
Sunglasses are way more than one of summer’s most fun accessories. Since the sun’s rays shine off of freshly fallen snow and bluer-than-blue ocean just the same, eyewear should be a year-round outfit staple no matter where you live (what else can you say that about, save a classic bag?). Turns out your shades are one serious style essential.
COMMON FACE SHAPES
Identifying your face shape is crucial for picking out a the perfect pair of sunglasses, and it’s fairly easy to do once you know what to look for. Most people fall into one of four common face shapes — circle, heart, square and oval — all of which are largely determined by how pronounced certain facial features are. If you can’t quite tell from glancing at your phone in selfie mode, then go old school and take a lipstick or dry erase marker and actually trace the outline of your reflection in the mirror. When you step away from the reveal, you should be left with an easy-to-ID shape on the mirror much like our graphic above.
Once you know your face shape, the hunt for your shades soul mates should be much easier, especially with the go-to guide we made below. Scroll through to find out which sunglasses styles suit your face shape best.
CIRCLE FACE
Your features are soft, and the width and length of your face is roughly equal. Like Roxy, it’s all about adding some edge.
BEST FIT: WAYFARERS
Because wayfarers are close to a rectangle shape, they’re time-tested go-tos for adding angularity and definition to circle-shaped faces. While classic wayfarers are slimmer, shorter and sportier than this pair, the wider-framed take on the style feels more luxe and decidedly feminine — all wins in our book. Plus, they’re equally as wearable. “The extra definition in the upper corners gives it a very slight cat-eye accent that adds depth and proportion to the face,” said Sarah Fraser, VP Merchandising for Ditto. Turns out we’re all about that wayfarer wiggle room.
Wearing: Selma Optique Amanda in Black ($385)
SWITCH IT UP WITH: SQUARE FRAMES
“Square frames are a very on-trend way to take the wayfarer to the next level,” said Sarah. The equal (or-just-about-equal) angles add a flattering contrast that balances out the roundness of your face — just be sure to look for pairs that have wide-set lenses to stand up to your features, like this one. “This particular pair is a great way for folks with circle faces to wear a pseudo-aviator style and pull it off,” said Sarah. It’s got that same airy feel and thin metal detailing without the exaggerated roundness that would, well, exaggerate your roundness.
Wearing: KREWE du Optic Banks in Matte Oyster With Gradient ($185)
HEART FACE
Your features taper from your broad forehead to your pronounced chin, and your cheekbones are set nice and high. Like Krystal, it’s all about drawing attention downward.
BEST FIT: AVIATORS
There’s a reason why you see Reese Witherspoon rocking aviators almost exclusively. “The teardrop shape at the bottom [of aviator glasses] hits the cheekbones [on people with heart-shaped faces] at just the right point to add depth to and compliment their features,” said Sarah. That detail is so clutch because it draws attention downward and away from the widest part of your face. Aviators made of lighter, thinner materials are most complimentary to heart-shaped faces, and although that seems sartorially minimal, there are ways to amp up the look, like with colored frames. “I love the selection of the green color on these glasses, it upgrades your look just a little bit,” said Sarah. “It lets you add a little personality to your aviator.” If pop-of-color frames are hard to come by, you can also look for other next-level details like mirrored or tinted lenses.
Wearing: Burberry BE 3071 in Green ($240)
Switch It Up With: Oversized Frames
“Whether it’s an oversized rectangle, oval or square, you want your lenses BIG,” said Sarah. Sprawling lenses will, obviously, cover up more of your forehead and cheekbones, and on heart-shaped faces, that helps to balance your tapering proportions in the most bombshell way. Look for glasses with thin-as-possible frames so they won’t completely overpower your features, or ones with contrasting details like the metal accents on these frames, which helps to lighten them up.
Wearing: Oakley Changeover in Nightfall Stripes With Grey ($150)
SQUARE FACE
Your features are prominent, like your broad forehead and strong jawline. Like Kate, it’s all about working those angles.
