Tom Ford left Gucci in 2004 and announced his own brand in April 2005, and eyewear was one of the first two products, made with the Italian group Marcolin and presented that October. The one thing you can check on every pair is the metal T on the temple. It is the constant across the shapes on this page, and it is why I can pick out a Tom Ford frame across a room.

 

I have sorted the edit by outline, because the name of a frame tells you less than its shape. After the wire aviators below come the shields and masks, the double bridge acetate pilots, the squares and rectangles, and a last shelf of cat eyes, butterflies and ovals. A few styles, like the Brianna, Rosco and Bronson, show up more than once because the tint changes how the same frame reads.

 

The metal frames come first, because they are the lightest way into the label. The Mackenzie, Anthony, Leon and Parker are thin wire shapes with the T at the temple, and the Rickie, Eliott and Clark are the classic teardrop pilots. The Abbey is the softer, rounder take with a warm gradient lens, and the Maxwell is the exception, with an acetate top and a metal bridge. Wire is the right pick for a smaller face or a long drive, because the frame fades and the lens does the work. Look at where the top bar crosses your brow. It should sit just above it, not on it.

 

What I would skip are the palest tints if you want these for bright days. A light gradient is a styling choice more than glare protection.

These are the frames with the most attitude. The Brady comes as a single lens mask in black, clear and tinted versions, and it is the shape you see on a runway more than on a commute. The Achilles, Troy, Pilot and Bronson are the shield aviators, with a thick brow line, a deep lens and the T set into the side. The Leona is the wraparound, and the Vladamir is the easiest way into this group.

 

Enough of this shelf reads as a statement that a plain outfit improves it. Try one with a white shirt and jeans, then walk past a shop window to see what the outline does to your face. A mask frame is wide, so check that it clears your cheeks.

 

What I would skip is a mask frame as your only pair. It suits an occasion better than a daily commute.

Acetate pilots are the shape people usually mean when they say Tom Ford sunglasses. The Rosco, Brianna, Samuele and Guillaume have a thick rim and a brow bar, in black, tortoise and tinted lenses. The Rhonda and Marcus T Icon are the heavier, larger versions, and the Kemp swaps the acetate bar for a metal one in blue and sand. The Jeffrey and Bruce are listed at 59mm and 61mm, so check those numbers against your usual size.

 

I have added a few rounder and bolder acetates at the end of this shelf. The Lana is an oval in dark havana, the Venetia is a chunky honey frame, the Brigitta is a brown acetate that leans toward a cat eye, and the Barron is a dark havana square. They are the right pick when a classic pilot feels too expected.

 

This shelf is the easiest to wear to work, because the frame is bold without being loud. Hold a pair up with the bar level with your brows. If the bar sits well above them, go a size smaller.

 

I would skip the pale blue and sand tints for driving. A green or grey lens does more for glare, and the lighter pairs are for the street.

The square frames are the strongest argument for choosing by shape. The Fausto is a thick, flat topped acetate square, here in black, clear green and a pale taupe. The Icon Collection rectangle and square, the Finn, the Vincent and the plain Square Plastic are the more classic cuts, with listed lens widths of 52mm to 56mm. The Ethan is a thin metal rectangle for a lighter, flatter look. Selby, Sandra, Joni and William are rounded squares, and the Giulio in blue and the Andy in shiny black are the newest Tom Ford sunglasses on the shelf.

 

If you have a round face, the Fausto or the Vincent gives it corners. If your face is angular, the Selby, Sandra or Joni will soften it. Check the lens width, because a 52mm and a 56mm frame sit differently even in the same style.

 

I would skip the thinnest rectangles on a bright beach day, since the small lens lets in side light.

The last shelf is the softer end of the line. The Chloe, Maxim and Winona are the cat eyes, and the Maeve, Gia, Nickie and Elsa are the butterflies, with the Gia the largest at 63mm. The Toni and the Oval are rounded ovals, the Islay, Quincy and Iggy are the small tortoise and tinted ovals, and the Penn is a slim rectangle that sits between categories.

 

Butterfly frames work on a smaller face at 55mm and under, and on a larger face at 62mm and up. Hold them to your face before you decide, and smile to check the lens clears your cheeks.

 

What I would skip are the oversize butterflies for running errands. The Nickie at 62mm and the Gia at 63mm draw a lot of attention.

Before you choose a shape, read two numbers on the product page: the lens width and the bridge. Where a lens width is listed, it runs from 52mm to 65mm, and anything above 60mm is a large frame. A frame that pinches at the temple will do so every time you wear it, so the T detail should sit comfortably against your head.

 

Contrast works better than a match. A round face takes a square frame like the Fausto or Vincent, an angular face takes the Rosco or Brianna, and a narrow face suits a wire aviator. Then check that the lenses clear your cheeks when you smile.

 

What I would skip is buying on the strength of a tint alone. A pale blue or green lens reads fresh in a photo and gives less glare protection in direct sun, so pick the shape you love and then choose the darkest tint you will wear. If you want to keep browsing, I also put together Oakley Sunglasses and Chanel Sunglasses Women Hunt For, Plus Frames In The Same Spirit.