the wayfarer

I remember a time when I thought a wayfarer was just a person who liked to travel on foot. Then my, ever so hip, Daddy explained that Wayfarers weren't just an SAT word, they're also a style of glasses patented by Ray-Ban. In fact, the wayfarer, according to Wikipedia, is the most popular style of glasses that have ever produced.



The Ray-Ban Wayfarer got it's start in 1952 and caused a stir as they were among the first sunglasses not to be made with metal. Although they enjoyed some popularity upon their conception, it wasn't until Audrey Hepburn wore them in Breakfast at Tiffany's that they started to be considered a fashion statement. The Wayfarer has managed to stick around and with the help of a $50,000/yr deal with the Unique Product Placement company. In 1983, after Tom Cruise wore a pair of Wayfarers in Risky Business, 360,000 pairs of the glasses were sold. In 1986 after frequent appearances on Miami Vice and in Moonlighting, sales soared to 1.5 billion.

Available at ShopBop.

The company has tried several times to redesign the Wayfarer but it has always come back to the classic patent, which makes perfect sense--the Wayfarer is the little black dress of eye-wear.

No matter the time not matter the place, it's always stylish.