Nail shape is not just about aesthetics—it affects comfort, manicure durability, and the overall impression of your hands. Among the many shapes, the “soft square” is considered one of the most versatile: it combines the sharpness of a classic square with a gentle rounding, giving nails a neat and elegant appearance. In this article, we’ll take a detailed look at how to properly file nails into this shape.

The “soft square” nail shape combines the best features of square and oval nails: straight tips provide practicality, while gently rounded edges add elegance. Essentially, it’s the perfect balance between style and convenience.

The soft square is like the little black dress of the nail world: a classic shape that goes well with any polish. And creating it is simpler than it seems.

However, achieving the perfect shape still requires a bit of practice.

The soft square shape has many advantages. These nails are easy to create at home, making them a great option for beginners. Unlike very long nails, which are prone to breakage, the soft square is low-maintenance while visually elongating the fingers.

Although nail trends constantly change, this shape is considered classic and suits almost everyone, including those with wide nail plates and fingers.

The soft square is popular because of its versatility—it works well for almost everyone. This shape looks equally attractive on both long and short nails. If you want to visually lengthen your fingers, opt for longer nails in the soft square shape. Short nails in this shape look neat, create a sense of sturdiness, and are less likely to break.

The secret to the perfect “soft square” nail shape lies in the 90:10 rule: 90% of the work is done with nail clippers, and the remaining 10% with a file. First, shape the nail roughly using clippers, then use a file to carefully refine it to perfection. 

1. Trim your nails

First, prepare a nail clipper (if you want to shorten the length a bit) and a 240-grit nail file. This file is perfect for shaping natural nails: it’s soft enough not to remove too much length.
If your nails are currently long and you want to shorten them, start by giving them a square shape. To do this, carefully cut the nails straight across with the clippers. If your nails are already short, you can skip this step and go straight to filing. 

2. Shape the nail into a straight line and check the length

Once your nails have reached the desired length, you can move on to shaping them. File the top edge of the nail straight to create an even line. If your nails are short, be careful: the file should not touch the skin under the nail, as this can cause irritation or result in filing too close to the cuticle.
After you have treated all your nails, check their length. Bring your hand up to your face, palm facing you. Make sure the free edge of the nail is even and matches your preference. If you want a shorter length, gently trim or continue filing the nails across until you achieve the desired result. 

3. Round the corners

Hold the nail file at a 45-degree angle to the corner of the nail and gently start rounding the free edge. Move smoothly, following the shape of the corner, to give the nail a beautiful rounded form.
Don’t be afraid to take short pauses — we recommend checking the nail angle regularly after each stroke to avoid over-filing. 

4. Repeat on all fingers

Once you’ve mastered the technique of shaping your nail corners into a “soft square,” repeat the third step on all your fingers to create a full set of neat and well-groomed nails.
If by the end of the day the shape doesn’t seem perfectly ideal, don’t worry. The most important thing is to consider the individual characteristics of your nail plate rather than following trends. For short nails, it’s best to choose a square or slightly rounded shape, while longer nails are perfect for “ballerina” or “stiletto” shapes.

Read also: Is it possible to file or trim nails with gel polish on?