Oblong Face Shape
An oblong face is a long rectangle: the three widths are similar, and the length is what sets it apart. This test calls a face oblong when its length is at least 1.23× the cheekbone width.
- ≥ 1.23×
- length ÷ cheekbones
- 7
- face shapes
- 4
- measurements
- Free
- photo not uploaded
Drop a photo into the panel and it will say whether your four measurements read as oblong.
ExampleChoose your own photo
Discover your face shape and proportions.
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Front-facing · Even lightingStraight-on, even lighting, at arm's length gives the most comparable reading.
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How an oblong face is measured
Face length is at least 1.23 times cheekbone width — the long end of the range this test measures — and it is the first condition checked, so a long face is called oblong whatever its widths do. Charts that quote 1.5 or 1.6 measure length from the hairline, which a photo landmark cannot see; this test measures from the top of the forehead, so its numbers run lower and its cut points are calibrated to its own measurements.
- Face clearly longer than wide
- Forehead, cheekbones and jaw similar in width
- Often a taller forehead or longer chin
- Straight sides rather than a taper
An oblong face is a long rectangle: forehead, cheekbones and jaw sit close together in width, and length is the only distinguishing measurement. It is the shape most affected by hairline position, because a high hairline adds directly to the measurement that defines it.
Also called: Long face, Rectangular face.
How to tell if you have an oblong face
Oblong is a length verdict, so the length measurement has to be taken carefully.
- Pull your hair back so your real hairline is visible, not where a fringe sits.
- Measure from hairline to the base of the chin.
- Measure across the cheekbones at the widest point.
- Divide length by width — above about 1.6 is oblong.
- Check the jaw against the cheekbones. If it is nearly as wide, the shape is oblong rather than oval.
A tape measure held against your own face is accurate to maybe half a centimetre, which is enough for the clear cases and not enough for the borderline ones. The tool above takes the same three widths from 478 landmarks instead.
Oblong vs Oval face shape
Both are long. In a mirror the jaw separates them: an oval face tapers, while an oblong face keeps its width all the way down. This test puts length first, calling any face oblong at 1.23 times cheekbone width or longer, so a long face that tapers is still oblong here. This is the most searched face shape comparison of the seven; if your result sits near the line, trust the taper you can see.
The oval face shape in full →Oblong vs Square face shape
The widths are the same in both — three similar measurements, a defined jaw. Only length differs. This test calls a face oblong at 1.23 times cheekbone width or longer, measured from the top of the forehead, and square below that. The textbook figures of 1.2 and 1.6 measure from the hairline. Near the line there is no clean answer.
The square face shape in full →Hairstyles for an oblong face
An oblong face is distinctly longer than it is wide, with forehead, cheekbones and jaw measuring close to the same. A fringe is the single most effective change available, because it removes visible face length directly rather than distracting from it.
Haircuts for an oblong face — women
Blunt fringe at brow level
It deletes a band of forehead from view, which shortens the measured vertical run of the face more than any other change you can make in an hour.
Shoulder-length cut with waves at the sides
Width placed at cheek level is the counterweight this shape lacks — it is the one face where volume at the ears is an asset.
Blunt bob with a strong horizontal line
The horizontal that ruins a round face is exactly what an oblong face is short of.
Curtain bangs with wide side pieces
A softer alternative to a blunt fringe: it still covers forehead height, and the side pieces add width at the same time.
Layers that begin at the cheekbone
Starting layers high builds volume across the middle of the face rather than letting all the weight hang at the bottom, which would lengthen it further.
Haircuts for an oblong face — men
Fringe worn forward
Same mechanism as for women and just as effective: less visible forehead is less visible length.
Medium length with width at the sides
Keeping the sides fuller rather than faded adds horizontal measure to a face that is short of it.
Textured crop with low height
Height at the crown is the one thing to avoid here, so a crop worn flat and textured gives shape without adding length.
Fuller beard at the cheeks, short at the chin
The inverse of the round-face advice. Width at the cheeks broadens; length at the chin extends a face that is already long.
By hair type
- Straight
- Straight hair falls in long vertical lines, which is the direction this face is already going. A fringe and a blunt line at the ends are the two corrections that work.
