Ray Ban Aviators Photo: Women’s Health

Aviators are an instantly recognizable sunglasses style that became popular in the late 1930s. A company called Bausch & Lomb’s created these glasses for pilots when a test pilot requested eyewear that would filter out the sunlight and glare when they were flying at high altitudes. These glasses were marketed under the name Ray Ban and patented by Baush & Lomb.

These special glasses incorporated a dark anti glare-lens that was tinted green in order to filter out the light without obscuring the pilot’s vision. The oversizedshape of these glasses–which has become so popular with movie stars because they hide the face–was designed to block out as much light as possible. The lens of aviator glasses also have a slightly convex shape, in order to prevent light coming in at any angle.

In the late 1930’s the sunglasses went on sale for civillians across America. However, the design of these shades wasn’t set in stone yet: during the ’30s a gradient tint was added to the lenses. A strong glare-defining coating at the top of the lens made it more difficult for light to come through the lens from head-on and above, but the smaller amount of tint at the bottom of the sunglasses allowed pilot to look down a their instrument panel. This change filtered over into the fashion world as well. The distinctive warm sepia tone of today’s aviator lenses are the result of a change in design made by Tucker Viemeister, who marketed his version of the shades as “Sarengeti” in the 1980s.

We think that aviator frames make a functional and stylish accessory. The oversized and gradient-tinted design is perfect for driving or reading on the beach: you’re protected from light and glare in most directions. SPF protection can make your stylish glasses even more sun-safe. The sepia shade is neutral enough to go with almost anything, and the shape is universally flattering. Style experts usually suggest that aviators look best on square or angular faces, but over the years various designers have altered the shape of the glasses in many ways. There are plenty of  fashion-focused aviator designs that are rounder, larger, or more angular than the traditional performance-oriented shape. The classic wire frame is still the most recognizable, but aviator glasses have also taken on patterned, plastic, or thicker metal frames. Because of this, anyone can find some variant of these sunglasses that suits them.

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The earliest sneakers  were known as “plimsolls”. They were made in the 1830’s and had a canvas upper with a rubber sole. The slip-on design made them more similar to slippers than to the lace-up sneakers we see today. The interesting thing about sneakers is that many of the most recognizable brand names go way back. So do familiar advertising concepts like athlete and celebrity endorsements and specialty lines.

A company called Keds (sound familiar?) was one of the first to create an improved design on the plimsols. The shoe still had a comfortable canvas upper and a quiet rubber sole that would eventually result in the term “Sneakers” but had the addition of laces. The word “Keds” was chosen as a brand name because it was derived from the term “peds”, which comes from the Latin word for feet. The name”Peds”  did not sound marketable enough,  so Veds and Keds were considered as stronger and more distinctive sounding alternatives. Keds is still around today. They have developed tons of different styles over the years, but they still make variants of their original canvas and rubber sole design, “The Champion”.  One of their latest celeb spokespeople is Taylor Swift, who often pairs the brightly coloured shoes with flirty and feminine dresses.

Another popular sneaker that has become a style staple are Converse.  Marquis Converse created the shoe company and ended up being behind one of the most well-known basketball shoes of all time. The Converse sneaker was endorsed by basketball star Chuck Taylor.  The basketball player’s name was added to the logo on the classic Converse basketball shoe, and is still associated with the brand today. Today, Converse or “Chucks” have been part of a variety of different wardrobes, ranging from sporty, chic, and grunge-influenced. Over the years they have been sported by everyone from sports stars to musicians to the tenth incarnation of Doctor Who’s protagonist. Converse come in a variety of colours, as well as a high-top and low-top design. We like that there is plenty of room for individuality with the shoes themselves: even if you don’t draw on your shoes or change the laces, we think that the unique broken-in look of a pair of Chucks is fantastic. In fact, many of our customers who shop for vintage canvas or leather shoes seek out the perfect the worn-in appearance. Converse has caught on to the love of the worn-in look and put out a line of shoes that are pre-faded and feature small worn in detailing.

One of Converse’s longtime rivals in terms of style are Vans. These skate shoes were made in the 1960’s. They were popular throughout the 1970’s with skateboarders for their grippy soles and the wide range of colours and styles. Today, this company’s most well-known sneakers come in a variety of colours, patterns, and styles.

While they continue to manufacture new and innovative sports shoes, these three companies that started out with the original plimsoll style shoes are most widely recognized as fashion brands. At Urban Thrift, we carry both these classic brands and those created by lesser known-companies. Our staff loves putting together casual-cool summer styles, so if you’re in store shopping for that perfect summer outfit, don’t forget to ask whether a pair of laid-back and classic canvas sneakers would compliment your favourite finds.

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