There is ONE Pair of sunglasses that immediately comes to mind when paired with the word ICONIC and that’s the “Wayfarers”.

They were designed in 1952 by the American optical designer Raymond Stegeman for Bausch and Lomb.

This is the original drawing used to file the design patent for Ray-Ban Aloha sunglasses on July 22nd, 1952 almost 70 years ago!

This Iconic frame patent number is

169,995

The design was

Inspired by Eames Chairs

The Eames brothers, Charles and Ray designed for the Herman Miller furniture company.

It was the first chair they designed for a high-end market. It was so successful that it is now
part of the permanent collection of New York’s Museum of Modern Art.

rayban wayfarer polarized sale

Inspired by Cadillac fins.

This was the “Golden Age” of American auto design.

And it spread worldwide!

Car designers were picking up US styling trends and going wild.

Break Through Technology

At that time, all glasses were made from wire and metal frames.

Bausch & Lomb had already pioneered the ‘Anti-Glare’ technology with the Ray-Ban Aviators.

Creating lenses that ‘Banned’ rays, cutting out the glare without obscuring vision.

Now they were disrupting the entire industry AGAIN by making glasses out of plastic!

They used a brand new plastic molding technology using heavy acetate material.

Revolutionary at the time.

The design, material and lenses were all break throughs in and of their own.

Birthing the Wayfarer was indeed a rebellious thing.

Think of is as launching the walkman or the ipod of the time.

Rebel without a cause

“Dream as if you’ll live forever. Live as if you’ll die today.” James Dean

It was immortalized in the fitting “Rebel without a cause” starring James Dean, then only 24.

But while James Dean paved the way for the Wayfarers by putting them on the big screen, it’s another American hero that popularized the style.

JFK

It’s 1961 and America has a new president. A new vision.

Millions of inspired American men are trying to imitate the Camelot style.

Overnight, millions put wayfarers or variations of too.

But there’s a dirty secret about JFK’s sunglasses.

And it’s NOT what you think.

I’ll tell ALL in the follow up post.

That’s why the greats wore them:

“Imperfection is beauty, madness is genius and it’s better to be absolutely ridiculous than absolutely boring.” Marilyn Monroe

“It’s 106 miles to Chicago, we got a full tank of gas, half a pack of cigarettes, it’s dark… and we’re wearing sunglasses.” Blues Brothers

Part II: Stars who ROCKED Wayfarer’s >>> CLICK HERE

rayban wayfarer polarized sale

rayban wayfarer polarized sale

rayban wayfarer polarized sale