Ray Ban Vagabond

The Ray Ban Vagabond has the profile of an "aviator" frame but uses plastic instead of metal in it's fabrication. The pair shown here are very unique with their laminated "rainbow" multi-colored frame combined with the ambermatic variable density and color lenses for extra eye protection in varied conditions while at the same time cutting haze and increasing visual contrast.

Persol 69218

The Persol 69218 has an strong, aggressive stance that is amplified by it's extra wide temples. The temples on this model utilize Persol's "Meflecto" system to make the temples flexible at a specific spot that enables a better fit for the wearer. The pair shown here in a reddish tortoise frame also have mirror tinted lenses to create an effect that is both tough and sophisticated. Don Johnson wore these in the third season of Miami Vice and this design is an icon of the 1980s.

Oakley Frogskins

The sunglasses shown here are not truly vintage, they fall more into the category of "Retro" as they are a newly manufactured version of a classic Oakley design from the 80s using the original tooling. The Frogskins have a simple shape similar to the Ray Ban Wayfarer in design and with a touch of the classic Persol "keyhole" under the bridge. The new Frogskins come in a variety of lenses and frame combinations ranging from clear to "glow in the dark" frames. The pair shown here have brilliant fire iridium mirrored lenses to make them really stand out.

Carrera Aviator

This model sports a simple classic aviator frame by the Austrian manufacturer Carrera and is highlighted by funky and beautiful purple lenses. They catch other peoples eyes as you look at them toned in purplish hues.

Ray Ban Kalichrome Shooter

The Ray Ban Kalichrome Shooter was designed for shooting sports conducted in hazy, foggy and low light. The yellow lenses refered to as the Kalichrome lenses actually intensify light and increase contrast, wearing them on bright sunny days will only hurt your eyes, but you will at least look cool. Their design is similar to the aviator but sit higher up on the face and the space between lenses is smaller separated by a circular ring that some people call the bullet hole. This pair also have the cable temples to give a secure fit and give them a cool utilitarian look.

Persol 009

The Persol 009 model was originally designed by Persol to meet a request from NASA in the early 1960s. The unique feature of these sunglasses are the extra side shield lenses to provide eye protection from the sides. The version shown here in a gloss red gives this unusual design a quirky modern flavor. My friend Chris from Vintage-Sunglasses.DE uses them for skiing and I am sure he is making a statement when wearing them.

Ray Ban Wayfarer II

The Ray Ban Wayfarer is a timeless classic and a fashion icon. The Wayfarer design has a unique combination of a fairly "nerdy" frontal form contrasted with wide temples and a sharp angular rake to make it look tough and cool. This example is the Wayfarer II model which is slightly bigger then the standard model and is fairly unusual with the purple mirroring on the lenses to give it an extra funky flavor. My friends at Vintage-Sunglasses.DE have a pair just like this on their site right now, check it out!
http://www.vintage-sunglasses-shop.com/eyewear2619_Ray_Ban_Wayfarer_II.html

Porsche Design 5632

The Porsche Design 5632 manufactured by Carrera combines a classic aviator form with a unique interchangeable lens system. With a quick flip up of the metal bar between the lenses you can pop out the lens module (the two lenses are connected with a small plastic bar) and then pop in a new lens module. There are a variety of different colored lenses available with different colored rims ranging from matt black with grey lenses to clear red with a gradient lens. With this system a single pair of sunglasses can be quickly changed and have a whole new personality. I got these from my favorite vintage sunglass site:
http://www.vintage-sunglasses-shop.com/

Vuarnet 2408

Vuarnet has been making high quality sunglasses with glass lenses for years. The above model is marked as the 2408 but the lenses are consistent with the PX-4000 series of lenses that are called the Skilynx series and are designed for the high altitude and high glare environment one is faced with when skiing.The Skilynx series of lenses have double gradient mirroring on the outside and an anti-reflective blue coating on the inside, they have an average light filtration of 88% and give a warm yellow cast to the outside world. When first wearing Vuarnet sunglasses with this type of lens you are surprised by the color cast but it actually very pleasing to the eye.

Serengeti 5305 L

I have been getting a lot of comments on the streets with these lately. I think they have a good balance of "flash" with the orange frames grounded by a simple aviator form. The optics on these are also great, with double gradient mirrored glass on the front by Corning followed by a blue anti-reflective coating on the back of lens combined with photochromic capabilities to darken in bright light they seem to cover all of the bases. When wearing this full featured high quality lens you are offered a slightly pink view of the world that is both pleasing to the eye and functional. I use these while driving a lot!

Ray Ban Ambermatic Outdoorsman

The Ray Ban Ambermatic Outdoorsmen is a true classic. The ambermatic lens is one of the most unique lenses ever made, it combined photochromic capabilities to change density depending on the degree of both brightness and temperature, it would change from amber yellow to grey and get even denser (got darker to block more light) in cold bright environments. The Ambermatic lens was only available before Ray Ban was bought from Bausch and Lomb (B & L) in 1999 by Luxotica. The Pre-Luxotica Ray Bans are of a much higher quality and have a variety of specialized glass lenses manufactured by Bausch and Lomb. The Outdoorsmen presented here have an early version of the ambermatic lens, this can be denoted by the lack of the "Ray Ban" logo in script on top of the right lens.The earlier version changed density faster and had a wider range of density. The Outdoorsman frame is similar to the classic aviator but has an additional bar over the bridge that is referred to as the sweat bar and was offered for greater comfort, it would also make the design stronger.

Persol 804

The Persol 804 folding sunglasses portray a great combination of form and function. These sunglasses combine classic styling in a sleek form and fold into a very compact size. The really cool element is how some of the hardware that enables the folding at the bridge is exposed and adds a certain utilitarian element that contrasts beautifully with it's sleek classic design.