History of Wayfarer Sunglasses
Brief Heritage of Ray-Ban
Ray-Ban, producer of the well known sun shades under the same label, was founded in 1937 by Bausch & Lomb.
It all began many years previously when a Air Force Officer John MacCready returned from a balloon traveling event, endured eye injury in the long term due to high altitude tolerating the the sun’s rays as in balloon traveling.
Bausch & Lomb was invited in to come up with glasses that might assisted people who would be in comparable position as Lieutenant John MacCready, especially the aviators of United States Army Air Corps.
The fact that year, Bausch & Lomb invented the Anti-Glare eyewear model, which weighs about 150 grams. The two pieces of green lens were hold by gold-plated metal of wire development.
Ban The Rays?
The outstanding options that come with this model were the ability to filter the destructive infrared and ultraviolet light, a very first during that point in time.
One more attribute was the shape and size of the lens. The form of the lens was of oblique teardrop and the dimensions was very different from those reading or prescription eyeglasses as these types of were smaller. This model carries a lower end of the lens to aid the aviators to look downward at the controls and never have to look down. The large size of the lens, coupled with the slightly convex shape, help to provide a larger area of coverage to the eyes from those damaging infrared and ultraviolet light.
Towards the finish of World War 2, when General Douglas MacArthur landed on the beach in the Philippines wearing a Ray-Ban Aviator and was snagged in the lens of several journalists, soon the Ray-Ban Aviator has become a well-known design of sun glasses.
Advert of The Ray-Ban Wayfarer
In 1952, the Ray-Ban Wayfarer was introduced. Just like the Aviator, the Wayfarer was also meant for aviators and pilots to use at large. The Wayfarer’s design was obviously a ground-breaking break from the metal-framed eyeglasses, thanks to a new plastic molding technology then.
Slowly but surely, the eyewear market saw one more complementary shift in design, marking an era of plastic eyewear.
Hollywood and Wayfarer
The Wayfarers experienced its’ share of recognition in the 1950s and 1960s, specially when Audrey Hepburn made an appearance with one in the motion picture, Breakfast at Tiffany’s.
Soon right after, there were many well-known people who were seen with Wayfarers, like President John Kennedy, John Lennon, Bob Dylan, James Dean, Roy Orbison and Andy Warhol.
As these Wayfarers were meant for men, going by those advertising campaigns during those times, it rose with attraction to Hollywood’s starlets like Kim Novak and Marilyn Monroe who were seen with these “over-sized” eyewear now more seen as a cult item or accessory.
By the 1970s, the Wayfarer found a decline in its popularity. In 1982, through a product placement deal with Hollywood, Wayfarers were again savoring a revival. In 1986, its reputation reached 1.5 million pairs in revenue. By this time, the Wayfarers had more than 30 designs, up from just 2 designs in 1981.
The 1990 saw its drop again. This time, the Wayfarer was returned to the drawing block to undergo a design revamp. Improvements were made to the frame, lighter injected plastic were used for its frame.
With the interest in vintage-framed Wayfarers, fuelled by Chloe Sevigny and Mary-Kate Olsen, Ray-Ban were quick to spot the popularity. In 2007, the vintage-frame style was re-introduced. Names like Original Wayfarer, New Wayfarer and folding Wayfarer were marketed. Product sales had never been this excellent before.
Wayfarers had been credited as a classic current design as well as just about the most enduring trend icons of the 20th century. Often, with the Aviators, Wayfarers are now and again mentioned as the best-selling design of sunglasses ever.