Women's Eyeglass Frames: Size, Shape and Comfort

To choose women's eyeglasses, start with size: a frame no wider than your face, that stays on your nose without sliding and keeps your eyes centred in the lenses. Then come the shape, such as the cat-eye, the material and the colour, based on your prescription, your skin and your taste.

How do you choose women's eyeglasses?

In this order: size, fit, then style. The Canadian Association of Optometrists (CAO) lists choosing the right frame size and shape among the key steps to see well, along with measuring pupillary distance, choosing the lenses and adjusting the frame to your face. A frame you love that slides or pinches ends up in a drawer.

Our guide to choosing glasses frames covers each step, and our article on men's frames explains the three numbers printed on the frame.

What frame size suits a narrow or small face?

A frame with smaller numbers: a narrower lens and a narrower bridge. The World Health Organization (WHO) asks suppliers to give the frame dimensions: lens width, bridge width, temple length and lens height. Compare them with those of glasses that fit you well.

Do not go bigger than your face: in its annex on children, the WHO notes that a frame that is too wide gives thicker lenses than needed and falls off more easily. A narrow nose sometimes needs adjustable nose pads to keep the frame in place.

Which face suits cat-eye glasses?

Many faces, and taste counts more than the rule. The cat-eye shape has corners that sweep up toward the temples. The shop habit is to suggest it often for diamond-shaped faces, with wide cheekbones and a narrower forehead, and to play on contrast elsewhere: more angular shapes for a round face, more rounded ones for a square face.

Our article on choosing a frame goes through each face shape.

Is a large frame a good idea with a strong prescription?

Not always. For high myopia, the WHO recommends a frame that needs smaller lenses: the edge is the thickest part of the lens, and the smaller the lens, the more of that edge is cut away when it is shaped. It adds that a full frame helps hide thick edges, and that for high hyperopia, a smaller frame makes the lenses lighter.

Our article on lens thickness shows how the frame changes the result.

Which frame should you choose with progressive lenses?

A frame tall enough for the distance, intermediate and near zones. The CAO counts the height of the progressive among the measurements needed to see well; it is taken on the frame you chose, once adjusted to your face.

Our article on single vision, bifocal and progressive lenses explains the differences.

Nickel allergy: which frame should you choose?

A titanium frame, or another hypoallergenic material. According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO), titanium is hypoallergenic, which matters for people allergic to certain metals such as nickel. Monel, a mix of metals, may contain nickel, though most monel frames have a coating that protects the skin; Flexon and cellulose acetate propionate are hypoallergenic too.

Our article on frame materials compares each one.

Can pregnancy change your vision?

Yes, a little, and often for a while. According to the AAO, fluid retention can change the shape of the cornea and how well your glasses or contact lenses correct your vision; many women become slightly more nearsighted during pregnancy. Most of these changes are temporary. Tell your optometrist you are pregnant: some tests, such as dilation, may then be avoided.

Call your doctor right away if your vision becomes blurry, you see double, lose vision for a moment, see new floaters or flashes, or become sensitive to light: the AAO notes these signs can come with preeclampsia. With diabetes, it advises more frequent eye exams during pregnancy.

Why do women get dry eyes more often?

According to the National Eye Institute (NEI), the risk of dry eye is higher in women, after age 50 and in people who wear contact lenses. The AAO adds that hormonal changes in pregnancy can cause dryness, and that contact lenses may then be less comfortable.

Our article on dry eyes explains causes and treatments, and the one on makeup and contact lenses covers the precautions.

Women's sunglasses: do large lenses protect better?

Yes, if they block UV. The AAO notes that oversize sunglasses offer the largest shield from sun damage, and wraparound styles even more. Look for a label that says 100% UV protection or UV absorption up to 400 nm; a darker lens does not protect more, and polarization alone does not block UV.

Our article on sunglasses and UV protection goes further.

Women's glasses in Montréal: what does PrimeVision do?

At PrimeVision, 9520 Boulevard de l'Acadie, Suite 222, in Montréal (Ahuntsic), optometrists and a licensed optician work under one roof. In the shop, the licensed optician, Michel Geha, O.O.D., helps you choose among more than 4,000 frames, for every budget and not only luxury; PrimeVision is an authorized dealer of the brands in its catalogue, including Celine, Christian Dior, Gucci, Miu Miu and Saint Laurent, and of Essilor, Hoya and Nikon lenses. Pupillary distance is measured with a pupillometer and a ruler, the shop does adjustments and minor repairs, and the clinic offers I-MED Pharma drops for dry eyes. Children's eye exams are done from age 4. RAMQ covers eye exams for children under 18 and adults 65+.

To see our frames and lenses, visit our page on prescription glasses in Montréal.

When should you see an optometrist?

Before choosing new glasses if your prescription is old, when your vision changes, and during pregnancy if you have diabetes. The CAO advises a comprehensive exam for an up-to-date prescription, then the final fitting by the optometrist or optician.

Sources

• Buying Glasses Online, Canadian Association of Optometrists, March 27, 2023.
• Summary guide on quality standards for spectacles, World Health Organization, 2025.
• How to Choose the Glasses Frame Material That's Right for You, American Academy of Ophthalmology.
• 5 Eye Care Tips for Moms-To-Be, American Academy of Ophthalmology.
• Pregnancy, American Academy of Ophthalmology, March 10, 2014.
• Dry Eye, National Eye Institute.
• Sunglasses: how to choose them to avoid sun damage, American Academy of Ophthalmology.