There is no doubt about it, the term “iconic” gets tossed about more than it should. But some things are indeed iconic. Sometimes the term aptly applies to people, or places or even companies and their products. Such is the case with the company Ray-Ban and its sunglasses. In fact, for the longest time, many people thought of the iconic curves and shapes of Ray-Ban when they thought of sunglasses, period. While the sunglasses market may have more players these days, there is no way around it. Ray-Ban is an iconic brand known around the world, both by name and by the design of its enduring and seemingly timeless products.
Ray-Ban was founded in 1937 and was sold in 1999 by Bausch & Lomb to the Italian company Luxottica Group. 2012 marks the 75th anniversary of this company with an amazingly diverse history and seemingly endless product lines. Not only is this company iconic, but its sunglasses have appeared in many of the most famous photos and on the faces of some of the world’s biggest stars over the last seven-plus decades. In fact, you’ve probably seen much more of their product than you even realize!
If you are thinking that it is only movie and rock stars that have sported Ray-Ban sunglasses, then think again. Remember all of those famous photos of General Douglas MacArthur wearing sunglasses? That’s right, those are Ray-Ban sunglasses he was wearing and, of course, the list goes on and on. Even test pilots wore this brand as well.
In the 1950s and 1960s, all sorts of stars such as Marilyn Monroe, Bob Dylan and James Dean helped make his brand popular and famous. Even presidents such as John F. Kennedy were seen wearing this company’s sunglasses. In the 1980s and 1990s, Ray Bans could be seen in many movies and television shows and adorned the faces of music idols such as Madonna. Here are a few of the more famous examples from the 1980s and 1990s:
1) John Belushi and Dan Akroyd in the Blues Brothers
2) Bruce Willis in Moonlighting
3) Tom Cruise in Risky Business
High-end sunglasses are known for being quite durable and come in a variety of styles and designs, including polarized sunglasses. Of course, this precision and quality craftsmanship doesn’t come cheaply, and this is why many people who damage or scratch their lenses don’t immediately go to the sunglasses store but instead head online.
An online sunglasses store gives you the ability to buy replacement lenses for a small fraction of the cost of buying them in the store. This translates into both huge financial and time savings. It is no wonder more and more people are opting for buying sunglass lens replacement online!