BEST FIT: OVAL FRAMES
Just like circle-faced gals veer towards angular frames, you too, square-faced babes, are going to go for a style that’s the opposite of your face shape. That means your sunglasses P.I.C. is a rounder, oval shape. Unlike straight-up round frames, oval glasses are near universally easy to wear, regardless if they come in a half-frame or flat top style like this pair, that happens to come in a deep blue hue. “Cobalt is a great alternative to black,” said Sarah. Why not be one of the first to hop on the blue frame trend?
Wearing: RAEN Remmy in Cobalt With Smoke Lenses ($135)
Switch it Up With: Cat Eyes
Cat-eye glasses are like magic for square face shapes — they provide the best of both worlds. “[Like oval glasses], you get the rounded glasses toward the bottom but with the upsweep toward the eyes that provides definition and lift,” said Sarah. This flattering flick comes in all shapes and sizes, not just your exaggerated ’50s-style look. “These glasses have a more subtle cat eye for those not ready to go full-on cat woman,” said Sarah. Besides the soft pointed edges, their oversized nature makes these feel more familiar than vintage-leaning styles, which makes them easier to wear. Plus, the ultra-feminine shape is severely foxy.
Wearing: Jason Wu Brigitte in Black ($275)
OVAL FACE
Your face is gently rounded, longer than it is wide and your features are pretty much perfectly balanced. Like Ashley, it’s all about having pushing your style as far as you want!
BEST FIT: CIRCLE FRAMES*
*Okay, okay okay. Great news oval faced gals: you’ve been #blessed with the most easy-to-outfit face shape of all. In other words, basically any style goes on your mug, so roulette away with your sunglass selection. Here, we’re recommending some trendier, out-of-the-box styles because A) you can handle it and B) it’s fun! So, all things considered, your optimal *of-the-moment* sunglasses style is circle lenses.
Round lenses are all the rage these days, and there’s no reason for you to shy away from these It frames.”Frames that are perfectly balanced, whether they’re round or square, compliment oval faces because they’re the opposite dimensions of the face,” said Sarah. “It’s a definite upgrade from something traditional like a wayfarer or an aviator — two styles oval faced folks can wear no problem.” And we couldn’t agree more. These frames are — wait for it — Beyoncé’s current favorites, and have the perfect mix of boho babe and downtown chic. In other words, they’re #flawless.
Wearing: The Row Row 8 in Navy ($445)
SWITCH IT UP WITH: FLAT TOPS
According to Ditto, these ultra sporty sunnies are about to blow up, and oval shaped faces are going to be the ambassadors. “Not only are they very popular, but they actually add a little but of width, which is a really nice compliment to elongated faces,” said Sarah. This style of sunglasses ranges from ultra elegant, like these thin, blue and black tortoise shell frames, to Daft Punk-levels of futuristic (think: reflective lenses and a single wrap-around shield lens, apparently a fave of Rihanna). Either way, they’ll round out your athleisure look like that.
Wearing: Stella McCartney SM 4043 in Tortoise + Black Gradient ($250)
All in all, these sunglass suggestions follow Ditto’s two rules of thumb:
1. The frames should be proportional to your overall face size. That means if you have larger features, you should stick to larger sunnies and vice versa.
2. The frames should balance out your facial features, not play into them. So gals with circle faces should generally stay away from circle sunnies, etc. (Although gals with heart faces, totally feel free to wear heart-shaped frames!).
Follow these rules and you’re sure to find shades that flatter. But like we always say around here at Brit + Co, wear what makes you feel good! We know we’re brushing popular opinion aside to wear the same sunnies as Beyoncè, even if the results aren’t exactly flawless.
Bonus! Ditto wants to give YOU the first month of your Endless Eyewear monthly sunglasses subscription for FREE. Just sign up through this link to grab the deal!
What sunglass style suits your face shape best? Tell us about which shades are on your want-now list in the comments below (then see if you can snag ’em on Ditto!)
Welcome to Selfmade Finance School, our new money series with Block Advisors to help small business owners with their tax, bookkeeping, and payroll needs year-round. This week, we explore the tax implications of bringing family members into your business.