- Wavy
- Genuinely helpful here — the wave interrupts the vertical and pushes volume sideways. Encourage it at cheek level rather than at the ends.
- Curly
- Of all textures, curl does the most for an oblong face: it grows outward, and outward is exactly the direction the proportions need.
- Fine
- Fine hair hangs flat and long, doubling the length. Cut it shorter than feels intuitive and blunt at the ends, and a fringe is worth more here than length is.
- Thick
- Thick hair supplies width easily. The risk is letting all the bulk pile at the crown, which adds height to the one dimension already in surplus.
Oblong face hairstyles to avoid
Long, straight, one-length hair
It runs two unbroken vertical lines down a face defined by being long, which is the most direct way to exaggerate the shape.
High volume at the crown
Every centimetre of height is added to a measurement that is already the largest thing about the face.
A centre part with the forehead exposed
It adds the full height of the forehead to the visible face, and the parting itself draws another vertical line.
Very short cropped sides
Removing width from the sides leaves the length with nothing to work against.
Beard styles for an oblong face
Beard direction matters more on an oblong face than on any other, because length is the thing you are trying not to add.
- Grow the sides fuller and keep the chin short — the opposite of the advice for a round face
- Mutton chops and full cheek coverage add the width the shape lacks
- Avoid a long goatee or a pointed beard, which extends the face further
Makeup for an oblong face shape
Everything works horizontally: shorten the face visually, widen the middle.
- Contour along the hairline and under the chin to shorten the vertical run
- Blush placed horizontally across the cheeks rather than angled up
- Highlight across the cheekbones, side to side, not down the centre
- A flatter, more horizontal brow, which cuts the length of the upper third
Glasses for an oblong (long) face
This is the shape where frame depth matters more than frame style. A tall lens covers more of the face's vertical run and breaks it into shorter sections; a shallow frame does nothing at all.
Deep and wide
Works
Round
Also works
Narrow and shallow
Fights the shape
Frame styles that suit an oblong (long) face
Each style below opens to name real frames that match it, with the measurement that matters. Price band: $ under $100, $$ $100–250, $$$ above $250. Links go to Amazon search results rather than a single product, so they keep working when a colour or size sells out.
Deep frames
The governing variable. A frame with a tall lens divides the length of the face into two shorter pieces.
Justin RB4165 · Original Wayfarer RB2140
Sunglasses · 54-16-145, ~44 mm lens height · $$
The only number that matters in a deep frame is lens height, and here it is about 44 mm. That measurement is what actually divides a long face in two.
Ray-Ban Original Wayfarer RB2140
Eyeglasses & sunglasses · 50 / 54 · $$
If you need the deep option in prescription lenses, this is it: a measurably taller lens than the New Wayfarer.
Oversized
Size in both directions adds horizontal measure and covers vertical run at the same time.
Round
A circular frame is width in the middle of a long face, which is precisely the correction wanted.
Round Metal RB3447 · Gregory Peck OV5186 · LEMTOSH · Percey
Eyeglasses & sunglasses · $$
The reference model for a true circle. Because the rim is thin metal the round reads as a line drawn on the face rather than a block sitting on it.
Oliver Peoples Gregory Peck OV5186
Eyeglasses & sunglasses · 47-23-150 · $$$
Acetate round with a keyhole bridge. Same circle as the metal version, considerably more weight — the mechanism is identical, the volume is not.
Eyeglasses & sunglasses · $$$
The thickest end of the round family: diamond rivets, keyhole bridge. The strongest available contrast against an angular face, but on a small face the frame starts running the face.
Eyeglasses · $$
A narrow round with a keyhole bridge. Smaller lenses than the three above, which makes it the right starting point on a small face.
Wayfarer
Deep enough to cover ground and wide enough to add measure, which is why it works on the two shapes with opposite problems.
Original Wayfarer RB2140 · New Wayfarer RB2132
Ray-Ban Original Wayfarer RB2140
Eyeglasses & sunglasses · 50 / 54 · $$
It sits with a forward (pantoscopic) tilt and has a deeper lens than the New Wayfarer. This is the one to pick on a long face: it covers more vertical ground.
