I bought my first Ray-Ban more than 20 years ago, and it’s a Wayfarer. To be precise, the Wayfarer II. After Luxottica Group bought Ray-Ban (the company) back in 1999 (they also bought Oakley in 2007), they then proceed to modernise Ray-Ban’s line while maintaining the vintage Wayfarer and Aviator’s models.
The casing has been modified to securely fit the folding Wayfarer
After not wearing a Wayfarer for so long, I have this longing feeling to wear something classic and vintage. Hence the Ray-Ban Wayfarer. Since I wanted to wear something different and easy to carry, the Wayfarer Folding comes to my mind.
The complete Wayfarer set
Wayfarers mainly comes in two sizes, the 50mm and 54mm (the size denotes the lenses’ size measured diagonally). I have a big face and 54mm is the only size that fits me.
The Wayfarer kit comes with the sunglasses itself, leatherette casing, literature and a cleaning cloth.
Unfolding...
If I’m not wearing my sunglasses, I will usually put it on top of my head for easy storage, and just pull it down to position to wear it. But you can’t do the same with the Wayfarers. And putting it in your shirt pocket is risky, as it can easily fell out from your pocket and onto the ground.
So I went for something different: fold-able sunglasses. A word of advice, go shop around and find the cheapest price. Prices can get as low as RM450 to as high as RM850. And don’t forget to haggle like crazy!
Voila!
Pros: You got that retro look; price is affordable; looks cool in any clothes you wear; no adjustment to sunglasses needed; easy to store; lighter than older model; available in Polarized version as well; glasses virtually shatter-proof.
Cons: Price is not capped and might be different from shops to shops; difficult to get exact size (especially for Asians); too many pirated replicas in the market; folding mechanism might go wrong.
FUNNY VIDEO: THE RAY-BAN WAYFARERS
Me and My Nike Air Force 1 