The question for today is this: Does hiring your family members make sense for your business? Let me be clear. This is not a piece about whether hiring your family members makes sense for your relationships with those family members. As someone who is part of a family business, I could fill up a lot more than 600 words on my opinions about that. For today's purposes, we focus on whether it makes sense from an overall "good business and tax implication" perspective. As it turns out, there is a decent amount of tax nuance when it comes to employing your family. Let's break it down based on relationship to the employee:
You X Ventures for Unsplash
Spouses Who Are In Business Together
Personally, if I had to be in business with my husband, it would not go well. However, many couples build viable, strong businesses together and I say, good for them! Depending on how you have your business entity structured, it will make a big difference on the tax treatment of you and your spouse working as partners. Because a business jointly owned and operated by a married couple is generally treated as a partnership for Federal tax purposes, the spouses must comply with filing and record keeping requirements imposed on partnerships and their partners. The election to file two Schedule C (Form 1040) forms, (one for each spouse) permits certain married co-owners to avoid filing partnership returns, provided that each spouse separately reports a share of all the businesses' items of income, gain, loss, deduction, and credit. Under the election, both spouses will be subject to self-employment tax and on net earnings from self-employment and receive credit for Social Security earnings.
One Spouse Employs Another
If you have a dynamic where your spouse is an employee of your business, then your spouse's wages are subject to income tax withholding, Social Security and Medicare taxes. If you are self-employed (not a corporation or a partnership), your spouse's pay does not have to be included in your federal unemployment tax account (FUTA) contributions and payments. However, if your business is a corporation or a partnership you must include that spouse's pay in your unemployment tax contribution calculation.
Kobu Agency for Unsplash
You Employ Your Child
First, let's be clear. I work in my family business, but I am an adult, so I am treated just like a normal employee. However, if you, for example, run a family restaurant and want to hire your children under 18 to work for you, there are some tax benefits. But first, you should check with your state for rules on how many hours minors can work (in non-agricultural jobs) and reference the Fair Labor Standards Act for information on limitations on the kinds of work children can perform.
"This is an often overlooked or under-utilized strategy. Paying your children for true services they provide in your business can be a powerful tax-saving tool," says Cathi Reed, Block Advisors Regional Director. "If you are a sole-proprietorship or single member LLC, and the child is less than 18 years of age, the business is not required to withhold FICA or payroll taxes. The child can use his or her standard deduction against income you pay."
You Hire Your Parent
Oh dear. If you are brave enough to do this, know that you will need to pay Social Security and Medicare taxes on your parent's wages and make the appropriate withholdings, but you don't have to pay unemployment taxes. Now all you have to do is convince your parent that you are the boss. Have fun with that!
Is Hiring Family Members Worth It For The Tax Benefits?
"There are some positive tax advantages to hiring family members. It's important to treat a family member like any other employee. Hiring your children can result in substantial savings for businesses. Make sure your child has real, age-appropriate work to do and a reasonable pay rate, comparable to other employees. Consult with a Block Advisors small business certified tax pro to ensure that you are complying with all requirements," advises Reed. "Block Advisors, a team within H&R Block, is dedicated to meeting the tax, bookkeeping and payroll needs of small business owners year-round. To start working with the tax experts at Block Advisors, visit blockadvisors.com."
In my opinion, you should not hire a family member solely because of the tax benefits. You should always hire based on whether that person is right for the job and keep in mind how this hire could materially impact your relationship with that person and others in your family. Finally, as I mentioned, make sure you have a tax professional on your team when making these determinations. As you can see, things can get a little tricky!
*All details were sourced from IRS.gov and blockadvisors.com
The opinions expressed in this commentary are those of the author and may not necessarily reflect those held by Kestra Investment Services, LLC or Kestra Advisory Services, LLC. This is for general information only and is not intended to provide specific investment advice or recommendations for any individual. It is suggested that you consult your financial professional, attorney, or tax advisor with regards to your individual situation. Comments concerning the past performance are not intended to be forward looking and should not be viewed as an indication of future results. Securities offered through Kestra Investment Services, LLC (Kestra IS), member FINRA/SIPC. Investment advisory services offered through Kestra Advisory Services, LLC (Kestra AS), an affiliate of Kestra IS. O'Keeffe Financial Partners and any other entity listed herein is not affiliated with Kestra IS or Kestra AS Investor Disclosures: https://bit.ly/KF-Disclosures