What are your sunglasses of choice?

[Downunder G Man]

This thread has been prompted by some replies by me that may have appeared a wee bit "thread highjack" in "What jacket are you wearing today".

I have thread searched but found no recent postings of a similar nature.

RayBan Balorama have been my sunglasses of choice for near 40 years now !

Bought my first pair of Baloramas in Spain while on holiday in the mid 1980's. I now have a fair collection of them from over the ages. Some from the 60's !

Clint Eastwoods choice in Dirty Harry first coupla movies.

I have Black , Gold/black , Red/black , Purple/pink (seriously !), Brown Tortoiseshell , Black Tortoiseshell ( 60's they are). Multiples of many of those colours. I have brand new old stock (NOS) cased and boxed of early 70's collected around the world. All Bausch & Lomb of Rochester New York. Some 7 barrel hinges, (the early ones), some 5 barrel.

Baloramas are my daily wearer sunglasses , as by habit you do not leave the house in Australia without a pair of sunnies AND I find them the best for motorcycling bar none when straight sunnies are considered (not sunglass/goggle type which are bike/ski specific). I do have several pairs of Wiley X , good for motorcycle riding but crapola sitting in the beachside café once at the end destination ! Foam padding is intrusive in those situations I find. Long 300Km journeys then Wiley X come into their own.
However they are "cheap and cheerful" in frame and build quality and I have actually worn some out with daily wear and tear.

Just like my burgeoning jacket collection I ritually "cycle" them , wearing a different pair each day , then hand soap washed . dried and put back into the roster. Sound OCD to anyone here haha...YOU know what I mean !

My personal sunglass collection is HUGE amassed mostly these last 20 years.
I have most US manufactured Wayfarer size and colour options , some NOS , and I have most Aviator options , again many NOS cased and boxed. I have many NOS in other Ray Ban models , most found in Australia.

Another preferred brand is Persol , I have quite a few variations in the collection some of which are in the daily wearer roster.

A few Balorama photos showing the colour range

 

[Carlos840]

I have only ever owned/worn Aviators, in black or gold.
Saying that i don't wear them often. For me they are a driving/holyday thing.

 

[Downunder G Man]

Yes Carlos , I was once a UK resident ( for the first 35 years actually !)

Sunglasses are a must here , so a "need" turned into a "want"..

Also for near 20 years a Harley was my sole transport. Almost 300 dry days a year here in Perth Western Australia.

Oh that and my life is a "holiday" haha...

I wore a pair of Persol wraparounds today for lunch at a coastal café with my wife and daughter. Aussie 'fathers day" y'see.

Even tho' we had 30MM of rain today there were lengthy sunny dry spells in between squally showers. ( NOT A MOTORCYCLING DAY !)

 

[AbbaDatDeHat]

Ray Ban Aviators forever!!
I still wear my Photochromic ones from 1974.
A good pair of Ray Ban Aviators are just like a good leather jacket. It takes years to break them in and once right nothing else comes close!!
B

 

[Downunder G Man]

Thanks mate ! I have most every option of Aviators from over the years , including WW2 in the original "aluminun" case !

 

[AbbaDatDeHat]

Thanks mate ! I have most every option of Aviators from over the years , including WW2 in the original "aluminun" case !

I’d love to see those old ones.
B

 

[Seb Lucas]

I forgot about Baloramas - I had a couple of pairs 35 years ago and some Wayfarers.

For the last 20 years I've worn Ray Ban and Randolph aviators. I can't function with the hostile sunlight down here without them.

I have three pairs of sun glasses - one Ray Ban and two Randolphs.

 

[Bfd70]

Wayfarers exclusively for a long while, though there are some Persol models I’m casually interested in. I’ll probably give them a try when the need arises. Ever since having Lasix surgery over a decade ago flat light kills me. I favor shades on bright sunny days but on bright gray days it’s an absolute must. Otherwise I get a headache in 5 min time.

 

[Monitor]

I have just these Ray Ban Fantasees.

 

[Downunder G Man]

I do occasionally wear some of the Wayfarers and Aviators but only if in the car.

