Face shape
Rectangle face shape: how to spot it and style it
Noticeably longer than wide, with a forehead, cheeks and jaw of similar width.
Updated · Written by the LookFlex team · Styling suggestions, not rules
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At a glance
Rectangle face
Your face is clearly longer than it is wide, more elongated than an oval, and the forehead, cheekbones and jaw are close to the same width.
What a rectangle face looks like
A rectangle face, sometimes called oblong, is noticeably longer than it is wide, with a forehead, cheeks and jaw of similar width and fairly straight sides. The jaw can be angular or softly squared.
The length is the main thing to style. Haircuts and frames that add width at the sides or shorten the vertical line balance the proportions, while styles that add height tend to lengthen the face further.
How to tell if you have a rectangle face
Face shape is a spectrum with fuzzy edges. Use one of the three methods below, and treat the answer as a starting point: if you sit between two shapes, the advice for both applies.
How LookFlex works it out
LookFlex measures four ratios from your landmarks and scores your face against a reference profile for each of the seven shapes. It reports a probability for every shape, a confidence, and a blend such as Oval–Round when the top two are within 8 percentage points. Here is where a typical rectangle face sits.
| Ratio | Typical for rectangle | Reference average | Compared with average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Face length ÷ face width | 1.27 | 1.20 | Much higher |
| Forehead ÷ cheekbone width | 0.85 | 0.84 | Somewhat higher |
| Jaw ÷ cheekbone width | 0.91 | 0.90 | Somewhat higher |
| Chin width ÷ jaw width | 0.51 | 0.50 | Somewhat higher |
The mirror test
- Pull your hair back and stand a forearm's length from a mirror, face level and relaxed.
- Use a washable marker or lipstick to trace the outline of your face on the glass, from one temple around the chin to the other temple. Close one eye to keep the trace consistent.
- Step back and look at the outline. Note the widest part (forehead, cheekbones or jaw), how angular the jaw is and how long the shape is compared with its width.
- Wipe the glass with a cloth.
The tape-measure test
- Use a soft tape. Measure the widest part of your forehead, the width across your cheekbones, your jaw width (chin tip to just below the ear, doubled) and your face length from hairline to chin tip.
- Find the longest and the widest measurement, then compare the forehead and the jaw with the cheekbones.
- Match what you found with this rule for the rectangle shape: Your face is clearly longer than it is wide, more elongated than an oval, and the forehead, cheekbones and jaw are close to the same width.
Measure two or three times and use the average. Hairline-based length differs from the length LookFlex uses, so a tape-measure result and an app result can land on neighbouring shapes.
Typical features
- Length is clearly greater than width.
- Forehead, cheekbones and jaw are similar in width.
- The sides of the face are straight rather than curved.
- The forehead is often high and the chin squared or gently rounded.
Hairstyles for a rectangle face
These suggestions are the same ones the LookFlex app gives for a rectangle face. Hair is personal, so treat the lists as starting points. Any style can be worn by anyone, and the lists are split into men's and women's cuts only because they reflect common barbering and salon categories.
Men's cuts
Try
- Side part with fringe. Stylists use a fringe to cover part of the forehead so a long face reads shorter.
- Medium textured with side volume. Width at the sides is the usual counterweight to a long face.
- Crop with forward fringe. Forward movement lowers the visible hairline, the convention for long faces.
- Messy fringe. A soft, layered fringe breaks up the length of the forehead, a common choice for long faces.
- Ear-length waves. Sideways volume adds width, which stylists suggest for faces that run long.
Think twice about
- Tall pompadour. Stylists avoid extra height, which makes a long face read longer.
- Full slick back. Exposing the whole forehead adds to the length, so it is usually avoided.
Women's cuts
Try
- Curtain bangs. They frame the forehead and shorten the vertical.
- Chin-to-shoulder waves. Sideways volume adds width to a longer face.
- Layered lob. Layers at the jaw add fullness at the sides.
- Side-swept fringe. It covers part of the forehead to reduce the length.
