Vintage no longer means outdated. Now vintage is a fashion statement. Some people endorse the designs that were popular in the 60’s, 70’s, and 80’s so that others know that they appreciate the time we have left behind us. “The good ol’ days”, like some of us like to call it, had some people who created and left behind famous fashion outlooks. This designer wear was not specific to the people in the fashion industry.
Even music stars like John Lennon and Elvis Presley left behind iconic looks that today remind people of how these legends could make people sway. A look is what defines you and shows off your personality to those around you. Almost all fashion is completed with a swanky pair of shades. Designer sunglasses allow you to complete your look, whether it is modern or retro. Lennon was recognized for his small gold rimmed sunglasses and Presley had his oversized black glasses that went in contrast with his popular fully white attire.
Sunglasses and Fashion in the Sixties
Around the 1960s, dark glasses were just about becoming popular for their utility. Popular manufacturers of sunglasses during this period were Ray Ban, Neostyle, and Persol. Some of these brands are tycoons today in the designer sunglasses category. Back in the day, they used to manufacture individual sunglasses made from mineral glass. Unfortunately the dark glasses of the sixties did not catch on because of their weight and generally large size. They were quite uncomfortable and not worth the purpose they served. It was only in the next decade that sunglasses had come into fashion.
Fashionable Shades of the Seventies
Designer frames and sunglasses became popular in the seventies. These vintage dark glasses were considered hip and it was soon trendy to wear shades. During this time, sunglasses were worn in accordance to the clothes a person was wearing at that time. For this reason sunglasses were manufactured in multiple colors and variants so that people could find something for each dress they had.
Although through the majority of this decade mineral glass lenses were still used, plastic lenses brought multiple opportunities to people because of their weight and durability, not to mention cost effectiveness. These new opportunities included being able to increase the size of the lenses and come up with new, more fashionable designs. It was during this time that manufacturers came out with the first sunglasses with photochromatic lenses.
These were then known as “ambermatic” lenses, and these lenses amazed people who bought them. Even this achievement was not the biggest in the shift in trend of designer sunglasses in the seventies. A material known as “Optyl” was probably the biggest transition in the industry at that time. This material was famous for its durability and good quality. It hardly caused any allergies in people who wore them, nor did it lose its glaze even after years.
A Greater Outlook in the Eighties
Optyl lenses continued to become popular through the eighties. Manufacturers who made sunglasses of this quality lens expanded to different countries like France, Germany, and Canada. Some huge companies started coming out with designer sunglasses during this time. Motor corporations like Ferrari, Porsche, Jaguar, and Bugatti came out with excellent designs that became hits in the market.
Some of the top selling dark glasses included these sporty designs made by leading car companies. Certain companies continued their sale of mineral glazed shades. These sunglass manufacturers included Zeiss, Persol, and Ray Ban. These glasses sold because they had a few advantages over the Optyl dark glasses, like scratch resistance. These advantages were minimal however, when compared to the advantages of the much lighter and better quality Optyl glasses. The material Optyl was in fact what dominated of the sunglasses industry of the 1990s.
Modern Designs of the Nineties
The nineties brought many changes to designer sunglasses. During the advent of the twentieth century, people wanted more colorful dark glasses which had many innovative designs. “Titan Flex” was a material that was invented during the nineties. This material made frames more elastic because of its property of remembering its original shape. If this material is bent, it goes back to its initial shape once the user removes them. Designs became more individualistic, where people searched for dark glasses that were specific to their look and personality.
Uniqueness is something that was coveted very much when it came to sunglasses. This was because of the huge number of celebrities that wore sunglasses that were specific to them alone. These icons used shades to complete their look. There were some stars who had to maintain their initial look, complete with their unique dark glasses to be recognized. Without their shades, there were some icons who could not be distinguished even by their fans.
