Trends in fashion go through 20-year cycles. But, although a trend was popular 20 years ago, it doesn’t always return. In the case of sunglasses, many styles that were popular in the ’80s, such as aviator and wayfarer looks, have come back over the past decade. The ’80s was not the first time these styles were introduced, however, and many were previously popular in the 1950’s and ’60s.
Aviator sunglasses are one style popular in the 1980s that has returned recently. The original aviator frames were developed by Ray Ban – also the designer of the currently trendy wayfarer look – and appeared in 1936 for fighter pilots. They were available to the general public two years after.
The basic design developed by Ray Ban consists of reflective and dark lenses that are much larger than the eyes and a metal frame. The lenses, additionally, are usually polarized. Although used originally by pilots, the aviator essentially earned its name for being shaped like older smoked-lens flying goggles. Since their introduction over 70 years ago, aviator sunglasses have been one of the most copied styles in fashion history; currently, many sunglasses designers feature aviator frames in their product lines.
Aviators appeared on characters in films in the 1980s, essentially as part of product placement by Ray Ban. The most notable film featuring them is Top Gun, although they can be found in movies ranging from action flicks to comedies. In the present, however, aviator sunglasses have shed their serious appearance and, instead, have been given a gender-neutral design. Originally perceived as masculine, aviators have been designed with plastic colored frames and gradient lenses over the past few years. A pink plastic frame or purple gradient lenses can give the glasses a clear feminine appearance.
In 2010, white frame aviator sunglasses were one of the more sought-after styles. These consisted of a plastic white frames and solid dark lenses. Manufacturers for these sunglasses have crafted aviator sunglasses, much like wayfarers, with a larger palette of colors, and the frames look more club kid than military in the present.