- Voluminous side curls. Width balances vertical length.
Think twice about
- Very long, flat straight hair. It pulls the face further downward.
- High top knot. It adds height to a face that already reads long.
Glasses frames
The general rule is to pick frames that contrast with your shape: angles against curves, and curves against angles.
Frames that suit it
- Tall, deep frames fill the length of the face.
- Oversized frames and frames with detail at the temples add width.
- Rounded corners soften the straight sides.
Frames to be careful with
- Narrow, shallow frames that make the face look longer by contrast.
- Very small lenses that leave a lot of empty cheek.
Beards and facial hair
Facial hair is optional. If you wear a beard, shape changes how the lower face reads.
- Fuller sides and a shorter chin add width and shorten the look of the face.
- A full but short beard works well. Keep the neckline high.
- A long, pointed beard lengthens the face further, so avoid it.
Brows
- A flatter, straighter brow with a low arch shortens the vertical line.
- Avoid very high arches that add length.
Often confused with
- Oval. An oval is less elongated and curves gently throughout.
- Square. A square is only about as long as it is wide.
What the research says
Limited evidence The evidence behind face-shape advice is limited.
- Face-shape categories are styling conventions. We found no studies that test which haircuts, frames or beard shapes suit which face shape, so treat every suggestion here as a starting point.
- Measured faces vary continuously, and classical rules of proportion fitted only a few people (Farkas et al., 1985). That is why most people sit between two shapes.
- Attractiveness research has concentrated on cues such as averageness, symmetry and skin rather than named outline categories (Rhodes, 2006; Little et al., 2011), and personal taste counted about as much as shared taste (Hönekopp, 2006). Nothing in it ranks one shape above another.
- Photo distance changes proportions: a camera at about 30 cm made the nose look roughly 30% wider than one at 1.5 m (Ward et al., 2018). Retake under similar conditions before trusting a shape.
Frequently asked questions
Is rectangle the same as oblong?
In everyday use, yes. Both describe a face that is clearly longer than it is wide with straight sides. LookFlex calls it rectangle.
How do I make a long face look shorter?
Add width and break up the vertical line: fringes, side volume, wider frames and a beard that is fuller at the sides than at the chin all help.
Does a high forehead make the face a rectangle?
Not by itself. LookFlex measures from the mesh and not from the hairline, so a high or receding hairline does not change the result. Your overall length compared with width does.
How is rectangle different from oval?
Both are longer than they are wide. A rectangle is more elongated and has straighter sides and a squarer jaw, while an oval curves gently throughout.
Other face shapes
Compare all seven face shapes.
References
Every DOI was checked against Crossref. The evidence label says how much weight a source can carry alone. See how we choose sources on the research page.
- Farkas LG, Hreczko TA, Kolar JC, Munro IR (1985). Vertical and horizontal proportions of the face in young adult North American Caucasians: revision of neoclassical canons. Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. doi:10.1097/00006534-198503000-00005Moderate evidenceCross-sectional study
- Hönekopp J (2006). Once more: is beauty in the eye of the beholder? Relative contributions of private and shared taste to judgments of facial attractiveness. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance. doi:10.1037/0096-1523.32.2.199Moderate evidenceExperiment
- Little AC, Jones BC, DeBruine LM (2011). Facial attractiveness: evolutionary based research. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B. doi:10.1098/rstb.2010.0404Strong evidenceReview
- Rhodes G (2006). The evolutionary psychology of facial beauty. Annual Review of Psychology. doi:10.1146/annurev.psych.57.102904.190208Strong evidenceReview
- Ward B, Ward M, Fried O, Paskhover B (2018). Nasal distortion in short-distance photographs: the selfie effect. JAMA Facial Plastic Surgery. doi:10.1001/jamafacial.2018.0009Moderate evidenceMethod or technical report
Find out your face shape
LookFlex measures your face on your device and shows your shape, with the probability for each of the seven, in about a minute. Your first scan is free.
How we measure