Customer Watch: Face Shapes Part 3—Narrow versus Wide Jaw

Last week, I wrote about the dichotomy between angular and curved face shapes. Another key aspect of face shape that comes into play in assessing the best styles of jewelry for a customer is whether her jawline is narrow or wide. This feature primarily affects the selection of earrings.

For someone with a wide jawline, a pair of earrings that ends at the jawline is going to make the jaw appear wider, extending and emphasizing the horizontal. A round face may look rounder; a square face more square.

[Keira Knightly has a wide jawline but knows how to work it!]

If the jawline is wide and the upper portion of the face is noticeably narrower, the effect of adding width at the jawline can be more pronounced and can emphasize a pear or triangular shape. This in itself is neither good nor bad. However, if a customer is experiencing some sagging of her features or has a pear- or triangular-shaped body as well, she may not want the additional emphasis on the lower portion of her face. Earrings that stop above the line of the jaw may be more flattering.

[Beyonce Knowles, with her narrow jawline, wears earrings as beautifully as anyone I have ever observed.]

For someone with a narrow jawline, earrings of any length may work well, although of course the customer’s other features, such as neck length, should also be considered. A long chandelier or stiletto shaped earrings may look lovely on the customer with a narrow jaw, as the earrings have space on either side of the jaw in which to be displayed and enjoyed.

Next week, we’ll start looking at chins, as they introduce several potential design elements that can come into play in selecting jewelry to adorn your customers.