Vintage Persol Eyewear

Persol is what all other eyewear companies strive to be. Persol produces stunning handcrafted, artisanal Italian frames with an outstanding heritage. Persol frame designs are functional in their core but exude effortless Italian flair making them the eyewear of choice for fashionistas across the globe.

Instantly recognisable, the Persol silver arrow logo encapsulates Giuseppe Ratti's founding principles - combining functionality and design in his frames. From humble beginnings of a rustic Turin courtyard, during the Great War, to the heights they have reached today, a look at the Persol eyewear history takes us across the globe.

Giuseppe Ratti came from a modest upbringing, yet grew to be a titan of Italian industry. As with many of the world's greatest innovations, such as GPS, duct tape and the internet. Ratti's development of protective eyewear came amongst the backdrop of war.

Persol’s earliest eyewear designs are aviation goggles. Which helped to prevent sun glare for the earliest air force pilots. Thankfully for us, post-war, Ratti began to design stylish Persol frames for civilians and the rest, as they say, is history.

Want to show off your vintage Persol eyewear knowledge to your mates down the pub? The model number to know is 649. Originally designed for tram drivers in Turin, this larger Persol frame could protect them from the dusty streets. The Persol 649 is also worn, alongside the Persol 714 folding sunglasses, by Steve McQueen in the Thomas Crown Affair and Persol have been laughing their way to the bank ever since!

Why not create a totally unique pair of vintage Persol sunglasses exclusive just to you? All our vintage Persol frames can be fitted by our in-house optometrists with your prescription or a set of custom UV lenses. 

If you have any questions about our vintage Persol sunglasses or glasses frames don’t hesitate to get in touch. A member of the Ed & Sarna team will get back to you pronto.