Rimless Eyeglasses Styles

When shopping for rimless eyeglasses, you can select from a variety of lens shapes and earpiece designs to match your style and preferences. The styles range from simple, clean lines to bold, thick shapes. You can also choose from a variety of colors and patterns. After a bit of searching and experimenting, you are sure to find a rimless eyeglass that fits your personal style.

Identification

• Rimless eyeglasses feature lenses with no rim. The lenses are joined by the nose bridge only, which is attached to the inside the lenses with small screws. The earpieces are also attached to the lenses with small screws. These glasses are a good option for people who do not like the typical appearance of eyeglasses. Their simplicity keeps rimless glasses in style throughout the years, and appropriate in a variety of settings.

Lens Shape

• Decide first on a lens shape that will work well with your face shape and facial structures. For instance, a square face often looks best with oval, round or butterfly-shape frames. Someone with an oval face looks good in nearly any frame shape, although she tends to look best in eyeglasses with square, geometric or rectangular frames. If your face is oblong, consider tall lenses to help create the illusion of a shorter face, or broad lenses to add width. Someone with a round, full face should consider lens shapes, such as rectangular and geometric, that sharpen his features. A diamond-shape face looks best with oval frames to balance the face's height and width. With a heart-shape face, narrow and round frames offset the forehead.

Earpieces

• Because these glasses won't have a rim, your only design choice other than lens shape is the shape and design of the earpieces. They can be as simple or dramatic as you wish. Consider your personal style and the colors you wear most often. Some earpieces are thick, with bright colors, animal prints, patterns, diamonds or rhinestones. Others are simple and narrow, often made of thin wire or plastic, in simple neutral colors. This style is best if you don't want your eyeglasses to be a focus of your appearance.

Alternative

• If you like the simplicity and look of rimless eyeglasses but can't find a style that suits you, consider semi-rimless eyeglasses. Some have a frame across the top of the lenses, others use a frame along the bottom of the lenses. Semi-rimless glasses, too, can be customized based on lens shape and earpiece style. The rim can be as bold or simple as you choose, and it should reflect your own style and preferences. Semi-rimless eyeglasses tend to offer an excellent balance between weight and durability.

Considerations

• Rimless eyeglasses tend to be more affordable than regular glasses, since less material and craftsmanship go into them. They also tend to be much lighter. But because there's no rim to protect them, the lenses are more likely to crack or chip if dropped.