While riding the bike wraparound of some type are a must , hence the Balorama predeliction

For me at least non wrap sunnies give severe eye watering quick smart on the bike.

That is with open face helmets of course. Or with no helmet of course , not a 100% helmet law in WA

I have 5 pairs of these, like the model worn by the recently departed Peter Fonda in "Easy Rider".

Bausch & Lomb RayBan L0255 the model designation. Look cool , beautifully made , CRAP on the bike.

Go figure. I wear them on foot or in the car.

 

[Bfd70]

IL is perhaps the only zero helmet law state. I’m in the seemingly 12% minority that always wears one. If I’m wearing my Biltwell Gringo without a visor I can still get away with the Wayfarers around town. Terrible on the highway. For that it’s a full face helmet with a built in internal flip down sun visor. In my opinion it’s the best developement in helmet technology since switching from leather.

 

[Captain Sensible]

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[Carlos840]

I do occasionally wear some of the Wayfarers and Aviators but only if in the car.

While riding the bike wraparound of some type are a must , hence the Balorama predeliction

For me at least non wrap sunnies give severe eye watering quick smart on the bike.

That is with open face helmets of course. Or with no helmet of course , not a 100% helmet law in WA

I have 5 pairs of these, like the model worn by the recently departed Peter Fonda in "Easy Rider".

Bausch & Lomb RayBan L0255 the model designation. Look cool , beautifully made , CRAP on the bike.

Go figure. I wear them on foot or in the car.

View attachment 182884 View attachment 182884 View attachment 182885

I don't do open face helmets, the most common area of impact on a motorcycle helmet is the chin (19.4% of crashes), so i rock a full face helmet all the time, it just feels safer.
Couldn't even imagine riding without a helmet, i know i know, freedom and all that, but it sounds like a stupid idea IMO.

 

[barnabus]

For riding I have the full Top Gun spec sun visored HJC helmet. For driving or perambulating about on foot I'm like ZZ Top: cheap sunglasses.

I break them or drop them or lose them or wear them in the sea so the polarising goes barmy. There's no point in me owning nice ones. Style-wise, I wear Wayfarers or Aviators (not real Wayfarers or Aviators, lookalike ones).

Wayfarers probably my favourites though.

 

[JMax]

I have a bunch of aviator glasses picked up in various PX/BXs over the course of many years.

Also own quite a a few Oakley like the Batwolf, Gascan, etc. (my preferred style to ride).

My overall favorite are the Oakley Inmates, the sunglasses seen in the movie Book of Eli. I’ve had them for ten years or so. Great sunglasses.

 

[nick123]

Ray Ban Wayfarers or Oakley Garage Rock.

 

[Thuggee]

I do occasionally wear some of the Wayfarers and Aviators but only if in the car.

While riding the bike wraparound of some type are a must , hence the Balorama predeliction

For me at least non wrap sunnies give severe eye watering quick smart on the bike.

That is with open face helmets of course. Or with no helmet of course , not a 100% helmet law in WA

I have 5 pairs of these, like the model worn by the recently departed Peter Fonda in "Easy Rider".

Bausch & Lomb RayBan L0255 the model designation. Look cool , beautifully made , CRAP on the bike.

Go figure. I wear them on foot or in the car.

View attachment 182884 View attachment 182884 View attachment 182885

I like these I’m assuming RayBan don’t make this type anymore?


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[Bushman]

Depends on the jacket, mostly. I wear a pair of classic black sunglasses with darker jackets.

I wear a pair of tortoise shell patterned Foster Grants for most everything else. I really need to find a new pair of aviators.

 

[bn1966]

Four pairs of Rayban Wayfarers, one pair of modern aviators, Oakley Five Squared wrap-arounds & a pair of Oakley Flaks for the Scooter.

 

[Downunder G Man]

I like these I’m assuming RayBan don’t make this type anymore?


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The "Easy Rider" ones I have are all "vintage" made in Rochester new York by Bausch & Lomb. Iused to look for them when folks were selling "old ray Bans" or "Classic Ray Bans". That's how I came about the 5 sets. One is NOS cased and boxed !

Luxxotica still make a similar/copy style. Search for "Ray Ban Olympian" and you'll find them on ebay Australia OK