The right frame does quiet, decisive work: it balances the proportions of a face rather than competing with them. The principle is older than fashion and simple to apply. Match angles with curves and curves with angles. A round face softens behind a defined frame; a square jaw eases behind a rounded one. Below is a practical guide to the major face shapes and the Berenford frames built for each, so you can read your own reflection and choose with intent.
First, find your face shape
Pull your hair back and look straight into a mirror. Note three things: the width of your forehead, the width of your cheekbones, and the line of your jaw. Then judge the overall length against the width.
- Round: width and length are similar; soft chin, full cheeks.
- Square: strong jaw, broad forehead, angular corners.
- Oval: length greater than width; gently balanced.
- Heart: wide forehead narrowing to a fine chin.
- Oblong: notably longer than wide, with straight cheek lines.
Most faces lean toward one shape without belonging to it entirely. Use these as starting points, not verdicts.
Round faces: add structure with a pantos
A round face wants definition. A rounded frame doubles the curve; a sharply rectangular one can look severe. The pantos shape, a slightly rounded form with a flattened top line, threads the needle. It echoes the face without erasing it.
The Gatsby in vintage turtle acetate is the frame to reach for here. Its keyhole bridge and gentle pantos lend a round face a touch of architecture. For more options in this register, the Icons collection gathers the house's foundational shapes.
What to avoid
Skip small, perfectly circular lenses; they shorten the face further.
Square faces: soften with curves and aviators
A strong jaw is best partnered with a frame that rounds the line rather than sharpening it. Cat-eye and aviator shapes both work, lifting the eye upward and away from the corners of the jaw.
The Sofia cat-eye introduces an upward sweep that flatters angular features, while the Air-Yacht aviator offers a gentler, rounded alternative for those who prefer a quieter line. Both sit comfortably in the full catalogue if you want to compare across colourways.
Oval faces: the widest licence
Balanced proportions carry nearly any shape, which is a privilege and a small trap; balance can read as blandness if the frame is timid. Reward an oval face with a frame that has a point of view.
The Skorpios in ghiacciaio acetate, an elongated oval form, keeps the face's natural harmony while adding a low, confident horizon line. It is a frame that looks considered rather than accidental.
Heart and oblong faces
A heart-shaped face benefits from frames that add visual weight low on the face to balance a wider brow; a soft cat-eye or a rounded pantos both serve. An oblong face wants the opposite of height: a wide, squared frame that breaks the vertical line and lends width.
For squared frames with the proportions an oblong face needs, the Le Mans world and the Wall Street shape are the natural place to look.
Fit matters as much as shape
The finest shape fails if the frame sits poorly. Berenford frames are cut from Mazzucchelli acetate, a dense Italian material that holds an adjustment and warms to the skin. German OBE hinges keep the temples square through years of opening and closing, and every pair carries Zeiss lenses that block 100% of UVA and UVB. Each style is a Limited Edition of 100, so a correct fit is worth the patience of trying several.
When the lenses settle level, the bridge rests without pinching, and the temples meet your ears without pressure, the frame has chosen you back.