Shades of Summer. Vintage forever sunglasses
After a winter of storms and grey sky days it was great to see that glimmer of light, however, bright sunshine is ok but not for the eyes so a decent bonafide pair of UV protection glasses are a must and what brand could be more synonymous with Summer and sunlight than a pair of iconic Ray-Ban sunglasses.
The ones in the picture below were a treasured gift from a loved one over twenty years ago, a pair of 80s vintage Wayfarer (Bausch & Lomb) and Aviators (Luxottica).
The luxury brand was created in 1936 when the company was commissioned by the US Army to produce eyewear for pilots, check the link below to read the full history of this well established, ever-popular product and its makers.
Due to marketing innovations they became even more popular around the 80s when featured in a host of movies and as seen on fashion & music icons.
Sales peaked when seen on superstar legend, Tom Cruise when he wore a pair of Wayfarers in the iconic dance scene in the movie 'Risky Business'. The Aviator sunglasses were created for pilots in 1929 to alleviate glare. Another sales boost came in the mid-eighties when Tom Cruise and his co-star co-pilots donned the Aviators in the action film 'Top Gun'.
Fact Checking...
what would we do without Google and Wikipedia
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"Ray-Ban is a brand of luxury sunglasses and eyeglasses created in 1936 by Bausch & Lomb. The brand is best known for its Wayfarer and Aviator lines of sunglasses. In 1999, Bausch & Lomb sold the brand to Italian eyewear conglomerate Luxottica Group for a reported $640 million."
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"The company, Baush & Lombe, based in Rochester, New York was established in 1853 first making monocles, before moving onto a host of optical products including microscopes, binoculars and camera shutters."
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