Glasses Shapes That Aren't Doing You Any Favors If You Have An Older Face

"Glasses are basically jewelry for your face — the shape, size, and even color can totally change how your features read," personal stylist Cynthia Kennedy told Women. This is an outlook echoed across the industry, where frames, in the right hands (or on the right faces), are a brilliant form of self-styling. Victoria Beckham, who herself has had a gorgeous transformation, understood the power of eyewear, saying: "Sunglasses and a great pair of heels can turn most outfits around." And it's true: the right pair of frames can shift the entire register of a face — lifting, softening, rebalancing — in the way a skilled makeup artist might.

Others have been even more direct about the effect of a good pair of spectacles. "Don't underestimate the cosmetic power of sunglasses," Dita Von Teese cautioned. Karl Lagerfeld, never one to mince words, likened them to eyeshadow, because through them, the world is more beautiful and everyone looks 10 years younger." And yet, for all their promise, not every pair is doing what you think it is. Some glasses (often the ones we've clung to for years out of habit) can, quite subtly, conspire against us. As faces evolve, so, too, should the frames that accompany them. That's where expert guidance can make all the difference.

Kennedy spoke exclusively to Women about the glasses shapes that simply aren't doing older faces any favors. Knowing how to determine the perfect sunglasses silhouette for your face shape is a handy place to start, but it also helps to take a long, hard look at the styles clouding your vision.

A pair of glasses can do many things: correct vision, signal intellect, suggest mystery, and even hide a sleepless night. But over time, they can distort how others see you. "The right pair can lift your face, soften sharp lines, and make you look more awake and polished," said personal stylist Cynthia Kennedy. "The wrong pair? It can do the opposite."

According to Kennedy, glasses have an authority over how your features are perceived. Frames that are too heavy and droopy can unintentionally age the face. As she pointed out to Women, shapes with overly rounded bottoms or low-set arms tend to pull the eye downward, emphasizing sagging or casting unwanted shadows beneath the eyes. Placement also plays its part. "If the frames sit too low,' they might visually drop your features," she urged. And whilst the rest of an outfit might be perfectly in step with the present, a dated pair of glasses can blur the whole impression. "They can date your entire look — even if everything else you're wearing is current," she added.

When asked what styles she recommends older women avoid, Kennedy is quick to point out that it depends on the individual. No single rule fits every face. That being said, there are a few shapes she's seen work against more mature features time and time again.

Of all the styles Cynthia Kennedy advises caution with, the tiny rectangular frame — a longtime favorite of minimalists, early-2000s nostalgists, and the style muses behind TikTok's office siren trend — is one of the most aging. "These can make the face look more severe," she explained, "and can emphasize fine lines or drooping age.

The narrow shape just simply isn't gentle enough, and its hard horizontal line can flatten expression, rather than lift it. Whilst once considered sleek or understated, on an older face, these frames can end up zooming in on exactly what you might prefer to soften or balance.

Oversized round frames might conjure up novelty retro chic. But according to stylist Kennedy, they're not always as flattering as they are nostalgic. "They tend to exaggerate roundness in the cheeks or jaw and can drag the face downward," she exclusively told Women.com.

On faces where definition is already compromising with age, that's no small thing. Instead of brightening the eyes or sculpturing the cheekbones, round frames often draw the gaze lower. That's not to say all circular styles are off-limits, but they require a sharper eye. Scale and proportion matter more than ever. Without a bit of lift or angle to counterbalance the face, these frames can end up emphasizing the very features you'd rather not underline. As it turns out, round frames are not such well-rounded winners. 

A little flair is one thing, but frames dripping in decoration or chasing the latest trend tend to draw unwanted attention. "Overly thick temples, loud patterns, or extreme shapes" rarely do mature features any favors, Kennedy warned, "and feel costume-y instead of flattering."

None of this is a call for austerity. Of course, personality has its place, and there are certainly pairs of glasses for women over 50 that can highlight your personal style. But, in Kennedy's view, it should be carefully calibrated. A frame should support the face it sits on, not attempt to overwhelm or outshine it with gimmicky, theatrical accoutrements.

The most flattering frames, Cynthia Kennedy noted, are those that redirect the gaze. She advises older women to "go for frames that lift — like slight cat-eyes, soft angular shapes, or anything with an upward tilt at the corners." This offsets the natural downwards drift of the face, bringing attention back to the eyes and the cheekbones in a way that opens and balances.

These frames also "look fresh without trying too hard," she added, keeping you looking effortlessly elegant. It's a small adjustment in shape, but one that can shift the focus of your entire impression in the best way.