Ray-Bans started purely as utilitarian gear. Lieutenant General John MacCready of the U.S. Air Corps and his fellow pilots were tired of getting splitting headaches caused by the sun. He called up Bausch & Lomb and they created the first-ever (and now iconic) Ray-Ban Aviators in 1937.
[Photo: Instagram]
General Douglas MacArthur made Ray-Bans gain popularity. He was photographed wearing them when he landed in the beach in the Philippines during World War II. This photo gave Ray-Bans global exposure.
[Photo: Wikimedia]
Did you ever wonder why the lenses are tinted green? "By absorbing 85% of visible light and blocking out most of the blue light, green lenses provide remarkable color contrast. G-15 green lenses ensure better clarity of vision and a more natural vision," the company states.
[Photo: Ray-Ban]
In the 1960s, Bob Dylan and Andy Warhol made the Wayfarers extremely popular. That all came to a halt when the disco era came along. During the disco days, other brands (like Dior) were introducing more "extravagant" eyewear and Ray-Bans popularity seriously declined. The company did release a disco-inspired line, but it never took off.
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Despite the decline of Ray-Bans in the 70s, Tom Cruise single-handedly made Wayfarers cool again when he appeared wearing them in the 1983 film Risky Business. The company sold 360,000 pairs of sunglasses that year. Aviators also gained back their popularity in Cruise's 1986 film Top Gun.
[Photo: Instagram]
