There’s a strange thing that happens when someone with a larger head finally puts on a pair of our sunglasses that truly fits them.
They say something like, “These look massive.”
It doesn’t matter that the arms finally don’t pinch, that the lenses actually cover their eyes, or that—for the first time—they’re wearing a frame made for their face rather than borrowed from someone else’s. The gut reaction is almost always the same: “These look too big.”
As someone who specializes in designing sunglasses for big heads, I’ve come to call this the Haircut Paradox.
It’s a reaction I’ve seen many times. And I don’t think it’s because the sunglasses are too large. It’s because—for the first time—they’re not too small.
That might sound like a contradiction. But if you’ve spent your whole life wearing frames that pinch, dig in, or hover awkwardly over your cheeks, the moment you finally see a frame sitting where it should, your brain doesn’t register it as “correct”—it registers it as unusual. That discomfort isn’t physical. It’s perceptual. And it does take a little getting used to.
I’ve come to call this phenomenon the Haircut Paradox, (I like to pretend I’m a psychologist sometimes, you may call me Dr. Ben). It’s that initial jolt you get when you get a new haircut, forget it happened and then look at yourself in the mirror, it’s…shocking.
When the Right Fit Feels “Wrong”
We like to believe we’re good at recognizing what suits us. That we can look in a mirror and just know what works. But in reality, our brains are wired to prefer the familiar over the accurate.
That’s why customers so often gravitate toward frames that are actually too small for them. It’s not because they look better. It’s because they look normal—as in, consistent with how that person has always seen themselves.
When someone with a larger head finally puts on sunglasses designed for them, the initial reaction is rarely pure joy. It’s usually hesitation. Confusion. Even rejection. “They look huge,” they say. Or, “I don’t know if I can pull these off.”
But what they’re really saying is: this isn’t how I’m used to seeing myself.
In psychology, there’s something called the mere-exposure effect—the idea that we tend to develop a preference for things we’ve been repeatedly exposed to, even if those things aren’t ideal. Small sunglasses may never have fit well, but if that’s all someone’s ever known, anything else feels jarring. Correct, yes. But jarring nonetheless.
You’ve Been Trained to See Yourself in the Wrong Proportions
I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve had a customer send me a photo wearing a pair they think is “too big”—only for the proportions to look absolutely spot-on from my perspective, (and I’m an expert… and a doctor). Symmetrical lenses, smooth temple lines, no visible strain at the hinges. But to them, it just feels off.
That’s not their fault. It’s the result of years—maybe decades—of conditioning.
Most people haven’t spent time studying facial geometry or frame architecture. What they have done is grow accustomed to a distorted version of their own face in too-small sunglasses. The fit is tight, the coverage is narrow, and the arms are usually flaring out like a stretched hanger. But the mind doesn’t correct for any of this. It adapts to it. It builds a mental model around it. And then anything that challenges that model—anything that suddenly aligns with reality—feels wrong.
It’s like being told the way you’ve always smiled in photos is actually crooked. Or hearing a recording of your voice and thinking, “Wait, that’s what I sound like?” Our self-perception is sticky. Even when reality shows up in high definition, we struggle to accept it—at least at first.
Ask a Stranger, Not Your Spouse
One thing I always tell customers who are on the fence is to ask for a second opinion—but not from someone who’s used to seeing them every day.
Spouses and close friends usually mean well, but their feedback is colored by the same bias. If they’ve only ever seen you in sunglasses that didn’t fit, they might echo your reaction: “Yeah, those do look big.” Not because they are. But because they’re new.
A better test is to ask someone with fresh eyes—someone who has no image of you in their head already. It could be a co-worker, a sibling you haven’t seen in a while, or even a stranger, (just go up to someone on the street and scream, LOOK AT ME!). What you’re looking for is unfiltered feedback. And more often than not, that feedback sounds like: “Honestly? Those look great.”
There’s something powerful about that moment. It’s the shift from seeing the unfamiliar as threatening to seeing it as flattering. That’s when the paradox starts to break down.
What Happens After a Week
Here’s the pattern I’ve seen play out over and over again.
