Sunglasses

The trend is moving from the replica back to the original
10 Tips for the authentic sunglasses-look

The summer of 2008 gave reason to believe that in 2009 the reflection of the past decades will continue to be a major fashion trend. With regard to the fashion accessory “sunglasses” the trend from a rebuild back to the original found its beginning in the year 2007. Original vintage glasses as worn for instance by Steve McQueen, Elvis Presley, Jackie O. und Brigitte Bardot are especially popular in the United States and Japan, the emphasis here being on the rare items which reflect the exclusive fashion style of its owner. But in Europe the demand for authentic items is also growing constantly. In consequence the search for well preserved original glasses becomes increasingly difficult. Retro-rebuilds often copy only the most obvious design features and by comparison across brands hardly differ from each other anymore. Frequently the products have lost their trademark identity.


The Berlin based company Vintage-sunglasses.de is a supplier of original and unworn vintage sunglasses. With passion and a well trained eye they continue to search for unworn original models on a global scale. Whenever the Vintage-Sunglasses.de team successfully locates an exclusive item, it is made available to the customers through its internet online-shop of the same name. Surprisingly this can be done at rather modest prices when compared to current trademark sunglasses. The value though of special and extremely rare items has increased substantially. To German customers the authenticity and quality of the glasses seems to be a priority: next to the United States most customers are located in Germany. But what distinguishes vintage sunglasses and how do you recognize if this luxury accessory is a replica or an original? With the support of Vintage-sunglasses.de we have compiled the most important criteria, just in case you are looking for one of the rare originals from the 70’s, 80’s or 90’s.


Tip 1
As a source for prolonged enjoyment, a high quality original should be unworn. Although many suppliers promote “Vintage” or “Original” products, only unworn glasses offer the essential pristine quality.


Tip 2
Due to the used materials, originals tend to be heavier and more massive when compared to replicas. Ray-Ban and Persol, for instance, used high quality mineral glasses for their vintage models. New editions in contrast are regularly produced with plastic lenses in order to maximize profits. But there are also old models where extremely light materials like aluminum and titanium were applied.


Tip 3
The originals were often individually crafted by skilled specialists. Accordingly many vintage models wear the label “handmade”. This is the case, for example, with the label “Cazal”, where the frame color was applied manually.


Tip 4
Originals are often distinguished by small and sometimes legendary design features like the engravings in the lenses which have made Ray-Ban and Persol sunglasses instantly recognizable. The vintage glasses by German designers like Cazal and Alpina show the imprint “Made in W. Germany” – new editions are usually labeled “Made in Germany”. The same can be said of the cult label Ray-Ban. The original classics were engraved with “Made in USA” – rebuilds are usually labeled “Made in Italy”. With Persol, the imprint “Ratti” on their vintage models unmistakably identifies the glasses as originating from the famous “Ratti manufacture” in Turin.


Tip 5
Some editions of vintage sunglasses were produced by companies which have ceased to exist. Unfortunately the producers of replicas often lack the appropriate background knowledge. Adequate imprints are often missing.


Tip 6

Many of the famous vintage sunglasses were manufactured with a special plastic alloy named “Optyl”. Among them are labels like Christian Dior, Carrera, Porsche, Boeing, Playboy und Dunhill. Accordingly an “Optyl” logo can be found on the inside of the frame handles.


Tip 7

Rebuilds often only resemble the design of the originals and are not 1:1 replicas. They were merely inspired by the original 60’s and 70’s design. For this reason the originals are frequently larger and more extravagant than the rebuilds. Example: Porsche design sunglasses with exchangeable lenses – the characteristic originals are larger than the current retro-models.


Tip 8
The production of the originals was more expensive and richer in detail than the replicas. Many vintage models were assembled from several small single parts with numerous links, so damaged parts could easily be replaced. New editions often refrain from this expensive luxury.


Tip 9

Vintage sunglasses are usually available only in small quantities. But this can still only be an indicator. The currently extremely popular Ray Ban Wayfarer is a vivid example that a sunglasses model produced in large numbers is easily able to initiate a gigantic global fashion trend. On the other side, to find an unworn original copy of some models is increasingly improbable. Some of the best examples here are: the legendary Persol Ratti. Steve McQueens folding glasses from the movie “The Thomas Crown Affair”. Or the massive model “Nautic 2” from Neostyle which was worn by Elvis Presley at his 1972 Madison Square Garden concert. Or the Linda Farrow model 6031 which was worn by Al Pacino in the movie classic "Scarface".


Tip 10
When searching for an original you are best served by a specialized supplier. He will be able to certify origin and genuineness of the glasses. You should probably abstain from buying expensive sunglasses at the flea market, for instance, at least if you’re not a true expert.