The Ray-Ban Wayfarer design debuted in 1952, quickly becoming one of the most iconic (and oft-imitated) shapes on the market. It’s easy to identify, with its sturdy acetate frame, logos on both temples and two tiny metal ovals (known as decorative rivets) on the front. You’ll rarely find them in colors other than glossy black or tortoise, of which there are a few variants, but they can be bought with or without polarized lenses in a few different tints.
The brand’s consistency has made it a household name. Like your favorite Nike sneakers, which probably haven’t changed that much over time, you know a pair of Ray-Bans when you see them. They’re easy to spot for a reason: so others will buy them too. They’re a status symbol; not quite luxury but not something to scoff at either. The original Wayfarer will run you between $163 and $213 dollars, which is a sizable amount of money for most folks.
To be honest, I’ve always felt you could do better with that chunk of change. Ray-Bans are not bad. The Wayfarer is an icon. But there are plenty of independent brands designing new sunglasses using a broader array of colors and tints, thus creating more interesting eyewear altogether. Maybe it’s the individualist in me — because everyone owns them, I’d rather not. Perhaps I’m drawn to new things, or even things that evolve.
Yes, Ray-Ban introduced Ray-Ban Stories, a Wayfarer with built-in cameras that can capture content and upload it straight to Facebook. But that’s not the sort of evolution I’m interested in. I’m talking about aesthetic evolution — a change in shape, color or construction.
Well, at last, Ray-Ban has delivered that with its new Colorblock collection, a suite of Wayfarers in five new hues. There’s a red pair with blue lenses, purple pair with orange lenses, green pair with gray lenses, blue pair with red lenses and a green pair with green lenses. Each one comes with a tonal cord for wearing around your neck, but only one has polarized lenses (the green on green iteration).
Ray-BanSHAPE: SQUARE
Original Wayfarer Colorblock
-
$258.00 (100% off)
