Since it’s creation in 1952, the shape of Ray-Ban’s Wayfarer has become an icon by itself. You can find it’s impostors hidden in the seas of other impostors. But when it comes to timeless style and design, the Wayfarer is a piece of fashion and history that transcends any fad. Click to read more.

With the Wayfarer’s debut, the design was a revolutionary break from the common metal rimmed eyewear of the time. The shape was designed by optical designer Raymond Stegeman, who produced dozens of design patents for Bausch & Lomb, Ray-Ban’s parent company. The design was a completely new shape than anything on the market at the time. It was “a mid-century classic to rival Eames chairs and Cadillac tail fins.” According to design critic Stephen Bayley, “the distinctive trapezoidal frame spoke in 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”.

Simple, unassuming, yet bold and daring, Wayfarers have always evoked a sense of rebelliousness in those who wear them. You seem to channel the cool, effortless swagger of James Dean everytime you put a pair on. Sure they’ve been copied many times, from Oakley to Super, but the original design has yet to be matched. Ray Ban Wayfarers are not exclusively sold at select retailers and they are not limited edition collectors’ pieces.

What they are, are the one accessory that you can’t go wrong with. They are not necessary but they are in so many ways. Your son or daughter will wear them and so will theirs. They are here to stay. Class dismissed.