Ray-Ban Bausch and Lomb Vintage Sunglasses

Whether you call them RayBan’s, Ray-Ban or Ray Ban. There is no doubt that when you think of a pair of sunglasses this eyewear behemoth will come to your mind.

Originators of the classic wayfarer style that looks great on almost all face shapes. Ray-Ban like to claim to be the originators of the aviator style too. However, this is not strictly true! If you want to find out who made aviators before Ray-Ban Bausch and Lomb check out this blog post.

The Ray-Ban brand was launched by Bausch and Lomb in 1937, to provide a civilian arm to their extensive military supplies business. B&L held the largest eyewear contract with the US Air Force. Producing the protective eyewear required for flying around at hundreds of miles an hour.

Post-war, the popularity of Ray-Ban aviators was enormous. As World-War II heroes returned home, it was the pilots who looked the coolest of all. So, to get the cool by association. Americans purchased millions of pairs of Ray-Ban aviators during the 1950s.

Over the decades, Bausch and Lomb vintage Ray-Ban sunglasses became the reference point for sunglasses. B&L Ray-Bans had not only great build quality and durability - but also had a stylish fit.

Why have vintage Ray-Ban sunglasses and frames got such iconic status today? Given that a pair of Ray-Ban shades can be picked up from any of Luxottica’s retail networks. The answer lies in the sale of the Ray-Ban brand to Luxottica in the late 1990s. Modern Ray-Ban frames are no longer produced in the USA or with the same exact B&L lenses.

Without doubt a modern pair of Ray-Ban sunglasses will protect you and look great. But for the devoted vintage lovers out there - the saying “They don’t make them like they used to” rings true. Across the world there are massive groups of vintage B&L Ray-Ban collectors who will trade their right arm for the rarest models around.

All of the vintage Ray-Ban eyewear on our website is from the pre-Luxottica era and are made in the USA. You can always customise these Ray-Ban frames with new UV lenses or your prescription safe in the knowledge we will also ship the original B&L lenses out with your order.

If you have any questions about our collection of vintage B&L Ray-Ban frames for sale we would love to hear from you. Trying to find a rare vintage Ray-Ban model? Get in touch and we will try to source it for you through our network of vintage eyewear suppliers.