There's a lot to be said for 'clout goggles', the TikTok-friendly Y2K bug eyes that've replaced classic sunglasses of late. They're fun, for a start. They also make you feel a bit like a snarky hacker in a poorly-made, highly-budgeted sci-fi from a time when people still went to the cinema. But you couldn't call them timeless. Clout gogs will date. So, back to the usual rotation of Wayfarers then, post-haste.
Well, not so fast. Because while Wayfarers are without a doubt some of the most classic shades you can go for (JFK even wore some of Ray-Ban's finest, and everyone seems to love that womanising missile dodger), they aren't the only choice. Aviators are right there.
The best men's aviators are the sort that make a noise but still skew classic. First developed in 1936 to protect pilots' eyesight while flying (Bausch & Lomb, its creators, were also the founders of Ray-Ban. TRIVIA!), the enlarged frames were afforded some social currency when war heroes became pin-ups during World War II. In particular, it was General Douglas MacArthur that was a bit of a dreamboat. Photos of him in the press slowly become canonised in the pop culture. So too did the aviators he wore.
Since then, there's still an inherent sexiness to these such sunglasses. It's just less platoon, more Playboy. On the back of the bawdy Seventies revival, aviators have enjoyed a second wind as menswear gets softcore. Casablanca, Dolce & Gabbana and Givenchy (especially under the steer of creative director Matthew Williams) have all leaned into the silk and cigarettes shtick of the era, and, like General MacArthur, have brought aviators back to the fore.
That's not to say that Wayfarers are now defunct. There's just an alternative at play that feels both classic and contemporary. TikTok shades will endure too. But if the best aviators for men have proven anything, it's that clout gogs don't have a monopoly on clout.