A customer writes to say the sunglasses look too big. I ask for a photo. I send back a thoughtful response explaining what I’m seeing, sometimes with the same language I’m using here. I suggest they give it a few days. Maybe ask a neutral observer.
And then—usually within a week—I get another message. Something like, “Actually… I think I’m starting to like them. You were right Dr. Ben.”
What’s fascinating is that nothing about the sunglasses changed. The lenses didn’t shrink. The frames didn’t morph. What changed was their internal reference point. Their brain recalibrated. Their mirror adjusted. And now, what once looked overwhelming looks... balanced. Fitting. Natural.
That shift isn’t about style. It’s about psychology. And the best part? Once it happens, it doesn’t reverse. People don’t go back to squeezing into tight frames. Once you see yourself in a proper fit, there’s no un-seeing it.
A Story from the XXL Frontlines
Yesterday, a customer of mine, Damon, stopped my house to try on some sunglasses in person (he was doing some business in Charlotte). Here is the actual email he sent me:
Good evening,
I ordered a pair of your sunglasses and they are too big. I was hoping to exchange them for the next size down. I got the 165mm, and I believe I need the 155mm.
I'm here in North Carolina and am going to be in Charlotte, NC on the morning of June 24th. Do you all have a physical location where I can exchange them?
Damon.
FYI, I did not get his permission to use his email, and he is an attorney sooooo, I might be in trouble. I invited him to my house on the condition he would be kind to my dog, all true.
As soon as I saw him I thought to myself, XXL is the best fit for him. I had laid out several pairs of XXL and XL for him to try on, and he was working through them in front of the mirror. I could see it happening in real time—this subtle avoidance of what actually fit him.
Each time he put on the XXLs, he’d study himself in the mirror with hesitation. Then he’d switch back to the XLs and seem to breathe easier—not because they were more comfortable, but because they felt familiar.
But something shifted, after a little guidance from myself. The more he compared, the more his expression changed. Curiosity turned into recognition. “Actually… yeah,” he said. “The XL is too small.”
He left with three pairs of XXLs and an XXL trucker cap.
I didn’t push. I didn’t hard-sell. I just gave him time. And his perception did the rest.
Damon, if you read this, thank you for being kind to my dog Remi, you were an absolute gentleman.
It’s Not Just About Fit—It’s About Identity
Something I’ve noticed across the board is that many men with large heads default to wraparound sport sunglasses. You know the kind—sleek, curved, aerodynamic. They’re not bad (they are), but they’re rarely a true preference. They’re a fallback. A compromise born out of necessity.
Sorry Guy, you honestly seem like a wonderful person...but those sunglasses.
Those frames are forgiving. Flexible. One-size-fits-most but not really. And for years, they’ve been the only viable option for people who couldn’t find stylish frames that actually fit.
But when someone finally puts on a bold, well-proportioned frame that’s made for their face—it changes something. I’ve watched men stand taller. Smile differently. You can see their posture shift. That’s not ego. That’s relief. It’s the moment someone realizes they’re no longer making do. They’re choosing.
Wearing something that fits isn’t just a comfort decision. It’s a statement. It says, “I know what works for me—and I’m not hiding anymore.”
You Wear the Sunglasses, the Sunglasses Don’t Wear You.
I’ve always believed that confidence leads and style follows—not the other way around.
There’s a scene in Fight Club where Brad Pitt wears a truly ridiculous pair of sunglasses. They’re oversized, flashy, borderline cartoonish. But they work. Not because of the shape or brand—but because he owns them. He wears them like armor. Like expression. And in doing so, he makes them cool.
Whenever someone tells me, “I don’t think I can pull these off,” I always come back to this: You can. The trick is wearing them like you mean it.
Let the frame sit properly. Let it cover what it’s supposed to cover. Let it be bold, if that’s what your head size calls for. You’re not overreaching—you’re finally wearing what was made for you.
Give it a few days. Ask someone without history. Let your brain adjust. Then step outside and own it.
Still unsure, here are some resources that you may find helpful? Browse our best selling 165mm XXL sunglasses, checkout our frame size options or take a look at the sunglasses fitting guide for big heads to see what the right fit really looks like.
Because the sunglasses don’t make you.
You make the sunglasses.