Wayfarer, the favourite model of celebrities

History of Wayfarer glasses

The history of the Wayfarer glasses began in 1952, the year in which the patent was registered more than 70 years ago. It must be said that Ray-Ban still manufactures this first design and, of course, it is the one we all know as the Original Wayfarer Classic.

Although it was initially a model designed for pilots and for the male public, they quickly became popular in the world of music and cinema thanks to the aesthetic rupture that it meant in those years to go for an acetate frame, when the top sellers were the metallic glasses, such as the aviators that Ray-Ban also launched in 1952.

Origin and evolution

Like the Aviator model, the Wayfarer sunglasses were created by designer Raymond Stegeman with pilots in mind and to give a twist to the fashion of the time, since in that decade metal frames dominated. But, from the world of aviation, they quickly jumped to the arts, music and cinema where they made their stellar appearance: in 1961, when the actress Audrey Hepburn appeared in ‘Breakfast at Tiffany's’ wearing her Wayfarer (havana colour).

It was in this decade, in the 1960s, that Ray-Ban became one of the most sought-after designs by the celebrities of the day: Bob Dylan, John Lennon, James Dean, Andy Warhol, Michael Jackson and US President John F. Kennedy himself.

These influential personalities included the Wayfarer as a representative element of their image, which undoubtedly contributed to establish this model as a legend and made thousands of their followers want to get one.

Influence on pop culture

The 70s, the trends and the culture of that decade were not particularly good for the Wayfarer model. But then came the 80s and once again films, television and musicians and singers brought them back to the forefront. Iconic are the appearances of Ray-Ban Wayfarers in ‘The Blues Brothers’ (Saturday Night Live) starring John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd, Tom Cruise in ‘Risky Business’ or Don Johson as Sonny Rocket in the series ‘Miami Vice’.

Madonna was also back in her Wayfarer sunglasses for her debut as an actress. She was joined by such important figures as Michael Stipe of REM and Robert Smith of The Cure.

Perhaps we can say that her comeback and final consecration took place in the 90s, following in the wake of pop culture and cinema. These Ray-Ban glasses reappeared on the big screen in iconic films such as ‘The Silence of the Lambs’, where Hannibal Lecter (Anthony Hopkins) wore a wayfarer or ‘Reservoir Dogs’ in which all the main characters wore one in the famous opening scene.

It was also in the 1990s that this model was again featured on the covers of the most famous magazines of the time, as well as in ‘stolen photos’ of Hollywood's most popular actors such as Bruce Willis and Jack Nicholson.

It wasn't until 2003 that Ray-Ban reinterpreted its Original Classic model and launched its New Wayfarer, no less than 50 years after the launch of the originals. In 2017, the first Wayfarer Optics frames appeared. More recently, we have seen the birth of the Mega Wayfarer, for oversized eyewear lovers, in 2022, and the Wayfarer Reverse just the following year.

Celebrities who have popularized Ray-Ban Wayfarers

Their appearances in blockbuster films and on the most famous faces in pop culture have made Ray-Ban Wayfarers known as the glasses of the hipsters, meaning hipsters in the broadest sense of the word. They are also the choice of many of the most influential people in the fashion world. All this, together with their affordable price, has contributed to making them the queens of street style.

Examples of the wayfarer ray ban models that have worn them

Some of the celebrities who have given a style class wearing their Ray-Ban Wayfarers have been:

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Olivia Palermo at a front row

Influencer Olivia Palermo proves that Ray-Ban Wayfarers can also be worn with a chic look.

Kate Middleton wears Wayfarers to sporting event

Just as you read it, the British royals have also fallen for this classic and iconic model.

Jude Law on a red carpet

Jude Law shows us how good a Wayfarer RB2140 looks with a black suit.

Emily Ratajkowski casual everyday look

Of course, the most common use is to wear them with more casual everyday looks, like the actress and model Emily Ratajkowski does.

Wayfarer trends

Back to the history of the Ray-Ban Wayfarer, we take a break in the 2010s and the hipster boom, with the Arctic Monkeys topping the charts and the explosion of festivals. All the followers of this culture were known as indies, the hipsters of the time, and the must-have accessory in their wardrobe was the Wayfarer.

Seeing this trend, Ray-Ban took the opportunity to pull out the big guns and launch a wide range of frame and lens colours. These colored Wayfarers went from being a minority accessory to becoming a best-seller among people who even wore them at night or in nightclubs.

Of course, one of the examples of these new Wayfarers can be found in the cinema, in the film ‘Crossroads’ in which Ryan Gosling wore a pair of Wayfarers with green temples. And, although it is a recent film, ‘Saltburn’ is set in 2006, and we can see Jacob Elordi wearing red Wayfarers (one of the most sold colours in those years).

Variations in colors and materials

It is true that today we can find Ray-Ban Wayfarers in dozens of color variations, but less strident than those made fifteen years ago. Havana, grey or black are the kings of the market, but little by little tinted lenses in earthy colors or transparent, orange or blue frames are making their way to give a chic touch to our looks.