Eureka!
Yesterday I walked into GQ Podcast Studio A to record some scintillating dialogues on style with GQ's Style Editor Adam Rapoport, Articles Editor Jason Gay, and Associate Editor Candice Rainey. Mr. Rapoport, tanned from the golf course, was sporting a new buzzcut and RayBan Wayfarers. "Nice Wayfarers," he said to me, as I was also in shades. "But they're not Wayfarers," I countered. I then handed over my new pair of vintage American Optical Saratoga shades. From the front they resemble classic Wayfarers, but the sidepieces are much thinner.
When I stumbled across these shades for the first time, twenty years ago, I considered them to be the perfect sunglasses. I thought so much of them that I gave them to my then fiancée instead of an engagement ring, knowing, of course, that I could borrow them any time. But then she lost them. She lost the greatest sunglasses I'd ever found! And ever since, hardly a sunny day went by that I didn't think about finding another pair of these rare glasses. Every time I looked through a rack of shades at a flea market or antique show I was looking for Saratogas. And then one day there they were on eBay. Now my family has bought quite a few things on eBay, but this more than anything pointed out to me the extraordinary shopping potential of this global electronic swap meet. Here I am in my original pair…
…and here's my new pair, left, side by side with a pair of Wayfarers, right.
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this is probably too late but we have a vintage sunglasses site and we regularly have AO Saratogas from the 1950's/60's available. Regarding the Wayfarers, yes, you can have them fitted with Rx lenses as all B&L Ray-Ban frames were of 'optical quality'....don't know about the new ones by Luxottica (since 1999) - but we always have both the regular 1980's Wayfarers and the larger 1980's Wayfarer II's (Miami Vice) on site - in black or tortoise.
Hope this helps. More info on our site:-
http//www.klasik.org
misterklasik
Dec 12, 2006 4:54:12 PM
Those are actually great sunglasses. I too wear Wayfarers and I have always hated the side pieces on them. If I recall you have also been spotted wearing Persols while doing the GQ podcast! Thanks for the blog, Glenn.
christopherGLORIA
Aug 28, 2006 12:28:09 AM
Nice! New York Dolls dude. Not that I needed validation for my cockamamy idea.
Thanks glenn.
Mateo
Aug 24, 2006 3:41:20 PM
Mike, This is a picture from my old cable show TV Party. Jarvis Cocker is a man of impeccable taste. Several years ago I had the pleasure of working with his band Pulp and we admire one another's tailoring.
Mateo, Rayban makes Wayfarers in two sizes. American Optical is another company. Don't know if it still exists--I kind of doubt if--but they don't make Saratogas anymore. I've seen Wayfarers used with clear corrective lenses. David Johansen used to wear them.
glenn
Aug 24, 2006 10:13:11 AM
Those are cool-looking sunglasses. I personally wouldn't be opposed to wearing them with clear lenses -- kind of Jarvis Cocker-y, I guess. Glenn, what exactly are you doing in that photo?
Mike4
Aug 23, 2006 5:22:02 PM
Does Rayban now make both models?
AND
Would you be apposed to someone buying a pair of Wayfarers, taking out the lenses and getting them prescriptioned as CLEAR lense glasses?
I can't seam to find that frame anywhere.
Mateo
Aug 23, 2006 2:35:45 PM