Eyewear guide
How to Choose Eyeglass Frame Colors
The right color can matter as much as the right shape. Here’s how to match frames to your skin’s undertone, your hair and eyes, and the clothes you actually wear.
Start with your undertone
Your skin’s undertone, the color beneath the surface, stays the same through a pale winter or a summer tan on the coast. It’s the best single clue for frame color.
- Warm: Your skin has golden or peachy hints, the veins on your wrist look greenish, and gold jewelry tends to flatter you. Try tortoiseshell, honey, camel, olive, warm red, cream and gold metal.
- Cool: Your skin has pink or rosy hints, your veins look bluish, and silver jewelry tends to flatter you. Try black, gray, navy, blue, purple, rose, crystal and silver metal.
- Neutral: A mix of both, or hard to tell. Most colors work, so lean on your hair, eyes and wardrobe to decide.
Hair and eye color
Frames sit between your hair and your eyes, so they help tie the two together.
- Dark hair: Handles strong contrast. Black, deep tortoiseshell and saturated colors look crisp.
- Light or blond hair: Softer tones like honey, light tortoiseshell, blush, champagne and clear frames keep the frame from overpowering your coloring.
- Red hair: Greens, warm browns, tortoiseshell and gold tend to complement it.
- Gray, silver or white hair: Bold colors, crisp black or cool silver can look sharp and modern.
With eye color, you can echo it or contrast it. A blue frame picks up blue eyes, while a warm tortoiseshell makes them stand out by contrast. Brown eyes go with nearly anything, and green or hazel eyes pair well with greens, browns and purples.
Neutrals, clear frames and bold colors
- Tortoiseshell: A blend of browns and amber that works like a neutral for almost everyone. Lighter or darker versions let you fine-tune it for warm or cool coloring.
- Clear and crystal: Transparent frames take on some of your skin tone, so the shape shows without heavy color. Tinted crystals in champagne, gray or rose add a hint of color.
- Bold colors: Red, cobalt, emerald and similar shades make the frame a statement. They work best when you enjoy being noticed and the color suits the rest of what you wear.
- Two-tone: A darker top with a lighter or clear bottom draws attention to the brow line and keeps the frame from looking heavy. Gradient and layered acetates do something similar.
If you’re unsure, try one neutral and one bold color in the same shape. Seeing them side by side makes the choice easier.
Your wardrobe, and a second pair
Look at the clothes you wear most. If your closet runs to black, gray and navy, black and cool-toned frames fit right in. If it’s earth tones and denim, tortoiseshell and warm browns blend naturally. You wear your frames every day, so they should work with most of your wardrobe.
Two pairs is a common answer: a polished neutral for work, and something bolder for weekends, a winery visit or a night out. A second pair also gives you a backup.
See colors on your face
Colors look different on a screen, under store lighting and outdoors in Central Coast sun. Trying frames on, and checking them near a window, is the surest way to choose.
At Aesthetic Eye Care in San Luis Obispo, we carry a diverse selection of frames, including designer frames and eco-friendly frames made from recycled materials. Our opticians offer personalized help choosing frames and lenses. Call (805) 439-1010 or request an appointment online.
What frame color goes with everything?
Tortoiseshell comes closest to a universal color, followed by black, gray and clear. Each can be dressed up or down.
Are clear glasses frames a good choice?
Clear frames suit people who want a modern, low-contrast look. They pick up your skin tone, so they look lighter than a solid color in the same shape.
How do I know if I have warm or cool undertones?
Check the veins on your wrist in daylight. Greenish veins suggest warm, bluish suggest cool, and a mix suggests neutral. Whether gold or silver jewelry flatters you more is another clue.
Should my frame color match my hair?
It doesn’t have to. Frames that complement your hair, a shade lighter or darker or in a contrasting tone, often look better than an exact match.
Keep reading
More from our eyewear guide
How to Choose Glasses for Your Face Shape
Find your face shape and the frame shapes that balance it, plus why fit matters more than rules.
Read about face shapes and framesEyeglass Frame Styles: A Glossary
A plain-English glossary of frame styles, from rectangle and cat-eye to rimless and wrap, and who each suits.
Read about frame stylesEyeglass Frame Materials Compared
Acetate, plastics, metals, titanium, aluminum and natural materials compared on weight, flex and durability.
Read about frame materialsAccepting new patients
Make an appointment with our team
Reach out to Aesthetic Eye Care for your initial appointment and experience quality eye care in San Luis Obispo.