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Very few fashion brands can say that they’ve stood the test of time, especially those that don’t constantly evolve to fit the ever changing trends. Well, the Ray-Ban Wayfarer is one brand that keeps coming back for more and has managed not to get a major face-lift over the decades.
Wayfarers have been manufactured by Ray-Ban since 1952. Since then, the brand has come and gone…and come and gone…and come again. Although very successful in the 1950s and 1960s, the brand’s popularity hit a slump in the 1970s. With the help of some primo product placement in the 1980s, the brand struck gold once again. You may recognize the brand from such movies as The Blues Brothers, The Breakfast Club, or the infamous showing in the hit, Risky Business.
Although successful in the 1980s, the brand hit another slump in the 1990s. During this time, the brand even underwent a redesign that proved to be unsuccessful. It wasn’t until the late 2000s that Ray-Ban noticed stars rocking some vintage Wayfarer frames, so they came to their senses and brought back the original design. Since then, the brand has found itself at a steady up and up.
So, what’s so special about the design you ask. Well design critic, Stephen Bayley, once stated, “The distinctive trapezoidal frame spoke a non-verbal language that hinted at unstable dangerousness, but one nicely tempered by the sturdy arms which, according to the advertising, gave the frames a ‘masculine look.’” Who knew a pair of glasses could say so much.
This brand has not only survived the test of time, but remained an iconic symbol for many generations. It’s pretty impressive that you can flip though the channels on your TV and see Tom Cruise rocking some Wayfarers in Risky Business one minute, and the next minute see a 20 year old wearing a pair on MTV today. Only time will tell if future generations will find this design as mysteriously cool as we apparently do.
Contributed by: Ashley Hollingsworth