Eyeglasses & sunglasses · 52 / 55 / 58 · $$
No tilt, sits flat against the face, shallower lens. The model for people on whom the original looks oversized — and the three sizes live here.
Decorated or contrasting temples
Detail on the arms pulls the eye sideways rather than up and down, and the temples run horizontally by definition.
Women's frames for an oblong (long) face
Deep squared cat-eye
A squared cat-eye such as the Warby Parker Esme (55-16-145) adds width at the outer corners and a straight top line; choose a version with a tall lens.
Nina RB4314N · Esme · Louise
Sunglasses · 54 · $$
The measured version of a cat-eye: the outer corner lifts, but not far enough to read as costume in daily wear.
Eyeglasses · 55-16-145 · $$
A squared cat-eye. It combines the lifted outer corner with a straight top line, so it works where a face wants width and structure at once.
Eyeglasses · 52-15-140 / 55-16-140 · $$
The classic soft cat-eye, in two sizes. If your cheekbones are prominent, the smaller size keeps the frame from landing on the bone.
Oversized acetate
Wide and deep at once: horizontal measure and vertical coverage in one frame.
Deep frames with a fringe
A fringe hides forehead and a deep frame covers the middle of the face, so the length is broken up in two places. It is the most effective combination for a long face.
Men's frames for an oblong (long) face
Original Wayfarer
A deeper lens than the New Wayfarer and a forward tilt, so it covers more vertical ground. The model is listed under the wayfarer style above.
Browline — borderline
The heavy top bar splits the face horizontally, which helps, but the lens is not deep. It works best in a wide size.
Clubmaster RB3016 · Clubmaster RX5154
Sunglasses · 51-21 · $$
The definition of the category: heavy acetate above, thin metal below. The purest form of moving weight to the brow.
Eyeglasses · $$
The prescription version of the RB3016. Same geometry, as everyday glasses.
Frames with contrasting temples
Colour or detail on the arms pulls the eye sideways. If your hairline is receding, which lengthens the upper face over time, the width a frame adds becomes more useful; keep a beard fuller at the sides and short at the chin.
Frame depth: the one number that matters on a long face
Lens height — the vertical depth of each lens — decides how much a frame breaks up a long face. A deep lens covers more of the face's vertical run and divides it into shorter sections; a shallow one leaves the length intact. It is not among the numbers printed inside the temple arm, so look for "lens height" on the product page. For reference, the Ray-Ban Justin RB4165 has a lens height of about 44 mm.
| Frame | Size | Depth | Effect on a long face |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ray-Ban Justin RB4165 | 54-16-145 | Deep, about 44 mm lens height | Covers a large part of the vertical run |
| Ray-Ban Original Wayfarer RB2140 | 50 / 54 | Deeper than the New Wayfarer | The deeper wayfarer; available as prescription frames |
| Ray-Ban New Wayfarer RB2132 | 52 / 55 / 58 | Shallower, sits flat | Leaves more of the face's length visible |
Oblong, long or rectangle face: the same frame advice
The three names describe the same thing: a face clearly longer than it is wide, with similar widths at forehead, cheekbones and jaw. Rectangle usually means the jaw is also angular. The frame advice is the same for all three — depth and width — and a rectangular face also benefits from a softer lower rim, borrowed from the advice for square faces.
| Shape | Length against width | Deep frame? | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oblong | Clearly longer | Yes | Depth divides the length that is in surplus |
| Oval | Longer, balanced | Moderate | Very deep lenses shorten a face with no length to spare |
| Square | Close to equal | No | Depth adds nothing; curves matter more |
What size frames fit a long face
Make the frame as wide as the face or slightly wider — a frame narrower than the face makes it look narrower still, and narrower reads as longer — and as deep as you can comfortably wear. A lower-set bridge that seats the frame a little lower on the nose also breaks up the length of the middle of the face. The three numbers printed inside a temple arm, such as 52-18-140, are the lens width, the bridge width and the arm length in millimetres. Lens height is usually not printed; product pages list it separately. Frames are fitted around your pupils, so your pupillary distance is worth knowing before you order online.
