Persols And Boulders

Do yourself a favor and watch Sexy Beast (2000) sometime. It's one of the all-time great British flicks and Ray Winstone and Ben Kingsley are absolutely superb as per usual.  It also features arguably my favorite opening scene ever - all I'll say is Persols and boulders.

-L.A.S

Hater Blockers, Not So Much

As I sit here packing up my own 649's for another quick jaunt it seems appropriate that I should stumble across this little number (also in black) from Urban Outfitters.  I know, I know - buy the real thing. Just remember that it can be pretty taxing when the real thing easily costs more than any single item in the average guy's closet.  It's one thing to rip off a classic and sell it for more money, but when you are peddling affordable style who am I to judge?  I guess if you are going to wear blatant designer rip off shades better they be Persol than some Gucci or Prada stunna shade nonsense.  I would still start saving up my money now though because when UO starts selling this model in 20 different colors it's time to step up to the real thing or you'll end up looking like a preteen who got lost in the douchebag section of their local H&M (see: wannabee Wayfarers).  If you're looking for hater blockers, you definitely came to the wrong place.

-L.A.S

Piece On Earth

I know you've seen a lot of these before, but let this just be a friendly reminder when looking for a new pair of shades it's hard to go wrong with a shaped nose piece - and, no, that is not the official term.

-L.A.S

[Editor's Note: The official term is called a keyhole for people trying to keep their semantics tight.]

Vintage Persol

Get excited for S/S because it's time to start thinking about shades.  Just because J. Crew finally picked up Persol doesn't mean they've jumped the shark.  In fact, I don't think there is a finer pair of shades on the entire planet than those made by the iconic Italian brand - there is just something special about that silver arrow.  They are personal favorites (I've got two pairs as it stands) and have the coveted and well documented McQueen/Mastroianni cosign.  While the 0649's and 0714's are absolute classics, I've been digging on vintage models (we're talking the Giuseppe Ratti stuff) recently despite their often semi-ludicrous prices.  Like with anything else, hard work eventually pays off so if you're feeling like me get ready to do some digging.  But then again that markup fee doesn't hurt so bad after a few cocktails...pick you battles folks, pick your battles.

 

 

 

 

 

 

-L.A.S

The Great Wayfarer Flood of 2009

[Ray Ban Wayfarers]

If I learned anything from my first collegiate homecoming it's that everybody's now wearing Ray-Ban Wayfarers.  At a tailgate this past Saturday I'd venture to say that roughly 75% of those wearing sunglasses had on Wayfarers or some kind of knockoff.   Don't get me wrong, I love Wayfarers and own a black pair which I wear a lot, but at some point we need to pump the breaks and switch gears.  I own a few pairs of sunglasses and while there is no exact science behind picking which ones I wear out of the house, it just feels good to have options.  In an effort to remedy "The Great Wayfarer Flood of 2009" I've listed some alternatives below.  Note that I have left out prices for some and instead linked to eBay since you can almost always get the sunglasses you are looking for at about 40-70% off (even on a "buy it now").

I present to you Sartorially Inclined's Sunglasses Primer:

Persol 649

Persol 714

Persol is probably my favorite brand of sunglasses.  Italian's know their shades and the proof is in the pudding, or should I say product.  Instead of getting a pair of plastic frame aviators, try something like 0649's or 0714's which take the lens shape, but add a much more unique frame style.  Not to mention the silver accents on the stems are killer.  McQueen wore 'em. So can you.

 Ray Ban Clubmasters

Clubmasters just scream "old school Hollywood poolside cool".  Hard to find for a while, Ray Ban's Wayfarer success has led to these badboys finding their way back into stores, onto shelves and into my heart.  They have similar lenses to their Wayfarer cousins, but ditch the thick plastic frames for a much more subdued, sleeker silouhette.  A must have for any serious sunglasses aficionado.

Ray Ban Aviators

Got with the Outdoorsman model. 'Nuf said.

Super Flat Top 

You may have seen these on Kanye at some point this year as they were the rapper's go to shades for most of the year (they were one of his men.style.com's 10 Essentials).  I like Super's modern take on classic sunglasses, and the Flat Top is a cool reinterpretation of the classic Wayfarer shape.  These are a little harder to find as you'll notice by the sparse eBay listings.  Check their website for retailers near you.

Moscot Nebb

If you weren't lucky enough to nab the Common Projcets + Moscot callaboration, the Nebb is your next best bet.  Moscot have been making glasses since 1915 when they set up shop in NYC and their original models are just as fresh today as they were then.

So I guess the moral of the story is to keep your Wayfarers and wear them with pride, but somewhere along the way let's add some variety and change things up every ONCE in a while.

[Pictured: Sartorially Inclined's shades.  Top Row (left to right): Ray Ban Clubmasters, Ray Bay Wayfarers. Bottom Row (left to right): Persol 649, Persol 2761S.  Apologies for my point and shoot. I need an upgrade badly. I guess I should stop spending all my money on sunglasses.]

-L.A.S