Triangle Face Shape

Length vs width

A little longer than it is wide

Widest part

The jaw; the forehead is narrower

Jawline

Angular, with visible corners

Chin

Square or flat

• Measure your jaw from the angle below one ear to the other. On a triangle face this is the largest width you'll record.
• Measure the forehead halfway between brows and hairline. It comes out clearly smaller than the jaw, often by several centimetres.
• Measure across the cheekbones. The number sits between the other two, so the face widens steadily from top to bottom.
• Check length from hairline to chin. It should be only a little more than the jaw width.

• Volume at the crown and temples, from a round-brush blow-dry or rollers on top. Width above the eyes matches the jaw.
• Layered shag with short layers around the cheekbones and lighter ends. The bulk sits high and thins out toward the jaw.
• Full or curtain bangs that widen the forehead. Blow them out so they sit slightly off the face rather than flat.
• Chin-skimming bob with stacked, voluminous layers at the back and crown, tapered near the jaw.
• Long hair worn with a side part and the front pinned up or back at the crown. This keeps fullness high while the lengths stay sleek.
• Pixie with a full, textured top and short, close sides near the ears.

Hairstyles to avoid

• Bobs that end at the jaw with full, heavy ends. They add width to the widest part.
• Flat, sleek hair at the crown with all the volume at the bottom, such as curls that start at the chin.
• Severe pulled-back buns and ponytails with no lift. The narrow forehead gets exposed against the wide jaw.

Men's haircuts

• Textured quiff or brush-up with 6–8 cm on top. Height and width on top balance a heavy jaw.
• Side-parted cut with a little fullness above the ears. Avoid skin fades that make the head look narrow at the temples.
• Medium-length, tousled hair with volume at the front and crown.
• Avoid buzz cuts, which emphasise the gap between a slim forehead and a wide jaw.

Beard styles

• Short, even stubble that follows the jaw without bulking it out.
• Goatee or soul patch that pulls attention to the centre of the chin rather than the jaw corners.
• If you want a full beard, keep the sides short and the chin slightly longer, giving the lower face a narrower, rounded outline.
• Avoid wide, boxy beards and mutton chops, which add width to the jaw.

The jaw is angular, so by the contrast rule softly curved or upswept frames suit you better than boxy ones. More important, the frame should be at least as wide as your jaw, or close to it, so the top of the face looks broad enough to balance the bottom. Choose a top rim that follows or sits slightly above your brow line to add height and width to the forehead.

• Cat-eye frames with flared upper corners. They broaden the top of the face.
• Browline frames with a strong, dark upper rim and lighter or rimless lower half.
• Frames with colour, pattern or detail along the top edge.
• Semi-rimless styles, which put all the weight on the upper rim.

Frames to avoid

• Narrow, small frames that make the forehead look even smaller.
• Bottom-heavy or deep rectangular frames that add weight to the jaw area.

• Make the eyes your focus: a winged liner or a smoky shadow that extends outward widens the upper face.
• Groom brows a little fuller and extend the tails outward, never inward.
• Place blush high on the cheekbones and blend toward the temples, keeping colour away from the jaw.
• Choose a soft or neutral lip so it doesn't draw the eye toward the base of the face.

Where to contour, highlight and blush

• Contour along the jaw, from below the ears toward the chin, and blend down the neck. This slims the widest part.
• Shade the outer corners of the chin, not the centre, to round off its flat edge.
• Highlight the forehead, especially the outer edges near the temples, to make it look broader.
• Add highlight along the tops of the cheekbones to keep attention on the upper face.