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Oblong face shape

Also called: rectangle face, long face

Clearly longer than it is wide, with forehead, cheekbones and jaw close to the same width.

Is your face actually oblong?

Check in about 10 seconds, in your browser. Your photo never leaves your phone, and there’s no sign-up.

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Line drawing of a typical oblong face with forehead, cheekbone, jaw and length measurement linesFWCWJWL

What defines it

Length ÷ width
about 1.5 or more
Widest point
none; widths are even
Forehead ÷ jaw
close to 1.0
Jaw corner
moderate

Face-shape labels are fuzzy. We score on measurements.

The seven shapes are a stylists' convention, not a validated classification. Charts draw the lines in different places, and judging by eye is unreliable: in one study, visual face-type calls agreed with caliper measurements at a kappa of just 0.19.

The best published face-shape classifier reached about 85% accuracy on noisy photos. So we don't hand you one label. We show your shape as a mix, like 62% oval and 25% oblong, and our scorer never uses the label at all.

Proportions are also only part of the story. Your texture, density and hairline decide what a cut can physically do, so they carry more weight than face geometry.

Even a textbook oblong face is a mix

Our engine’s own reading of the face drawn above:

  • Oblong91%
  • Oval9%

What stylists aim for

Shorten and widen: less height on top, a little width at the sides, and a fringe to break the length. For longer cuts, ends near the chin work best.

Stylist convention

Often confused with

  • Oval

    An oval face is shorter and narrows at the jaw; an oblong face keeps its width all the way down.

  • Square

    Same even widths, but a square face is about as wide as it is long.

Haircuts ranked for oblong proportions

Our scorer’s geometry-only ranking for the textbook oblong face above. Proportions are about 15% of a real score; texture, density and hairline decide more, so your own list can look quite different. Every cut links to its barber spec.

Men's cutsProportions only

  1. 01French cropShort · best on 1A–2CCovers part of the forehead, which balances a longer face.When it doesn’t work: A low forehead, a front cowlick, a round face without fade contrast.
  2. 02Caesar cutShort · best on 1A–4CShortens the overall line, which balances a longer face.When it doesn’t work: A very round face (add fade contrast).
  3. 03Buzz cutBuzz length · best on 1A–4CNo proportion rule applies here, so it ranks on how many hair types it works for.When it doesn’t work: Puts bumps, a flat back of the head and prominent ears on show.
  4. 04Curtains / middle partMedium · best on 1A–2CCovers part of the forehead, which balances a longer face.When it doesn’t work: A prominent nose; an off-centre front cowlick; hidden from hairline stage 2.
  5. 05Edgar cutShort · best on 1A–2BCovers part of the forehead, which balances a longer face.When it doesn’t work: A low forehead, a front cowlick, prominent ears (skin fade); the hard front line shows temple recession from stage 3; trend-dependent (Janif 2014).
  6. 06Shaved head / bald fadeBuzz length · best on 1A–4CNo proportion rule applies here, so it ranks on how many hair types it works for.When it doesn’t work: Shows an irregular skull shape or scars. Trade-off from a US study (Mannes 2013): a shaved head reads as more dominant and about 4 years older, and scored lower on looks than a full head of hair.

Women's cutsProportions only

  1. 01French bob with bangsShort · best on 1B–2BShortens the overall line, which balances a longer face.When it doesn’t work: Round or short faces, a low forehead, a front cowlick, 3A+ hair, a jaw-heavy face, heavy frames.
  2. 02Blunt chin bobShort · best on 1A–2APuts weight at the jawline, which balances a longer face.When it doesn’t work: A square jaw or a large chin (end above or below the chin), 2C+ hair (turns into a triangle), dense coarse hair.
  3. 03Curtain-bang layered cutMedium · best on 1B–2CAdds width at the cheeks, which balances a longer face.When it doesn’t work: A very round, short face (end the bangs below the cheekbone); a front cowlick.
  4. 04ShagMedium · best on 2A–3BAdds fullness at the temples, which balances a longer face.When it doesn’t work: Very fine low-density hair; a round face if the volume sits at cheek level (move it to the crown); straight 1A–1B hair needs daily styling.
  5. 05Lob (long bob)Medium · best on 1A–3APuts weight at the jawline, which balances a longer face.When it doesn’t work: Few — a dependable middle ground.
  6. 06Buzz / cropBuzz length · best on 1A–4CNo proportion rule applies here, so it ranks on how many hair types it works for.When it doesn’t work: An irregular head shape, prominent ears, or wanting a soft look.

Want the list for your hair, not a textbook face? The free analysis adds your texture, density and hairline, and explains every pick.

Rank cuts for me

Checking by hand

Possible, but people tend to overestimate their face’s width and underestimate its length. A photo taken at arm’s length also distorts it, so stand back or use a timer.

  1. 1

    Pull your hair back

    Forehead, hairline and ears visible. Neutral expression, looking straight ahead.

  2. 2

    Measure four lines

    Forehead width, cheekbone width at the widest point, jaw width at the jaw corners, and length from hairline to chin.

  3. 3

    Divide

    Length ÷ cheekbone width, and forehead ÷ jaw. Compare with the ranges in “What defines it” above.

  4. 4

    Look at the jaw corner

    A sharp angle points to square or triangle; a curved one to round, oval or heart.

Oblong face shape: questions

What should an oblong face avoid?
By convention, anything that adds more length: tall quiffs and pompadours, and long, flat hair worn with a centre part.
Is rectangle the same as oblong?
Yes. Rectangle, oblong and long are used interchangeably; some charts reserve “rectangle” for an oblong face with a squarer jaw.
Do fringes really help a long face?
A fringe covers part of the forehead, so the visible face is shorter. It's one of the more mechanical stylist rules. It does depend on your hair: a front cowlick can make a straight fringe hard to wear.
How do I know if I have an oblong face?
Use the free face shape detector: it measures your proportions in your browser in about 10 seconds, and your photo never leaves your phone. You'll get your shape as a mix with a confidence level, plus three cuts that fit your proportions.

The other six shapes