Wearing glasses has become so chic that even those who don’t need them for practical purposes have begun wearing them as a fashion statement. We have to admit that we definitely think your hair is your best accessory, but your frames are a very close second. Plenty of celebs with varying hair types and textures have proudly worn their glasses on the red carpet, so we compiled a list (with the help of our hairstylist experts) of swoon-worthy hairstyles that paired with their frames perfectly.
Keep reading to get a breakdown of 20 celeb-worn hairstyles to try with your glasses.
Low Natural Ponytail
Low ponytails are an easy-to-achieve ‘do you can whip out at any time, and we love the way Elaine Welteroth wears hers with contrasting texture alongside larger frames. “Pulling your hair off your face and letting it flow down the back is a classic look, complimented perfectly by the wire rimmed glasses for a clean, sharp aesthetic,” says Leake. “Let those facial features shine!”
- Saturate your roots with hairspray or oil, depending on your hair type. This provides good hold and control, helping the hair to lay flat against the head.
- Brush the hair together, following the direction of the hairline, gathering your ponytail at the nape of the neck.
- Tilt the head back before securing your ponytail with a bungee cord or preferred elastic to avoid any bubbling up at the back of the head as you move.
- Style your ponytail ends as desired, or leave it brushed out and natural.
Using an alcohol-free hairspray will give you brushable hair without that unwanted, flaky residue.
Groovy Waves
If your glasses are making a statement, give it a hairstyle to match, like this ’70s inspired look seen on Selma Hayek. “’70s fashion isn’t going anywhere—you can lean into it pairing groovy waves with studded statement glasses,” suggests Leake.
- Using ghd’s 1 1/4″ curling iron ($199) on dry, smoothed-out hair, begin wrapping sections of hair around the barrel near the eye line. Always direct your curls on each side to wrap away from the face.
- Finish the ends of your section off with the iron’s clamp to control the direction they lay in and help seal them together to prevent a frayed finish.
- Spray your boar bristle brush with a medium hold hairspray and brush out all those tendrils you created to soften the look, loosen the wave, and fluff up the volume.
Tousled Ponytail
Hathaway may wear square frames, but this tousled ponytail is far from being “square.”
- Use the hot tool of your choice to create a broken-in, imperfect wave pattern throughout the hair.
- Apply a good dry texturizing spray to second-day hair for that tousled texture
- Use your hands to gather the hair, following the eye line directly to find your ponytail placement.
- Secure with a bungee or the hair tie of your choice, wrapping a small piece of hair around the base to cover up your tie. Lock that base cover in with a small bobby pin and some hair spray.
- Rub the hair at the edge of your hairline between your fingers to get those naturally fallen face-framing bits.
Stylized Locs
A full head of locs takes time and TLC, but man, do they look good next to a pair of chic glasses. “This asymmetrical thick braid takes the glasses from casual to classy, and there’s a variety of other styles that can have the same effect,” states Leake. “Isolating one section of the hair with detail is the cornerstone of completing this look.”
- Use your favorite moisturizing agent to help twist your locs.
- Taking the mohawk section of your crown, direct your locs forward toward the face and loosely knot or braid the section.
- Find your ideal positioning on the head, tuck those ends in, and secure with hairpins.
High Bun
For any updo to sit right at the crown of the head, you’ll want to follow the cheekbones all the way up for that sleek and lifted look. “I love the way a high bun with glasses creates such a contrast between the hair and the face,” comments Leake.
- Saturate the roots with hairspray and brush up into a ponytail.
- Secure your ponytail with a bungee or elastic.
- Split the ponytail in two and tie a knot (or two – depending on your length), and secure to the base of the head with bobby pins and/or hairpins.
- Use a toothbrush coated in hairspray to go over the edges of your hairline for a super clean and tight, pulled-back look.
For a clean knot, coat your ponytail strands with your favorite hair oil before creating your shape.
A-Line Lob
“Angles, angles, angles!” says Leake. “An A-line bob compliments angled glasses perfectly and creates so much dimension in your look.” Jennifer Lopez rocks this lock with her cat-like frames.
- Prep your hair as you normally would. This look is also great with second day hair, just be sure to target the roots and hairline when applying a product like Living Proof Dry Shampoo ($41).
- Spritz your hair with a heat protectant spray and touch up any unruly areas with a toold like the ghd Platinum+ Styler ($279).
Side-Swept Curls
For this wet-look take on curls, use great products.
- Start on damp hair (naturally curly works best) and work a curl-enhancing gel through the hair, scrunching it with your fingers.
- Finish with a shine spray while hair is still damp.
Focal Fringe
Having your fringe be the focal point of your ‘do is a complementary move for your rims. But the way they’re trimmed can make all the difference.
- Bring forth the triangle section of your bangs while the hair is clean and dry, and clip all other hair away.
- Start by holding out the middle bangs slightly away from the forehead (rims off at this point) and use a good cutting shear to point cut at a 45-degree angle directly into your ends. To pair well with your glasses, aim to get that length right at or above the brow bone.
- Finish trimming the sides of your bangs depending on your fringe – you may angle down for a curtain effect or go straight across for a more blunt look.
Retro Pin Curled ‘Do
If you have a natural side parting and want to create a ’50s inspired updo to frame your shades, try replicating this one as seen on Meryl Streep. “A sharp look for events and pictures, this stylized updo brings all the attention to your face,” comments Leake.
- Take the front side section (from behind the ear forward) and use a 1″ curling iron to wrap the ends of the hair up toward the face.
