The postwar space age-era design of Ray-Ban Wayfarers has never gone out of style. I prefer the tortoise frame with non-polarized green/grayish lenses, instead of black frames, to stay clear of the "Jake Blues" or 'Tom Cruise in "Risky Business"' look. (But Cary Grant, Audrey Hepburn, James Dean, Roy Orbison, John Lennon, Kim Novak, JFK, Elvis Costello and Deborah Harry are good company.)
Green lenses are great for driving and are free of visible distortion, as you would expect from Ray-Bans. Cheap copies do not provide this. Reduction of glare is ample, with minimal disruption of color.
The fit is more dressy than sporty: somewhat clunky but not uncomfortable, and over the temples, gentler than expected. The hinges are intended to allow the stems to overextend slightly, and the manufacturer includes what appears to be a spring catch not resistant enough to snap. I decided not to try to tighten these as I became used to the fit.
Consider a larger frame than 50mm if your body type or hat size warrants it, such as the Wayfarer II frame, as this 50mm Wayfarer model will appear too small on big and tall men.
Purchasing from a reputable sunglass retailer by online auction undercuts huge retail markup (about 40%, or over $50.00 for me) on name brand sunglasses, online and in the mall, if you know exactly what you are looking for by color, size and model number. Consistently solid buyer feedback in the thousands will protect |
