The classic Ray-Ban shades. With the mere mention of that, your mind instantly plays an image of Wayfarers adorning everyone you ever thought was cool. from Don Johnson in Miami Vice to Tom Cruise in Risky business. The year that movie came out 360,000 pairs of Wayfarers sold, a testament to their huge popularity.

 

 Bausch & Lomb first created the aviator style of sunglasses in 1936, with that the Ray-Ban company was founded a year later. On May 7 of 1937  Bausch & Lomb took out a patent, and the Aviator became available to the public for the first time. They were originally  introduced for the United States Army Air Corps to protect the soldiers’ eyes from harmful light while maintaining a fashionable look. The Ray-Ban Aviator became a well-known when photos of General MacArthur showed him wearing them during World War II . Continue reading →