- Gently release the clamp and slide the iron out of the curl while cradling the newly set shape in your hand as it will still be hot.
- Release from your hand once the hair has cooled to the touch and then pin into place.
- Gather the rest of the hair together into a low ponytail and curl your entire pony by beginning your wrap at the ends and spiraling up to the base. This will give you that retro singular curl.
For finer hair or hair with a hard time holding a curl, try using a smaller barrel iron for a tighter curl that won’t loosen as quickly.
High Ponytail
A fun, flirty ponytail never goes out of style and is great for keeping hair off the face.
- Direct the hair up from the cheekbone for that perky, snatched look using your boar bristle brush.
- Use a bungee cord to secure your ponytail.
- Take an elastic and tie it around your ponytail about an inch up from the base where your bungee cord sits. This will give your pony a little extra bump up.
- From here, you can use a clip-in ponytail to clip into your second elastic or wrap a small section of hair around both ties using some hair spray and a small bobby pin.
Side Braid
Kaley Cuoco is showing us that braids and glasses are a perfect pair. Not to mention, it’s the perfect look when you’re in a rush.
- Pull all of your hair over to the preferred side. If you have shorter pieces that frame your face, leave them out similar to what you see on Cuoco.
- Begin to braid using a three-strand braid.
- Secure the end with a thin elastic.
Space Buns
Personally, we think 2 is better than 1 when it comes to buns. “Space buns are great for a fun and youthful look,” says Rojas. “Also if you have bangs, these high buns are an easy way to get them out of your face without using bobby pins (some find bobby pins can be painful while wearing glasses).”
- Part your hair down the middle and secure one section out of the way.
- Take the other section and pull it back to your desired height. Secure with a thin hair tie.
- Begin to wrap the hair around itself until it forms a bun. Secure in place with bobby pins.
- Repeat the same steps for the other section of hair.
Natural Curls
Working with natural curls is a lesson all its own, but once you get it down, it’ll be easier than contact lenses.
- Shampoo and condition with a sulfate-free formula that caters to your hair types, like Ouidad, which makes incredible products for curls and waves.
- Use the right hair towel to absorb the excess moisture post-shower. Terrycloth towels can cause friction and frizzing, which is no friend to curly textures.
- Saturate the hair with a good curls cream, twisting the hair along with its natural wave pattern.
- Dry the hair with a sock diffuser. This universal option will fit over any blow dryer and help control the airflow to avoid frizzing.
“The more you touch your curls the more frizz you’ll create, so hands off!” says Rojas.
Straight Pixie
For this look, let hair air-dry for added texture.
- Start on damp hair, apply a texturing spray.
- Let hair air dry and muss with your fingers for added texture.
Slicked Back Ponytail
“A medium high pony looks pulled together and it will allow for the glasses to be the statement piece,” comments Rojas. “This look is a great way to get ready in minutes, and it elevates a basic pony.”
- Prep hair so that it has the desired ponytail texture you’re looking for, either straight, wavy, or curled.
- Pull all of your hair back into a ponytail and secure with an elastic, making sure it hits the middle center of your head.
- Brush a gel through your roots to get rid of any frizz or flyaways and showcase a slick look like you see on Oprah.
- Rojas recommends wrapping a skinny piece of hair around the elastic for a finished, polished look.
Long and Straight
A layered hairstyle goes great with anything, from a blazer to a pair of sweat pants. A pair of glasses will always make a low maintenance look appear more put together and chic. Notice in the photo the slight bend through the smoothed-out hair. This is a look you can pull off on clean hair or second-day hair.
- Rojas says to start by curling “a few pieces of hair, from the mid-shaft, down, using a 1.25” curling iron .”
- Next, add some hairspray — “I love R+Co. Vicious Strong Hold Flexible Hairspray ($33), as it offers a great hold with a textured finish.”
Bouncy Curls
Bouncy curls can be both girly and strong . It works well because volume that the curls create will break up the heaviness of the bang . Please note: that when getting a haircut you should typically ask for the bangs to be cut just a little below the eyebrows so that they don’t hit your glasses. Pro tip: bring your glasses to your appointment so your stylist can achieve the perfect balance for your face with and without your specs.
- “To achieve this bouncy look use Velcro rollers and a thickening spray. I recommend Shu Uemura Awa Volume Hair Mousse ($42),” says Rojas.
Half-Up Bun
A half up half down style is a great alternative to wearing your hair down and works especially well on the second to third day of dirty hair.
- “Typically it’s that hair that has been up and wrapped around a rubber band that creates a bend in your hair,” says Rojas. “You can pull that up easily and then just work with the hair that’s left to make it more finished.”
- “Throw your glasses on and youll have a fresh new look. I love R+Co. Spiritualized Dry Shampoo Mist ($29) as it’s a mist vs a powder — great to refresh your roots.”
Tight Curls and Clips
- Use a diffuser to dry your natural curls and create a center part.
- Take two clips and pin the hair on either side of the face, above the temples.
Clean Low Bun
A low bun is great alternative to a slicked back pony. “When talking to clients with glasses, often times keeping bangs out of their face is most important. This look, with the help of bobby pins can keep bangs out of your face,” Rojas says.
Pull hair into a low ponytail, securing with an elastic.
Take your bands and sweep them to one side, securing with a bobby pin near the ear. “Shu Uemura Tsuki Shape Blow-Dry Spray ($42) will give you soft hold before a blowout.”
