They’re not a thick plastic or acetate frame like a Wayfarer, but the ear pieces are larger than a run of the mill Aviator. So what are these things? Hybrids? Avifarers? Business in the front, party in the rear… mullet shades? (Okay, that’s not fair).
Doesn’t matter what they’re called. They can do just about anything. Serious enough to be worn when dressed up, but the thicker plastic ear pieces knock the shine down and add some visual balance compared to wire frames. Most of these also seem to come with nice, in-between lens shapes. Not droopy and oversized, not Neo aerodynamic. And not easy to find.
Quick picks follow. Leave any additions in the comments below.
Brooks Brothers – $95.00
Nice blend of retro and contemporary. The shape of the nose bridge and the tortoise shell pattern on the earpieces are a bit of a throwback, with the wire frames around the sleek lenses keeping it in this century. Ships and returns free through Nordstrom. Not available on the Brooks Brothers website at post time.
Banana Republic Ian – $68.60
w/ BRBRIGHT30 ($98)
It’d be nice if more sunglasses fell into this not super cheap but not crazy expensive price range. On sale all the time thanks to codes. Ships free, returns free in store. Polarized, and also available in a gunmetal/grey combo.
UPDATE: For the code, BRBRIGHT40 and BRBRIGHT35 might be what you need (for 40% off and 35% off respectively). They’re running one of those select customer sales, so one browser might give you 30%, the other 40%, and so on. The code should appear at the top of the page, above their menu bar.
Calvin Klein Polarized Aviators – $59.99
A little more angular with lenses that dip down a bit more. Starting to look a little like the sunglasses George Clooney wore in parts of The American.
Persol PO2407S in Matte Black or Pale Gold – $148.00 ($210)
$150 is steep, but these are something else. Snagged a pair back in October during a rare half-off deal + code stack situation for about $80. And that ain’t gonna happen again any time soon. Currently marked down on the Nordstrom owned flash sale site HauteLook, which does offer returns in the original form of payment minus shipping costs, or credits and they pick up the return shipping. Super sturdy, lenses are perfect if you’ve got a medium to larger face, and the matte black frame is terrific for those that don’t like the metallic look. (Also seen at the top of the post)
Final Notes: This style can absolutely go wrong pretty quickly. Look for balance. You don’t want ear pieces that are too thick, or lenses that are too short. Just not your style? See the Sunglasses Matrix over here.