Round sunglasses keep coming back, although it is fair to say they never really left. The first spectacles ever made were round, and today they are still the frame people choose when they want to look good without looking as if they tried. Here is why the shape lasts, and how to wear it.
In brief
- Round is the oldest frame shape in eyewear and still one of the easiest to wear.
- Round frames soften angular faces: a square jaw, a long face or a strong brow.
- There are two main versions: the true round, a perfect circle, and the pantos, with a slightly flatter top that follows the brow.
- Green lenses suit full daylight, blue tints the later hours and time near the water.
- At Berenford, round frames run through the Monaco, Riviera and Le Mans worlds, and the pantos through the Safari and St. Moritz worlds.
Where the Round Frame Comes From
Early lenses were round for a practical reason: a circle was the easiest shape to grind. For a long time a pair of spectacles simply meant two circles joined at the bridge, and every other shape came later as a variation on that idea.
You can still feel that history in a round frame. It looks less like a design choice and more like something that was always there, a little bookish, a little nautical, comfortable in a library or on the deck of a boat.
Why It Suits So Many Faces
A round frame softens strong features. On a square jaw, a defined brow or a long face, the curve adds balance and takes nothing away. That is the main reason it works on angular faces, and why it so rarely looks forced. If you are not sure how your own features read, our guide on how to choose sunglasses for your face shape goes through it step by step.
It also frames the eyes without boxing them in. A heavy rectangular frame tends to make a statement. A round one looks like something you have worn every day for years, which is usually the better impression to give.
True Round or Pantos
Round frames are not all perfect circles, and the difference shows once they are on the face.
The true round
Equal in height and width, simple and direct. Le Pirate Aquarama is the clearest example in our collection: a true round with a blue mirror lens, made for long days on the open water.
The pantos
Here the top of the lens is slightly flatter, so the frame follows the line of the brow instead of sitting below it. It has a bit more structure and suits a wider range of faces. Our Gatsby Vintage Turtle is a pantos in havana tortoise with a light green Zeiss lens, and because the acetate is cut by hand, no two pairs carry exactly the same grain.
Picking the Lens Colour
With a round frame you see a lot of lens, so the colour matters more than usual.
Green is the safe and classic choice for full daylight. It keeps colours true and feels restful in strong sun. Porfirio Green combines a round frame with exactly this lens, the green of palm trees along a terrace above the sea.
Blue tones come into their own near the water and later in the day, as the light over the sea turns cooler. Porfirio Flavio Blue pairs a round black frame with a light blue lens, the harbour sky once the lights come on.
Whichever tint you choose, every Berenford lens is a Zeiss lens with 100% protection against UVA and UVB rays.
How to Wear Round Sunglasses
The round frame works best with a light touch. Keep the rest of the outfit simple: linen, washed cotton, a soft jacket worn open. Let the frame sit a little lower than you would wear a heavier shape, so that the top of the rim follows your brow. Above all, choose the size for your face rather than for the season. An oversized round frame stops looking classic very quickly.
You will find round frames in several of our worlds: the Porfirio models in the Monaco world, made for a terrace over the harbour and a second coffee; Le Pirate in the Riviera world, made for the deck of a boat; and Air-Yacht in the Le Mans world.
What Makes a Round Frame Last
A circle leaves nowhere to hide. Any weakness in the material or the build shows straight away, because there are no corners to disguise it. Our frames are handmade in Italy from Mazzucchelli acetate, with OBE hinges made in Germany. Every model is a Limited Edition of 100, never reproduced once sold out.
If you are putting together a small rotation of sunglasses, the round frame is a natural choice for the pair you wear most days. Our note on how many pairs you actually need explains where it fits alongside the others.
Questions We Are Often Asked
Do round sunglasses suit every face?
They work best on angular faces, square, long or with a strong brow, because the curve balances straight lines. On a very round face, a pantos with its flatter top is usually the easier choice.
What is the difference between round and pantos sunglasses?
A true round is a perfect circle. A pantos keeps the round lens but flattens the top slightly, so the frame follows the line of the brow.
Which lens colour works best with round sunglasses?
Green is the classic choice for bright daylight because it keeps colours natural. Blue tints suit the later hours and time near the water. Every Berenford lens is a Zeiss lens with full UVA and UVB protection.
Plenty of shapes have tried to replace the round frame over the years, and none of them has managed it. The circle has never needed to raise its voice.