Style Series Part 1: What’s Your Face Shape?

Discovering your face shape is the first step to tailoring your own unique style. Essential for choosing a wig or picking a feminine hairstyle, knowing your face shape can also help you sculpt amazing eyebrows, and even pick the right lenses if you wear glasses (a skill you can use no matter which gender you’re presenting). Use our guide to find your best fashions in hair and wig styles, earrings, hats, and more. Here are 9 common face shapes and the best coordinating accessories.

Oval

The oval-shaped face is longer than wide and resembles an egg, with a jaw that’s narrower than the cheekbones and forehead. The oval-shaped face is considered so proportional that it will work well with any hair style. This is also true for earrings and hats, so break out your favorite danglies or a classic pair of studs, a big floppy sun hat or an angled fedora.

Round

The round-shaped face features a wide hairline and fullness below the cheekbones. Add vertical height to round faces with long side areas to make the cheeks look narrow. Comb hair close to the head on the sides and at the nape of the neck. Similarly, long, narrow earrings will draw the eye downward and a little bit of curve will frame the face nicely. When it comes to hats, choose a style with a straight or large brim and a low crown (fedoras are a yes). Avoid deep and narrow style. No 10-gallon cowboy hats!

Square

The Square-shaped face has both a wide hairline and jaw. Comb the hair off the forehead to add height to the face. Curly hair that falls chin-length or longer will even out the proportions of wide, straight lines common to the square face. Consider soft, round-shaped earrings, such as hoops, droplets, or multi-tiered dangling earrings. As with the round-shaped face, go for hats with staight brims and low crowns, like a pageboy cap.

Diamond

The diamond-shaped face has wide cheekbones with a narrow chin and forehead. Even out a diamond-shaped face with hairstyles that accentuate the forehead and chin. Bobs are great for this, but avoid high hair on the top or volume on the sides. Bangs will hide a narrow forehead. As with square faces, find long round earring styles, like chandeliers. Hats should have a flat or low crown and a wide brim.

(Continued below...)

Heart

The heart-shaped face is characterized by a broad forehead, prominent cheekbones and a narrower chin. Use bangs to disguise your forehead’s width and keep hair close to the head at the eyes while making it slightly full around the jaw and below and in front of the earlobes. Find earrings that mimic the face’s shape, but upside-down. Chandelier, teardrop, and triangular earrings are great so long as they taper at the top and not the bottom. Most hats will suit a heart-shaped face, but choose a medium brim rather than a wide brim to prevent the jaw line from looking too narrow.

Pear

The pear-shaped face has a narrow forehead and a full, wide jaw line. Tease hair to add width and height from the eye level through the crown of the head. Set and comb hair close to the head on the sides and at the nape of the neck. Studs or dangling earrings that taper at the bottom will even out the cheek-to-jaw proportions. Hats should have wide brims and medium-to-high crowns.

Oblong

The oblong-shaped face has a long and narrow bone structure with a broad hairline and jaw. Use a small sweep of half-bangs across the forehead or curls in the crown and nape areas to help create the illusion of an oval-shaped face. Choose round earring designs like hoops and chandeliers. Hats with low crowns and a long, wide brim will add width at eye-level.

Keep in mind with any of these face shapes that you can create a beautiful look if you play up and down certain features. Next time we’ll be looking at determining your body shape, and dressing to play up your body shape.

Header Image Credit: paolo màrgari

Post image credits: http://www.crossdressing.pl