairline. Take a step back and review the shape you see on the mirror. The main face shapes are round, oval, pear, square, rectangular, heart-shape and triangular.

2. Figure out what sunglass shape best suits your face

You must pick a pair of sunglasses that flatter your natural features. For example, curved shapes work well for curved facial features while angular shapes will work for a more angular face. Round glasses and geometric styles hardly work on a round face but aviators and wayferers usually work with most facial structures.

3. The frame of your glasses is very important

Frames are one of the determining factors of whether a pair if sunglasses will look good on you. Deep frames that are more rounded can shorten a long face. A heavy top bar in your sunglasses can balance a strong jawline and a narrow forehead. A high bridge will lengthen a short nose while a low bridge can help with a narrow nose. Angular shapes suit sharper features.

4. Choose the right tone and colour of your sunglasses

The undertone in your glasses can also contribute to how well they look on you. Warm colours like browns, skintone and tortoiseshell suits warmer skin tones while blues, greys and black colours can suit darker skin tones. Most people can pull off any colour but it is definitely a good thing to consider what colour suits your skin tone the best depending on the occasion, the accompanying outfit etc.

5. The size of your sunglasses could be a make or break moment

As appealing as it sounds to look completely futuristic in those Viser-type frames for your sunglasses, the size of them might drown your whole face. Carefully consider a size that is in proportion with your face shape to get the best results out of your sunglasses. Glasses that are too small might make your face appear larger while big frames might make your face look tiny.

6. Choose from the many classic designs for your sunglasses

There are so many different types of sunglass designs to choose from that are tried and tested on many different faces. As mentioned above, wayferers and aviators are only two of the popular designs for many facial structures. Butterfly, heart shaped, cat’s eyes, frameless glasses and rounded frames are other options. Do some research on which ones suit your face more and the best way you can know for sure is to try different shapes on before settling on your next pair of sunnies.

Kwaai Boutique offers a range of fashion items and accessories including sunglasses for stylish and bold femmes. Click here to shop.