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Product Description
Aviator sunglasses are a style of sunglasses that were developed by Ray-Ban in 1937. They are characterized by dark, often reflective lenses having an area two or three times the area of the eye socket, and metal frames with wire temples which hook behind the ears.U.S. Army test pilot F.W. "Mike" Hunter wearing aviator sunglasses, October 1942They were given their name due to their oblique teardrop shape, which matched those of the smoked-lens flying goggles which Ray-Ban was then selling to the Army and Navy. One undesirable result of wearing these goggles was the mismatched tan (dark on the face, white around the eyes) which developedthe oversized aviator sunglasses would hide the white areas, while allowing a limited amount of sunlight through, thus allowing the skin to tan. Though the early goggles were replaced by 1941, the sunglasses had become popular, especially with Naval aviators. Army/Air Force aviators preferred the smaller, more-squarish American Optical straight-temple glasses, which can be put on and removed even while wearing a flying helmet. The design was also popular as the bar across the bridge of the nose allowed Army and Navy members to keep a cigarette on it.Legend claims that the need arose for aviator-style sunglasses because military pilots found that sun and glare protection would be helpful to aid them during day missions and dogfights. However, pilots of the time did not wear sunglasses while flying. The popularity of the glasses sky-rocketed as many celebrities began wearing the style of sunglasses. Notable wearers include M. Shadows, Val Kilmer, Tom Cruise, Michael Jackson, Britney Spears, Madonna, Hunter S. Thompson, Irwin Sparkes, Johnny Knoxville,Freddie Mercury, Steven Tyler, Axl Rose and Kanye West. The large lenses are not straight as in eyeglasses but bulge out slightly. The design attempts to cover the entire range of the eye and prevent as much light as possible from entering the eye socket from any angle.
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