How to pick the perfect pair of glasses

Published 01 Sep 2025

After we turn 40, our eyes can lose some of their flexibility. If you’ve never needed glasses before but find yourself starting to squint, holding books further away or stealing your partner's frames, it might be time to get your eyes tested. 

Selecting glasses for the first time can be a bit daunting. Here are some tips from the GMHBA Eye Care team to help you pick the right look for your face.

How do you pick the right frames?

After your optometrist has examined your eyes and discussed your vision requiremets, they may recommend lenses to support your visiual needs. The next step is to pick out the right frame.

There’s three important things to remember when trying on frames, the three F’s – Fashion, Feel and Function.

Fashion

When choosing glasses, you want to be happy with the look, colour, and material of the frame.

Which glasses look best on the shelf, and which look best on your face is a completely personal opinion. The shape of your face, your brow height, and cheekbones all play a part in how a pair of frames sit.

It’s common to gravitate towards neutral colours – black, brown, tortoiseshell. Your individual colouring, eye colour and hair colour will influence what suits you. Even with neutral options different shades work differently on everyone.  

An optical dispenser can guide you through the options, helping you find the frames that truly suit you. 

Feel

Always choose a frame that feels comfortable and sits correctly on your face. Your optical dispenser will inspect the frame to ensure it fits well and can adjust if needed.   

Frames are usually made from metal or plastic. What your glasses are made from makes a difference to how the frame sits on your nose. Nose-pads for example can be a personal choice, or necessary to keep the glasses away from your cheeks.

Metal frames generally have the nose pieces, which can be adjusted to improve the fit. Titanium frames are an option if you need a light-weight frame. Plastic (also known as shell) frames typically have a moulded bridge which sits over your nose. This helps spread the weight but can limit how much the frame can be adjusted.

Function

The frame needs to serve the right purpose and have lenses that have been prescribed for you. So, the frames need to be the right size to fit the right lenses and are an appropriate weight for when and how you need to use them.

Do the all-important SMILE test. Do the glasses move when you smile (hit your cheeks)? That could get frustrating. Frames that sit closer to your cheeks can limit air flow, making them more likely to fog up as the air can’t move around the lenses.

Plus a bonus one - fun!

At the end of the day, forget about the fashion trends or strict rules around face shapes and colours; the most important thing is to choose frames that you genuinely love and feel confident wearing. Embrace the process, have fun with it - and don't forget to SMILE.

Getting your eyes tested

Spectacle prescriptions are usually only valid for two years. GMHBA Eye Care often recommends a re-check each year or if you feel something has changed in your vision or visual needs. When new glasses are being made, you may as well have the most up-to-date lenses with your new look!

Come and chat to the friendly GMHBA Eye Care team for further information and advice for all your vision needs. 

Book appointment at GMHBA Eye Care

About the author 
Elly Gullock is a qualified optical dispenser and has been part of the GMHBA team since 2021. Known for her ever-changing collection of stylish frames, she will be able to help find the right glasses that look and feel amazing. In her spare time, Elly enjoys spending time with her one-year-old son and teaches ariel yoga.