Understanding Your Face Shape

When it comes to choosing a headpiece for your wedding trousseau or special occasion, your face shape is one of the most important factors to consider. You can choose a stunning headpiece, but if it doesn’t work with your face, it isn’t going to be all you dreamed of. So instead of opting for the headpiece you have been fancying, try selecting a style that enhances your face shape.

Options
Erica Elizabeth Designs has many different headpiece styles with similar elements, so chances are we have something that will compliment your face shape and will also look good with your dress. If not, we can advise a simple customization of the style you like so that it will be perfectly suited for your appearance.

Identifying Your Face Shape
Whether your face is a rectangle, oval, square, circle, triangle, heart or diamond shape, the right headpiece will expertly frame and balance your face while showcasing your best features. So, to choose the most flattering headpiece style for your wedding or special occasion, you will need to identify what shape your face is.

OVAL
-If you have an oval face shape, don’t worry, most headpieces will look good on your perfect self. Thanks to their well-balanced appearance, oval faces look wonderful in a wide variety of headpieces & hairstyles.
You will especially look good in headpieces that are worn the forehead hairline or with a piece that has some width at the sides.

SQUARE
A square-shaped face features a broad forehead; wide cheekbones & strong jawline that are almost all the same width. Your prominent jaw line will most likely be your killer & most beautiful feature. For a look that complements your bone structure, consider a headpiece with a side detail which will draw attention to your cheekbones instead of your jawline. Sometimes women with square faces also look stunning in a full upright crown which will draw attention to your cheekbones instead of your jawline.

TRIANGLE
If you have a triangle face your jaw most likely is dominant narrowing a bit up to your cheekbones & temples. This can be a most striking face & a headpiece that is broad will look amazing on you allowing the focus to be drawn up from your jawline. I have helped women choose their headpiece that end up looking stunning with forehead bands that would have been worn by the 1920s flappers.

DIAMOND
If you have a diamond shape face, which is in-between an oval & heart shape, you have won the lottery as most any headpiece style will look good on you! A woman with a diamond shape face is the idea face shape I look for in the models I choose for my headpiece collection shoots. I can usually put any headpiece style on them & they will look fantastic.

HEART
If you have a heart shape face, which is wide at the temples & hairline narrowing down to a small delicate chin, you will be similar to the diamond shape face in that many different styles of headpieces will look stunning on you. Many women with heart shape faces will have a higher forehead & a headpiece place just at the hairline will keep the higher forehead from appearing to rise higher. But if you have a sweep of hair to soften your forehead, you could have more fun with the placement of your headpiece. You will also look wonderful with an asymmetric piece that has side detail with pretty sparkling dangles to pull the focus down.

RECTANGLE
If you have rectangle shaped face, which can be one of the most striking looks, you should work to soften the appearance of a sharp jawline & forehead without elongating your face. Similar to the oval face, you will look good in most headpiece styles, but a headpiece that has some width at the sides will help to create an opposite balance of your shaped face. You might want to be careful with narrow upright crowns that will elongate you’re your appearance. If you do opt for an upright crown, styling your hair with soft waves or curls.
HAIRSTYLES
On your wedding day a good makeup artist is important, but when wearing a headpiece, a good hair stylist is essential. If your hair and headpiece fit together, you will shine on your special day!
Choose a hairstylist that is a pleasure to work with & that there is a personal connection.
When working with a certain face shape, a simple sweep of hair to soften your dominant features could allow you to have more fun with the placement of your headpiece. Sometimes a hairstyle will help to work in concert with a headpiece that might not be perfect for your face shape. For example, if you have an oblong or rectangle face, pulling the sides of your long hair back instead having your it around your face will minimize the elongated appearance. Working with hair styles will help to create a visual balance of your headpiece and face.
your personality
I have worked with women that look best with only a few sparkling hair pins and a simple set of ear studs to finish the look. Then for others, pulling together a jewel encrusted crown with chandelier earrings and a necklace is pure perfection.
Hair accessories can enhance or kill your intended look. But much of this will depend on your personality. Are you discreet and at times uncomfortable with attention? Or are you full of life and not afraid to show it. Your personal character will shine like diamonds when your accessories are a perfect fit!
HEADPIECE COLORS
Many women I work with are concern whether a headpiece color will go with their dress. Many of Erica Elizabeth Designs headpieces are fabricated from metals which are plated in gold, silver or rose gold. They are often blended with textures and different metal colors to create a subtle patina that often goes with many different dress styles. Think of our beautiful finishes as Chameleons who's colors blend into their surroundings!
DRESS FABRICS
Your color decision may depend on the beadwork and detail of your dress fabric. If there are no metallics in your dress, you may only need to decide if you are a gold or silver person. You would then choose your metal color based on a few things, your skin tone, jewelry or what simply is your favorite metal color is.
Except for a few, Erica Elizabeth Designs headpieces are designed as one-size-fits all with open backs. Many of our headpieces are built upon open thin spring headbands that stay comfortably in place without pinching. Others need a little help to stay in place, so we add either a thin brown elastic cord or luscious silk ribbon ties, so there is no need to worry about your head size.
Having said this, some styles will look better on petite head sizes and other are better for larger head sizes.
COMFORT
We take all our designs on "test drives" to be sure they are comfortable with ease of wear. There is nothing worse than investing in something so precious and you cannot wear it for your entire event due to discomfort. Comfort and quality are a bit of an obsession with us!

HEAD SIZE
Most of Erica Elizabeth Design headpieces are designed as one-size-fits all. With the exception of a few, our headpieces are designed with open backs that close & stay in place with a thin elastic band or ribbon ties, so there is no need to worry about head size.
If you are concern about fit or have chosen one of our closed back crowns, you will need to send us the measurement of your head.
You can use a tape measure (or a length of string that you will have to hold up to a tape measure) to determine the length. Place the string or tape around your head about 1/8" above your ear, across the mid-forehead, completely circling your head. Hold the tape firmly, but not too tightly. Basically, you need to measure your head exactly where you want your headpiece to sit. Please do not add any length as we add about 1/2” to allow for hair fullness & the comfort inner lining.
Thank you for reading this article about coordinating your personal look & style with an Erica Elizabeth Designs headpiece. This information has been thoughtfully written & researched based on Erica’s years of experience assisting women in the process of choosing headpieces for their wedding or special occasion.
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