The Ray Ban Story
Few sunglasses have occupied such a storied place in American culture and history as Ray Bans.
From Presidents to movie stars, rock stars to artists, fashion designers to runway models, there's not a generation alive that can't remember owning (or wanting to own) a pair of these iconic sunglasses.
While Ray Bans now can be seen on the next generation of Hollywood style setters, the famed sunglasses had a much more practical and humble beginning.
Founded in 1937 by Bausch & Lomb, the first Ray Ban sunglasses were created for the U.S. Army Air Corp. The Army was looking for a sunglass to protect aviators from the damaging rays of the sun, but also a sunglass that would look elegant on the dashing airman of the day.
The first sunglass to incorporate an anti-glare lens, the metal frame was extremely lightweight and made from gold-plated metal with two green lenses that filtered out UV rays.
The U.S. Army Air Corps pilots instantly took to the sunglasses, earning Ray-Bans the moniker "Aviator Glasses" -- a term which now describes all sunglasses with designs that are similar to the original Ray-Ban.
From their pragmatic beginnings offering airman protection from the sun, Ray-Bans quickly became part of American fashion and popular culture when, in 1952, Ray Ban broke from traditional metal frames and created hard plastic frame called "The Ray-Ban Wayfarer."
Now considered a revolutionary moment in eyewear design, the Wayfarer quickly gained popularity among both the fringe and the well-heeled.
Ironically, the original Wayfarers were intended to be marketed to men ... until women fell in love with the sleek, shiny design that seemed to flatter any shape of face.
Soon the sunglasses began to turn up on everyone from Presidents and fashionable women to folk musicians and East Village Hipsters. Wayfarers were got a PR boost in when Audrey Hepburn's Holly Go lightly practically lived in her Wayfarers in the 1961 movie Breakfast at Tiffany's.
Throughout the 50s and 60s, Ray Ban Wayfarers were the sunglass of choice for everyone from Bob Dylan, to Andy Warhol, James Dean, Marilyn Monroe, Roy Orbison, John Lennon and countless average American teenagers who just wanted to look cool on the beach.
By the 1990s, Ray-Ban once again faced a slump the trends of the 80s and wrap-around sunglasses from manufacturers like Oakley became in-vogue. The company tried to kick-start sales by updating the frame's styling, but again they fell flat."
In 2007, Ray-Ban re-introduced the original Ray-Ban Wayfarer design, but expanded the colour options beyond the traditional palette to include patterns like checks and camouflage and colours like navy, white, turquoise, red, and blue.
The strategy worked, and once again, Ray-Ban and Ray-Ban Wayfarers seemed to stare you in the face every time you opened a fashion magazine.
After a 10 year hiatus, Ray-Ban is cool again and even the original Aviator-style is showing up on celebrities!
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