From World war to minimalism: A dive through the history of aviator glasses
It is quite hard to find a set of glasses that is actually accustomed to every style and every occasion. But we have found one pair that goes extremely stunning with bell-bottoms, micro-mini skirts, and with current minimalist fashion. Well, you might be thinking how could glasses be versatile enough to settle for the state, then we think that you must take a seat before you read the next line. These glasses are also perfect when it comes to styling them as per 50s needs or maybe 2030s as well. It already sounds bizarre but that is the truth these glasses hold. We are talking about none other than the aviators themselves. Yes, these aviator glasses have been around for almost a century and have seen the toughest of their time and even the abundant change in the fashion industry.
So, here we will be exclusively discussing the history of mighty aviators or better known as pilot sunglasses.
The birth of pilot sunglasses
The thing with aviators is that people do not know when they actually came into existence, but we will be helping you to trace the timeline and count on the evolution of these glasses.
Let’s start from the very beginning, from the time of World War I, pilots faced the issue in high altitudes, they were given a thing where it could protect the eyes but they were quite heavy and a pilot experienced swollen eyes while looking through it. This made them realise the need for glasses that are lightweight, bigger in size, and green in shade to protect them from the sun. With the collective thought process and collaboration with Bausch & Lomb, pilot glasses were developed in 1936, that acted as the ultimate eye protector, hence the name aviator.
Aviators are considered to be the first-ever popularised style of sunglasses that replaced those chunky glasses with a super sleek design. Later, Bausch & Lomb was trademarked as Ray-Ban. That was how the aviators gained popularity by the name of Ray-Ban.
Well, these glasses became a well-known style when General Douglas MacArthur came to the Philippines in World War II. When he landed on the beach, the newspaper photographers clicked his pictures wearing aviator sunglasses and that absolutely created a lasting image for everyone.
From sport to fashion
As these glasses gained access to popular games, after World War, these glasses took a long leap from being a practical solution to a problem to adding in popularity.
At the time of the 1950s, glasses were more of a part of mimicking the military-style and being a part of the cultural style. The tunes of their popularity were sung so high that in the 1970s and after, our beloved pop stars such as Michael Jackson and Elvis Presley. It made them not just to be donned by the celebrities but soon they entered the mainstream as well and that is exactly what these glasses have been serving for.
How did these glasses become popular?
If they were not the only ones in the race, how did these glasses become so popular? The reason is super simple, these glasses were abundantly worn by the US airmen, and during World War II there were countless men seen wearing these glasses in photos and stories, and one such widely popular image is of Macarthur.
Not just that, these glasses were being extensively used in movies, Remember our hot hunk Tom Cruise from Top Gun and many many roles from our famous celebrities that have aced thor looks with aviator glasses.
We now see shapes that are quite different from the classic teardrop shape in a circle and even in a square shape. Adding a modern edge to every style is a habit that cannot be changed but one thing that cannot be replaced easily is the classic teardrop style. They are made in such a way that they are actually pretty smooth with every occasion without much hustle.
Break the monopoly
Ray-Ban did get their hands on the aviators, but the thing with the designer glasses is that they are quite expensive when it comes to being affordable for a layperson. Exactly the monopoly of the brands makes it quite difficult for the glasses to be less affordable and are exactly the opposite of pocket friendly.
With the advent of the internet and easy access to people, it became much more affordable and a common platform for big and even small players. And that is where the game completely changed.
The Internet bringing up a common platform for every brand increased the competition among each other. To make their designer glasses available to the layperson they reduce the prices of their products. Now, most people have the impression that low prices may mean that the quality has been compromised in some way or the other. But the thing with the brands is that they have focused on maintaining the highest quality of glasses with less prices. Making them the perfect pick for every occasion and every wear. It’s quite hard to imagine glasses that have survived a century eventfully and are ready for a ride to the future as well. Having a set of aviators are instant style booster, a personality booster, and everything your styling needs require. So making a smart choice with aviators must be your ultimate goal.
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The turn in fast fashion
With the change in course of time, everything came in with the drastic changes and so did the glasses. The fashion became completely genderless and so does the aviator glasses. Soon, aviator glasses for men became an item that is much hyped by the female population as well. These glasses have been a thing for quite a time in the past just for men but where the cat-eye glasses are a thing for men now why can’t they be aviators? And the best part being is that aviators actually are a pretty pick for the gender.
