Borrowed From the Boys: Persol Sunglasses

Guys, can we just talk about how much I love Persol sunglasses?

…Yes, okay, more on you fellas….but look at these on me! Don’t I look cool?! Okay, okay. I know, back to you. Because on the fellas, they make you look ooh so handsome.

{Persol, $360}

When guys wear Persols, I think Ryan Gosling. I think Steve McQueen. I think Jay-Z (okay, and then I think of Ryan Gosling some more) I think just, total cool, dashing, handsome dudes who know how to order a bottle of wine at a restaurant with confidence, but can also open a beer bottle without an opener because they “know a trick.”

They’re just cool. And capable. These are guys who know that when you invest in quality eyewear, you make an effort not to sit on them the first day you bring them home. Which means, even if you open a few of those beers, or drink a good amount of that delicious wine you just ordered, you’re not going to be a total sh*tshow. Because you’re a grown man. Not a boy.

According to Persol’s website, this style’s pedigree is well-storied:

“It was 1968 when an already famous and charming Steve McQueen appeared on set wearing the Persol PO 714 SM model for the first time. The film was The Thomas Crown Affair which elevated both Steve McQueen and his sunglasses to legendary status. Inseparable allies in both his on-set adventures and in his personal life, McQueen, who was a fan of the Persol brand and the PO 714 SM model, owned a personal collection.”

Tell me: Do you invest in sunglasses, or do you buy yours on the cheap?

…I swear, I’m not saying that one is better than the other – personally, I have a mix of nicer sunglasses, and a few cheap-o’s (as I call them), but the cheap-o’s at this point have been relegated only to wearing while running and when around my niece, who has a tendency to mash them when she insists on trying them on. I believe if you buy something nice, you can control yourself well enough to keep it looking nice. But I see the merit in both sides.