Ray-Ban has been a popular brand since the early 1940s, when Gen. Douglas MacArthur was photographed wearing them while landing on the beach in Philippines. Since then, Ray-Ban has never looked back. The Ray-Ban sunglasses have adorned the face of millions, right from the man on the street to celebs. What more! Year after year, this iconic brand has clocked record sales figures.
Here is a look into the icons who sported Ray-Bans during the various times in history.
The ‘50s and ‘60s
Throughout the ‘50s and ‘60s, the Ray-Ban Wayfarer sunglasses were the choice of various celebrities. Musicians such as Bob Marley and Bob Dylan grabbed every opportunity that they could to sport a pair of Ray-Ban sunglasses. Even actors and actresses like Marilyn Monroe, James Dean, Kim Novak, Muhammad Ali, Roy Orbison, Ray Charles and Audrey Hepburn had a passion for flaunting the chic collection of Ray-Ban sunglasses. Political figures like John F. Kennedy, America’s first citizen, also wore eye-catching Ray-Bans on public occasions.
Ray-Ban and the ‘80s
The Hollywood movies promoted Ray-Bans during the ‘80s in a big way. Tom Cruise starrer ‘Risky Business’ led to an increase in the sales of Ray-Ban’s Aviator sunglasses by 50 percent, while his ‘Top Gun’ increased the Ray-Ban sales by 40 percent. Ray-Ban’s Wayfarers were also sported by pop music stars like Michael Jackson, Madonna, Blondie, Billy Joel, Johnny Marr, Debbie Harry and Elvis Costello. In fact, in 1982, Wayfarers were seen in over 60 TV shows and films around the world.
In 1980, these iconic sunglasses got a boost when comedians Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi wore black Wayfarers in the blockbuster film ‘The Blues Brothers’. In ‘Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas’, Raoul Duke’s Aviators are considered as one of the most bizarre Ray-Ban designs ever. His Kalichrome Shooter Aviator had a cigarette hole that supposedly allowed the wearer to free both his hands.
Ray-Ban sunglasses marked their presence in many other movies like Bruce Willis’s ‘Moonlighting’ and Quentin Tarantino’s ‘Reservoir Dogs’. Actor Jack Nicholson’s constant sightings in Wayfarers and Don Henley’s reference to them in his 1984 hit ‘The Boys of Summer’ helped as well.
Recent Ray-Ban sightings
More recently, Ray-Ban sunglasses have been seen adorning the face of many celebrities. Singers like Katy Perry, Bruno Mars, Justin Bieber and Miley Cyrus have been seen accessorizing themselves with a pair of Ray-Bans.
2008’s ‘Twilight’ actor Robert Pattinson was seen wearing a pair of Ray-Ban Wayfarers. Other actors who have been spotted wearing Ray-Bans recently are Paris Hilton, Jennifer Aniston, Johnny Depp and Emma Watson. Even political figures like Barack Obama have had an affinity for the classy and elegant collection of Ray-Ban sunglasses.
It has been almost 70 years since the inception of Ray-Bans. All through these years, they have defined what sunglasses should be in terms of style and use. Even today, our first choice for a pair of sunglasses tends to be a Ray-Ban. As they say, styles may come and go, but a pair of Ray-Bans lasts forever!
