I received my first pair of Ray-Ban sunglasses when I was a young teenager. And as cool as they were, the version I was gifted by my uncle were a size that nearly pinched the blood vessels in my head because they were smaller.
I would learn much later that if you want Ray-Ban’s, the first thing people should do is try them on and find out if they were for you. While the 55’s suited me more, the original Ray-Ban Wayfarer’s had this slant that didn’t look good on my face.
For those who know me, sunglasses have been a big part of my life since I was in high school. They have been a big part of me and seldom do I take photos or seen outdoors (and sometimes indoors) without them.
Like my socks and watches, I have many different collection of sunglasses but I have yet to try the new Ray-Ban Wayfarers which has less of the slant (the classic originals are still on sale) but Ray-Ban now offers so many variations of sunglasses.
For those not familiar with Ray-Ban, the company was founded back in 1937 by American company, Bausch & Lomb, best known for their eye and health products.
In 1999, Bausch & Lomb sold Ray-Ban to the Italian company, Luxottica Group, the largest eyewear company in the world and also owns Oakley, Persol and other sunglasses branded by fashion companies such as Burberry, Giorgio Armani, Versace, to name a few. In fact, Luxottica also owns LensCrafters, Pearle Vision and Sunglass Hut.
And for Ray-Ban, they are best known for the Wayfarer and the Aviator sunglasses.
For my new purchase of Ray-Ban, I chose the Wayfarer, I decided to go rubber instead of plastic, as I wanted to make sure that I had flexibility (and the memories of it pinching my head would soon go away). I went for the 55’s and the G-15 Lens.
The first thing I recommend for anyone purchasing Ray-Ban’s is to try them on if you can. It’s one thing to know if you want a size 55 or a size 52, but other countries offer smaller sizes.
The next step after knowing the size is to make sure it’s the real deal. For one, there are a lot of knock offs sold on eBay, third party by Amazon… BE CAREFUL!
Polarized Ray-Ban’s are expensive, so if you see them for $75, unless they are used, do not believe a seller who is selling many polarized Ray-Ban’s for $75, those are nearly $200.
Also, Ray-Ban leather pouches, look for the insignia on the button but also that it has a black velvet pouch lining and not in red. Please note that there are other Ray-Ban leather pouches that are sold, especially for limited editions or in other countries.
Last, you get a Ray-Ban lens cleaner with instructions from Luxottica.
Last, make sure the Ray-Ban logo on the sides of the glasses are embossed, their is a print of the logo on the upper left corner of the lens, and RB on the middle right of the right lens and that the inside of the glasses show that they are made in Italy.
But it’s important to be careful when you purchase one. Try them on first and know your size, then purchase from a reputable establishments such as Macy’s, Ideel. Especially knowing that auction sites and even Amazon third party sellers, may sell you a knockoff version.
Overall, Ray-Ban’s are simply worth owning. Sunglass enthusiasts should own one or more and have it in their collection!
