Glasses for a Short Face: Frame Depths That Keep Proportions
Glasses for a short face: why lens height of about 30 to 36 mm, wide shallow shapes and a high bridge keep your proportions open, plus a fitting checklist.
5 min readBy IGIOO Optical
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If your face is short, meaning the distance from hairline to chin is about the same as, or less than, the width across your cheekbones, the frames that suit you best are usually shallow: a lens height of roughly 30 to 36 mm, a front that is wider than it is tall, and a bridge that sits at or slightly above the middle of the frame. Deep, tall lenses tend to fill the space between brow and cheek and make the face look even more compressed.
Below we explain how to recognise a short face, which measurements to compare, and which shapes keep your proportions open.
What counts as a short face?
"Short" describes vertical length, not overall size. You can have a short face that is also wide, or one that is small all round. A quick way to check:
- Pull your hair back and look straight into a mirror.
- Compare the length from hairline to chin with the width at your cheekbones.
- If the two are close, or the width wins, your face reads as short. Round and square faces are often short too, but a short face can also have an angular jaw or a pointed chin.
Other clues: your current glasses touch your cheeks when you smile, or the top rim hides part of your eyebrows. Both suggest the lenses are deeper than the space they sit in.
Lens height matters more than lens width
Most frame advice starts with width, and width still has to fit your temples. For a short face, though, the number to look at first is lens height, the vertical depth of one lens. You will find it in the size details of each frame, next to lens width, bridge and arm length. Our frame size guide shows where each measurement is taken.
| Lens height | How it tends to look on a short face |
|---|---|
| Up to about 33 mm | Slim and open; plenty of visible cheek and brow |
| 34 to 37 mm | Balanced everyday depth; works for most short faces |
| 38 to 42 mm | Can work if the shape is light or rimless; check the cheek gap |
| Over 42 mm | Usually fills the mid-face; better left to longer faces |
A useful habit: measure the lens height of a pair you already like wearing, then shop within a few millimetres of it.
Shapes that keep the face open
Once the depth is right, the outline does the rest. Shapes that stretch horizontally draw the eye across the face rather than down it.
- Slim rectangles. A low, straight-edged front is the most reliable choice. The Leoon frames, for example, list a lens height of 30.6 mm with a 52 mm lens width.
- Horizontal ovals. Softer than a rectangle and kind to rounder features. Aven-FC08 pairs a 51 mm lens width with a 33 mm height.
- Soft cat-eye or oval hybrids. A gentle lift at the outer corners pulls attention upwards and outwards without adding depth.
- Rimless or thin-rim fronts. With less outline, a medium depth reads lighter.
Shapes to approach with care: tall squares, deep aviators, oversized round lenses and anything with a heavy lower rim. Browse our rectangle frames and oval frames for shallow starting points.
Where the frame sits: brow line and bridge
On a short face, the top rim should follow or sit just below the eyebrows, not cut through them. When the brows show above the frame, the forehead keeps its full height and the face looks longer.
The bridge position matters too. A bridge set fairly high on the front lifts the whole frame, leaving more space between the lower rim and your cheeks. A wider bridge, like the 25 mm bridge on Arnect-FC12, can also help the frame sit higher if your nose bridge is broad. Adjustable nose pads on metal and rimless frames give you a little extra control over height.
Colour and rim weight
Contrast draws attention, so think about where it goes.
- A darker or stronger top rim with a lighter lower edge keeps the eye moving upwards.
- Clear, pale or light tortoise acetate makes a medium-depth frame look shallower.
- Thick, dark rims all the way round frame the mid-face like a box; they work best when the lens itself is slim.
If you love black frames, choose a slim black shape rather than a deep one. Avenker-FC01, in glossy black acetate, keeps a 35 mm lens height with an oval-to-cat-eye line.
Short face, progressive or reading lenses?
Very shallow frames look good on a short face, but progressive lenses need enough vertical room for the distance, intermediate and reading zones. If you wear progressives, aim for the middle of the range rather than the slimmest frame you can find, and enter your details carefully in the lens selector. Single-vision and blue light lenses have no such limit, so any comfortable depth will do. If you are unsure how to read your numbers, see how to read a prescription.
A quick fitting checklist
- Brows visible above, or level with, the top rim.
- A gap between the lower rim and your cheeks, even when you smile.
- Frame width close to the width of your face at the temples.
- Your pupils sitting roughly in the upper half of each lens.
- No pressure on the sides of your head after ten minutes.
If two or three points fail, the frame is probably too deep or sits too low. Our face shape guide covers the other face types if you are between categories.
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Frequently asked questions
Are oversized glasses a bad idea for a short face?
Not always, but oversized usually means deep. If you want a bold look, go wide rather than tall: a broad, shallow rectangle gives presence without crowding your cheeks.
Can I wear round glasses with a short face?
Yes, if the round shape is small and sits high. A perfectly circular lens adds height, so a slightly flattened round or a horizontal oval is often easier.
Is a short face the same as a small face?
No. A small face is narrow and short; a short face can be any width. If your face is also wide, check frame width first and lens height second.
What if my favourite frame is a little too deep?
A lighter colour or a thinner rim softens the effect, and adjusting nose pads can lift the frame slightly. If it still rests on your cheeks, a shallower model will be more comfortable.
Find your shallow frame
Start with lens height, then pick the outline you like: slim rectangles, horizontal ovals or a soft cat-eye all keep a short face looking open. Explore the full eyeglasses collection and filter by shape to compare measurements side by side. Add your prescription in a few clicks with our lens selector.
