Do you love to sport aviator sunglasses? The history of the Ray-Ban aviator sunglasses is pretty incredible, and you should know it if you are fan of these tear-drop shaped shades. Many designs of sunglasses have emerged over the past century, but none have ruled the fashion world like the aviators.
Originally developed in 1936 by Bausch and Lomb, aviators were distributed under the trade name Ray-Ban. They were called aviator sunglasses since they were first specifically designed for pilots during the World War II period. These shades became popular when pictures of General Douglas Macarthur wearing these classic sunglasses when he landed in Philippines were printed in newspapers across the world. The very next year Ray-Ban introduced these aviators into the general market.
The signature tear-drop shaped lenses of the Ray-Ban Aviator sunglasses were inspired by the shape of Ray-Ban’s flying goggles. At first, typical aviator-styled Ray-Ban eyewear came with lenses that were triple the size of the eye sockets. The large reflective lenses were enclosed in sturdy metal frames. They also had bayonet earpieces and cable temples for a perfect fit. The gentle curve of the lenses was designed to reduce as much glare as possible. The neutral-gray colored lenses were made from G-15 tempered glass, which transmitted 20% of the light that entered it.
Aviator sunglasses specially designed with anti-glare properties became extremely useful for professional shooters. Soon, law officers and military pilots started wearing aviators as they not only offered sun protection, but also gave them an authoritative look.
Since the 1960s, Ray-Ban Aviator sunglasses have been extremely popular among celebrities such as Michael Jackson, Paul McCartney, and Ringo Starr. In the eighties, these celebrity sunglasses became even more famous when Tom Cruise wore Ray-Ban aviators in his movie, "Top Gun". The other movie stars seen sporting these shades are John Lennon, Travis Bickle, Jim Morrison, Mas Oyama, Jimmy Page, John Bonham, GG Allin, Britney Spears, Madonna, and Kayne West.
Originally developed in 1936 by Bausch and Lomb, aviators were distributed under the trade name Ray-Ban. They were called aviator sunglasses since they were first specifically designed for pilots during the World War II period. These shades became popular when pictures of General Douglas Macarthur wearing these classic sunglasses when he landed in Philippines were printed in newspapers across the world. The very next year Ray-Ban introduced these aviators into the general market.
The signature tear-drop shaped lenses of the Ray-Ban Aviator sunglasses were inspired by the shape of Ray-Ban’s flying goggles. At first, typical aviator-styled Ray-Ban eyewear came with lenses that were triple the size of the eye sockets. The large reflective lenses were enclosed in sturdy metal frames. They also had bayonet earpieces and cable temples for a perfect fit. The gentle curve of the lenses was designed to reduce as much glare as possible. The neutral-gray colored lenses were made from G-15 tempered glass, which transmitted 20% of the light that entered it.
Aviator sunglasses specially designed with anti-glare properties became extremely useful for professional shooters. Soon, law officers and military pilots started wearing aviators as they not only offered sun protection, but also gave them an authoritative look.
Since the 1960s, Ray-Ban Aviator sunglasses have been extremely popular among celebrities such as Michael Jackson, Paul McCartney, and Ringo Starr. In the eighties, these celebrity sunglasses became even more famous when Tom Cruise wore Ray-Ban aviators in his movie, "Top Gun". The other movie stars seen sporting these shades are John Lennon, Travis Bickle, Jim Morrison, Mas Oyama, Jimmy Page, John Bonham, GG Allin, Britney Spears, Madonna, and Kayne West.