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Aviator

Ray-Ban Aviator Collection


Ray-Ban Aviators – A Historical Icon


 

The Ray-Ban Aviator is the original aviator style sunglass, invented by Ray-Ban in 1936 and originally available only to fighter pilots of that era. The model that is closest to the original design is the RB3025 but Ray-Ban has a range of styles to fit different face sizes and shapes, as well as personal taste. Other designers also have adopted the aviator design and added their own touches to it. The Aviator has been one of the most popular and enduring styles of sunglasses for the past 75 years.

The distinctive oblique teardrop shape was designed to match the smoked-lens flying goggles which Ray-Ban was selling to the military in the 1930’s. The goggles tended to create a mismatched tan (darker on the face, lighter around the eyes) that pilots understandably did not like). Military pilots found that sun and glare protection would be helpful to aid them during day missions and dogfights.

The large lenses bulge out slightly to cover the entire range of the eye and prevent as much light as possible from entering the eye. Aviators remain popular with military and civilian aviators, and law enforcement officers have also like them for many reasons including their excellent cancellation of glare when polarized lenses are mounted in them, and prevention of eye contact.

The general public first noticed the Aviator  when General Douglas MacArthur landed on the beach at Inchon in the Philippines. Several pictures of him wearing them appeared in newspapers, and Americans instantly fell in love with them.

The popularity of Aviators really took off as many celebrities began wearing them, especially in the 1960’s. Such stars as James Dean, Tom Cruise and Val Kilmer (Top Gun) and most actors who ever played a cop or a pilot has been seen in them.