Knitting And Your Face Shape

Mirror, mirror, on the wall...

 

Okay, who doesn’t feel a bit self-conscious reflecting on their image? It can feel narcissistic to pore over pictures of your face and figure. On the other hand, without a critical self-examination, how will any of us ever know what looks good? The thing about knitting your own clothes is that you’re in the position of acting as a top fashion designer to show off your best features and underplay the things you don’t want people to see. Why miss out on that opportunity when you’re making your own clothes?

Showing a Good Face to the World

According to some studies, the collars we wear have a visual impact on the way our faces are perceived. The collar creates a frame for our faces, and the whole picture is taken in at a glance. If that’s true, it’s worth taking a second look at the visual frames we are creating for ourselves.

What Frame is Best for You?

Look in the mirror, and examine your face shape. If you’re in any doubt, bring a piece of paper and a pencil and draw an outline of the shape you see. Or get someone to take photographs of you wearing different necklines. A dark turtleneck will frame your face in a clear way, so wearing that can help you make up your mind.

Hmmmm. Square, anyone?

 

The Oval Face

If you have an oval face shape, your troubles are over! That is supposedly the ideal effect we should all be striving for when we frame our faces—we should be trying to make them look as much like an oval as possible.

 

The Square Face

If you have a square face, the main thing to avoid is a square neckline that emphasizes that shape. Most other styles look good, especially v-necks, sweetheart necklines, shawl collars, and peter pan collars. Deep scoops are good, as well as styles that tie at the neck. Avoid a notched collar.

Top left: v-neck. Top right: sweetheart neckline. Bottom left: shawl collar. Bottom right: peter pan collar.

 

The Round Face

Stay away from round necklines! Draw the eye downwards with a u-neck, v-neck, sweetheart or square neckline. Drawing the eye downwards creates an illusion of length that balances your faces’ roundness. Sailor, shirt and notched collars are good. Stay away from crew necklines, halter-style tops, and funnel-shaped necks.

notched collars are good

 crew necks are bad 

The  Long Face

This is basically the opposite of the round face. You don’t want to draw the eye downwards, that will only make you look longer. Instead, draw the eye horizontally with a boat neck or crew neck sweater.

Boat neck

 

The Heart-Shaped Face

 To balance your pointed chin, avoid pointy necklines, such as V-necks or sweethearts. Balance your face shape with boatnecks, scoopnecks, and square necklines. Peter pan and shawl collars are also good.

So, considering that I have a square face, what ranking would I give my collars?

1. The best: The Deep V-neck

This balances my square face and creates a vertical line that minimizes my broad shoulders. 

2. The Deep Scoopneck:

This balances my square face shape and draws the eye downwards. 

3. The Open Cardigan:

Combined with a low-neck scoop top underneath, this draws the eye downwards. And the vertical lines of the open cardigan breaks up the bulk of my broad shoulders.

4. I would say the sweetheart neckline here, only I don't have any of those yet. Perhaps this should be one of the new sweaters I make this year! 

5. The low cowl:

This oblong style draws the eye downwards & mitigates the breadth of my shoulders.

6. The open-collared shirt:

This basically creates a v-neck.

7. The crew neck:

Okay, but not as good as the styles above, because the high neck just adds to the bulk of my shoulders & bust

8. Boat neck:

Not good! Not only does this neckline emphasize the squareness of my face, but it makes the distance between my shoulders and bust look enormous. Ugh! This is a collar for me to avoid at all costs.

9. The turtleneck:

Run away, run away! Must burn all turtlenecks with this style immediately!