Written by Menswear Style in Tips & Advice on the 10th September 2018

Science says that the face holds much more information than any other part of the body. Women are intrinsically drawn to a man’s face which is symmetrical and well-defined, with a strong jawline and confident yet friendly eyes (they don’t ask for much, then). If it turns out you’re not the carbon copy of George Clooney in his prime (1997?), fear not, as there are steps you can take to make the best of your natural features. Getting the right beard/glasses combo is actually a crucial power tool that you may not have considered before.

Just like your specs, your beard should complement your face shape to bring out your best features, and there are some great hacks on how to do this. So before you go all-out caveman-in-aviators, check out this guide on which shapes and styles actually go together and complement your natural features.

How to find your face shape 

Your facial appearance is an art as much as it is a science, though you can’t change your natural shape unless you’re willing to go under the knife which, let’s face it, is a little extreme. The trick is to know what face shape you have and how to make the most of it. If, like an enormous part of the population, you’re not 100% sure on your face shape, you can check out this Arlo Wolf eyewear face shapes feature, where you can compare yourself to the images and then see which style of glasses are most likely to suit you.

Beards which will grow on you 

Once you’ve determined your face shape, you can really start to get creative with your eyewear frames and beard combination. A round face, for example, tends to suit a beard which is short around the sides, creating a contrasting 'point' at the end. This gives the illusion that the face is longer and slimmer. An oval face shape, on the contrary, is a more flexible shape to match a beard with. You’re one of the luckiest face shapes in the sense that you can go all out in the beard department. Razor sharp, trim cuts, bold and full, or straight up Santa Claus, generally will suit an oval shaped face. Arlo Wolf founder, Matt Newton, said: "People quite often come unstuck when it comes to picking the right glasses, and there is so much to consider when getting the right shape and style for you. Surprisingly, a large part of the population don't know what face shape they actually are, making it difficult to know what frames to go for. Men with beards have an even harder job because the shape and style of their facial hair can determine which glasses would match. For example, those with an oval face tend to be the lucky ones as they can get away with most beard styles, whereas a square face suits a sharp, trimmed beard that will highlight the jawline. These looks tend to suit frames which are softer to compensate. Everyone is different at the end of the day. It's always worth trying on a wide range of frames in various styles (before buying), then getting advice from friends and family who will be honest about what suits and what doesn't."

A vision for the future 

In an increasingly digital world, everything from buying a good suit to sending a bunch of flowers is done with the convenience of the internet. Choosing glasses isn’t usually one of these online-friendly tasks, so this is where the the Arlo Wolf eyewear home trial service really works well. You can choose four different frames to try at home which will help you find the perfect pair of specs before you buy. You may already have an idea of what sort of frames will work for you and with the home trial service, you can marry your frames with your beard to make sure they are a match made in heaven. Just make sure you get some decent razors if you’re going for a restyle.

We discuss how to find your face shape and how to match your eyewear and spectacles with your beard shape and size.