Sunglasses for an oblong (long) face
Oversized and wraparound styles both work, because both are wide and deep. Small lenses are the one thing to skip — they leave most of the face uncovered and emphasise its length.
Original Wayfarer sunglasses
The deeper wayfarer, and the one to choose over the shallower New Wayfarer on a long face.
Oversized square sunglasses
Width and depth together; the more of the face's middle a lens covers, the shorter the face reads.
Wraparound sunglasses
They extend horizontally around the face and add width across the widest line.
Frames to avoid
Narrow, shallow frames
They cover very little of the vertical run and leave the length untouched, which is the only thing a frame could help with here.
Frames narrower than the face
Anything that stops short of the widest point makes the face look narrower, and narrower reads as longer.
Not sure this is your shape? Glasses for face shape measures it from a photo and lists the frames that suit the result.
The oblong face shape on men
Oblong is one of the more searched male face shapes, and the reason is usually hairline recession, which lengthens the upper third and moves a face that measured oval or square into oblong territory over time. It is one of the few results on this site that genuinely changes across adulthood.
Hair and beard change how an oblong face reads more than any other styling choice: hairstyles for your face shape and beard styles for your face shape draw all seven shapes, with diagrams.
If a result has drifted toward oblong over the years, check the hairline before the face: the Norwood scale separates the normal maturing of a teenage hairline from pattern recession, and shows the stages with diagrams. For the haircut itself, hairstyles for an oblong face covers the cuts that shorten a long face, for men and women.
Oblong face shape celebrities
Celebrity lists for a long face are unusually unreliable, because hairstyle changes the measurement outright. The same person photographed with a fringe and then without it produces two different ratios. This site does not assign shapes to people it has not measured.
Procedures that change an oblong face
The upper third is usually what people want to change with a long face.
- Hairline Lowering →Changes the height of your forehead.
- Cheek Filler →Changes cheekbone projection and midface volume.
A simulation is a visualisation, not a surgical plan, and nothing on this page is medical advice.
Oblong face shape — frequently asked questions
Is oblong the same as a long face shape?
Yes, they are the same measurement described two ways. Oblong is the term most face shape charts use.
Is an oblong face the same as a rectangle face shape?
Effectively yes, and some charts use rectangle for a long face with a defined, square-cornered jaw while keeping oblong for a softer one. The length condition is identical in both, so this site treats them as one category rather than splitting on jaw definition.
What hairstyle suits an oblong face?
Anything horizontal. A fringe shortens the visible length immediately, and volume at the sides adds the width the shape lacks. Long straight styles and high volume at the crown both extend it.
Does a receding hairline change my face shape?
On a tape measure, yes. Charts take face length from the hairline, so a receding hairline lengthens the upper third and can move a result from oval or square into oblong over the years. The detector on this page measures from the top of the forehead surface instead, because a face landmark model cannot see the hairline, so recession affects its reading much less. Hair falling over the forehead does affect it, which is why the photo should be taken with hair pulled back.
Do glasses make a long face look shorter?
They can, and the deciding factor is depth rather than style. A frame with a tall lens covers more of the face's vertical run and breaks it into shorter sections; a narrow, shallow frame does nothing. Decorated or contrasting temple arms help too, because they pull the eye sideways.
How deep should glasses be for a long face?
Deep, wide frames. Lens height matters most: a deep lens, such as the roughly 44 mm of the Ray-Ban Justin, divides the length of the face, and a frame at least as wide as the face adds horizontal measure. Oversized, round with enough depth, and the Original Wayfarer all work.
Do round glasses suit a long face?
Yes, when they are deep enough. A small, shallow round covers little of the face's vertical run; a larger round adds width in the middle of a long face, which is the point.
What sunglasses suit an oblong face?
Oversized square sunglasses, the Original Wayfarer rather than the shallower New Wayfarer, and wraparound styles. All of them are wide and deep. Small lenses leave most of the face uncovered and emphasise its length.
The other face shapes
- Diamond face shape →
- Oval face shape →
- Round face shape →
- Heart face shape →
- Square face shape →
- Triangle face shape →