Throwback-Comeback: The Ray Ban Wayfarer

Article written by: Jacob Breinholt
Posted on: May 14, 2009

Now that warm weather is finally arriving, it is time to pick out some hot shades to rock, this summer. Why not go with the old school classic, Ray-Ban’s Wayfarer?

This tried and true style is making a major comeback. The Wayfarer was widely popular in the 50’s and 60’s. Audrey Hepburn wore them in Breakfast at Tiffany’s. They were also frequently worn by James Dean. The glasses were seen as a revolutionary breakthrough, deviating from the popular metal frame styles that preceded them. The thick plastic frames of the Wayfarer set the standard for years to come. In the 1970’s Wayfarer’s went out of vogue for a while, but made a huge comeback in the 80’s. This was when they originally became a hit on the west coast hip hop scene. Long before Flava Flav ever dreamed about  Flavor of Love, he was sporting Ray-Ban Wayfarers.

The Wayfarer once again went through a period of decline in the 90’s. Ray-Ban tried to turn that around in 2001 when they totally redesigned the Wayfarer. The new design was less angular, in hopes that the newer design would be able to compete better with the other styles that were selling at the time. The redesign did not end up doing much to boost the glasses’ popularity. In fact, if anything it may have actually had the opposite effect, causing the Wayfarers to have a decreased standing in the fashion world.

However, the last season has seen a huge comeback by the Wayfarer. In early 2007, when the original model of the Wayfarer was blowing up on Ebay and in vintage stores, Ray-Ban decided that it was time to bring back the original style. This was bolstered by Ray-Ban’s recent canvasing of all fashion magazines with their latest ad campaign: “Never Hide.” The wayfarer is a very versatile design. Unlike the aviator design, which is pretty much limited to sporty casual dress, the Wayfarer is equally appropriate for wearing on the town, at the beach, or in more formal settings. Kanye West may not have had much luck bringing back the shutter shades, but Ye does know how to ride the Wayfarer wave. Also check out Redman sporting the yellow frames. Pharrell Williams definitely pulls off this look flawlessly.

Don’t go thinking that the Wayfarer is only for guys. One great thing about Ray-Ban bringing back the model with the original specs (no pun intended), is that unlike the vintage version, the Wayfarer now comes in a variety of sizes and variations, including different colors of frames, polarized lenses and different colored lenses. So if you are a lady (or a dude) with a petite face, you should still be able to find the right size and color, so that you can look hot  in a hot new pair of Wayfarers this summer. Fergie sports hers with such style, it’s no wonder that so many guys are after her lovely lady lumps.

When Ray-Ban brought back the aviators, there were a lot of doubters. But, it didn’t take long before they became an accessory necessity.  No doubt, the Wayfarer will follow suit, judging from the way that they have already been flooding back onto the scene.

Ray Ban’s Wayfarers are available here.