In Need of New Sunnies

I've been in need of a new pair of sunglasses for a while. I've always worn "nice", "brand name" sunglasses (for some reason they've always been brands famous for their purses, not eyewear) which, to me, were pretty pricey as it was. When my eye doctor told me I needed to upgrade to polarized lenses, I was hesitant due to the cost. I've been searching for years for a pair that I would feel okay investing in, and the time has finally arrived.


I've narrowed it down to two pairs. At first I was drawn to Ray-Ban's New Wayfarer because it had a smaller lens than the typical wayfarer, but in the end I decided that I liked the rounder lens and keyhole bridge (made famous by Persol) of the styles below. One is a real Persol, the other is Ray-Ban's version of that Persol style. Can you tell the difference?
































The styles are very similar, no? Now my dilemma: which to choose? While the styles are very similar, the proportions are slightly different, and I happen to prefer the Persol. However, the Persol is $100 more than the Ray-Ban--a pretty big difference. What say you? Can you even tell?




PS. After all this shopping, I've fallen in love with the iconic, vintage style of Persols. I'm amazed (but glad!) they're not more popular than they are, especially since Ray-Ban vintage styles are so popular right now. Maybe the cost difference between Ray-Ban and Persol has been a factor? Kind of like how you're much more likely to see Coach purses being toted around as opposed to a Prada or Fendi. Anyway, I'm smitten with the line (and, therefore, some of the Ray-Ban look-alikes). I really wanted the 0714's (made famous by Steve McQueen) because they fold! Alas, they were too large on my mini-face. If you're interested in this not-so-common brand, check out more Persol HERE. If you like the thought of folding sunglasses, but don't want to dish out the money for Persols, Ray-Ban came out with a Folding Wayfarer.


Photos courtesy of A using my completely manual 50mm. Not bad, huh? They were taken on different days because we couldn't find a store that carried both models. I chopped them to make them as similar in size as possible.