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Advice from an expert / tips on finding the eyewear of your dreams

5th August 2014 Eyestylist is seeing a rise in requests from readers to help find or suggest specialist frames that suit different faces, complexions and personal desires. In response, we are creating a series with expert advice and frame suggestions.

In the first of the series, Gwendoline Radley, a dispensing optician and eyewear stylist at Adam Simmonds / Primrose Hill Optometrists (www.adamsimmonds.co.uk), talks about finding styles for a round female face on the basis of a request we received from a German lady in Munich. Gwendoline has particular experience of working with independent collections and the finest creative frames and sunglasses.

“I generally don’t subscribe to the ‘face shape’ rule,” explains Radley. “Yes, it has its basic merits and can provide a good foundation to work from, but there are so many wonderful shapes out there it seems a little archaic now to categorise them down. So many subtle enhancements to a shape can really make a style stand out, so the wearer looks and feels fantastic.”

Gwendoline suggests these steps: “This particular customer who wrote to Eyestylist has a round face, big eyes and a smallish bridge. She was wanting to change her look and feel more business-like but also more feminine and sexy in specs.

I would always suggest a wearer try things they wouldn’t consider normally, and that way they are more likely to end up falling in love. I get so excited when I hear, ‘I wouldn’t have picked this up but I really like it!’ or ‘I had never thought about this colour!” Choosing eyewear is ultimately about inspiring confidence, and as we all know, confidence affects deportment and well being!”

Gwendoline suggested 3 women’s shapes that would be well suited to many round or oval faces; colours would be dependent on the individual, hair colouring, complexion, fashion tastes and so on. The more colours that you try on, the more you will get a feel for what looks good, what you like best and what will work as a part of your wardrobe.

RECOMMENDATIONS

1/ A soft cat eye – such as Joanne 1 by Face à Face – www.faceaface-paris.com – this has a delicate feminine look and it’s definitely eye-catching; a harsh flat-top style for this face shape should be avoided. 2/ An 80s design with a slightly dropped bridge such as Keren by L.G.R. (top) www.lgr-sunglasses.com. 3/ A soft contoured oblong for a slightly safer option. The Abbott by Claire Goldsmith – www.clairegoldsmith.com –  is a good example of stylish but easy-to-wear; the red tone is very good for paler skin tones but often gets overlooked. A high quality acetate will always look elegant and a cut above the rest.

If you have a question about spectacles and styling, you can write to Eyestylist at [email protected]. We also recommend talking to a local independent optician stocking a good range of design collections. See the Eyestylist Boutiques section to find some of the top optical boutiques around the world.