History of the Ray Ban Wayfarer

One of the best-selling styles of sunglasses

For more than 50 years, the Wayfarer style of sunglasses has been one of the most popular styles and is believed by some historians to be one of the best-selling designs ever manufactured.

What are Wayfarer sunglasses?

Introduced in 1952 by sunglasses manufacturer Ray Ban, this particular style features a distinctive frame and dark lenses, which was made popular by Hollywood celebrities like Marilyn Monroe, Audrey Hepburn, and James Dean.

Besides the aesthetically-pleasing shape, Wayfarers took advantage of breakthroughs in plastics and were made with polarized lenses and spring hinges.

Making a comeback

Although wayfarers were one of the most popular styles on the market in the 1950s and 1960s, sales fell dramatically in the 1970s and early 1980s. Then a string of movies like Risky Business, Blues Brothers, and the television series Miami Vice brought new life to the dying trend.

Although the comeback only lasted through the early 1990s, wayfarers quickly reemerged in the mid-2000s again as a must-have fashion accessory. Chloe Sevigny has been credited with starting the most recent trend, but it is probably the number of stars who followed her lead that have made them so popular. Today, celebrities like Kirsten Dunst, Mischa Baron, and Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen can be seen wearing this particular style.

Keeping up with the times

Over the years, Ray-Ban manufactured several different styles, colors, and sizes of Wayfarer sunglasses to reflect the current trends and styles of the time. There's no doubt that this attributed to the continued success of this particular style of sunglasses.

However, the newfound popularity among celebrities and a surging interest in retro fashion prompted Ray-Ban to re-release the original style of the Wayfarer. In fact, the original style of Wayfarers was the centerpiece of its 2007 spring and summer collection.