Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

Initially designed by Raymond Stegeman and manufactured since 1956 the Ray-Ban Wayfarers were revolutionary compared to the clichéd metal frames of past sunglasses. The early popularity of Wayfarers throughout the 1950s and 1960s was attributed not only to look and comfort but also seen by way of celebrity acceptance of the design. Roy Orbison, John F. Kennedy, Bob Dylan and Andy Warhol all prominently sported Wayfarers for the ever watching public eye. However the design became near extinct in the early 1980s due to the decline in sales of the 1970s. Despite the slight reemergence in 1980, due majorly in part to the Dan Aykroyd/John Belushi hit movie The Blues Brothers, Wayfarers were on the verge of discontinuation; selling only 18,000 pairs in 1981. As fate would have it Wayfarers were completely resurrected in 1982 when Ray-Ban signed a yearly payment contract with Unique Product Placement of Burbank, California for $50,000. The deal was simple: Wayfarers were to appear in 60 Hollywood films and television shows per year for the next five years in exchange for $250,000. It was a contract that made Ray-Ban millions and projected the classic Wayfarer design across the world. Movie stars, musicians, artists and celebrities alike wore them in films, music videos, photographs and magazines making Wayfarers the sunglasses of necessity for the 1980s. The roller coaster ride hit a drop in the 1990s when 'wrap-around' frames popularized the market, striking a blow to the classic Wayfarer design and leaving them forgotten to the masses yet again. That is until 2001 when the New Wayfarers made the scene with a smaller and less angular design, a lighter injected plastic and a multitude of new colors. The redesign helped the 2000s to be a nostalgic success, bolstering the best sales in over a decade and reuniting the public with the classic, comfortable design that made them popular to begin with. So here we are in 2013 and the 'New Wayfarers' are already over a decade old and still selling. Widely regarded as the 20th century's most enduring fashion icons the Wayfarer design is comfortable, light and always classic. For those of you browsing the Amazon product page looking for your perfect pair of New Wayfarers there are a few things you might want to know. First thing: the size. You may have noticed the option of purchasing either 52mm or 55mm sized Wayfarers on the product page. This combined with a plethora of reviews regarding the sizes that fit best seem to be a matter of major confusion. Many of the reviews for this product, including the most popular, are simply wrong and misleading. There is no difference in frame size between the 52mm and the 55mm design and the number is a reference to the lens size. What does this mean? Well, if you purchase the 55mm your lenses will be slightly rounder: that's it. The reviewers complaining about the 52mm being too tight as opposed to the 55mm are misinformed. I've included measurements below and the sizes for both products are as follows: Ray-Ban New Wayfarers 52mm: Total size:18-145mm Lens: 53mm Bridge: 18mm Temples: 145mm Ray-Ban New Wayfarers 55mm: Total size:18-145mm Lens: 55mm Bridge: 18mm Temples: 145mm As you can see there is no difference despite a slightly larger lens opening on the 55mm. I don't understand how so many reviewers could get this wrong unless they're cross-hypnotizing one another into believing the size difference...and yes. I own both sizes. You also may have noticed the lens option of G-15 XLT when selecting your sunglasses. What is it? G-15 XLT is a reference to Ray-Ban's glass lenses as opposed to their plastic designs. G-15 is a special technology that Ray-Ban utilizes to make the glass lenses light without sacrificing optical quality. So what does the XLT stand for? Exta Light. Some of you may not be familiar with polarized lenses, which is a buying option when selecting your New Wayfarers. Erinn Morgan of All About Vision writes 'light reflected from surfaces such as a flat road or smooth water generally is horizontally polarized. This means that, instead of light being scattered in all directions in more usual ways, reflected light generally travels in a more horizontally oriented direction. This creates an annoying and sometimes dangerous intensity of light that we experience as glare. Polarized sunglasses cut glare and haze so your eyes are more comfortable and you can see better. Polarized lenses contain a special filter that blocks this type of intense reflected light, reducing glare. Though polarized sunglasses improve comfort and visibility, you will encounter some instances when these lenses may not be advisable. One example is downhill skiing, where you don't want to block light reflecting off icy patches because this alerts skiers to hazards they are approaching. In addition, polarized lenses may reduce the visibility of images produced by liquid crystal displays (LCDs) or light-emitting diode displays (LEDs) found on the dashboards of some cars or in other places such as the digital screens on automatic teller machines and self-service gas pumps. With polarized lenses, you also may be unable to see your cell phone or GPS device. Boaters and pilots also have reported similar problems when viewing LCD displays on instrument panels, which can be a crucial issue when it comes to making split-second decisions based strictly on information displayed on a panel.' I hope this review clears up any confusion with the design and aids you in making the correct purchase.