WHAT I'D BUY: The One Pair of Sunglasses for an Australian Summer
One pair, a whole summer of sun. Our pick is a frame that has barely changed in decades, with glass lenses and a UV label worth knowing before you buy.
WHAT I'D BUY this time is a single pair of sunglasses for an Australian summer, and our pick is the Ray-Ban Original Wayfarer in Black with green glass. It is the frame most people picture when they think of sunglasses, and it earns its place for reasons that go beyond looks, and was featured in our recent Barbour x J.Crew article, check out how it was styled.
Why the Wayfarer
Summer glasses get a hard life. They get dropped on car seats, shoved into beach bags and left on dashboards. The Wayfarer is built from a sturdy acetate frame with glass lenses, and glass is harder to scratch than the plastic used in many cheaper pairs. It also keeps its optical clarity, which matters when the sun is low and bouncing off the road.
The green lenses are a neutral tint that darkens the scene without twisting colours, so a red light still looks red and the water still looks like water. They are also available with prescription lenses, which is handy if you later want the same frame fitted with your own script.
Then there is the shape. The slightly angular, trapezoid frame has been around for decades and has not dated, so it works with a business shirt, a linen set or a surf tee. It is one pair that does the lot, and that is the whole idea of this pick.
The price
Just Sunnies, lists this pair at $221.40, which is about as 10 per cent under the $246 recommended retail price, and in a cost of living crisis everyone needs to be shopping for discounts. The good news is cost per wear is real with the wayfarer, they are durable, a style that does not age out which spreads the cost over many summers. If you want polarised lenses, which cut glare off water and bitumen, Myer lists the polarised black Wayfarer at $270.40, down from $338.
Who it suits
The Wayfarer tends to flatter round and oval faces, because its straight top line and angled corners add some definition. If your face is already quite angular, you may prefer a rounder frame. This pair comes in a 50 mm eye size, with a 50 mm lens width, 41 mm lens height, 22 mm nose bridge and 150 mm temples. It is a medium fit, so anyone with a wider face should compare it against the larger sizes in the same range before choosing.
A quick word on UV
Check the lens category before you buy. Australian lenses are rated from 0 to 4, and categories 0 and 1 are fashion spectacles, not sunglasses. Category 3 gives high glare reduction and suits bright Australian days, and that is what this Wayfarer is listed as. Category 4 is for special purposes and is not suitable for driving, and a broad-brim hat on top helps even more.
At a glance
- Pick: Ray-Ban Original Wayfarer RB2140, Black with green glass lenses, 50 mm eye size
- Price: $221.40 at Just Sunnies (recommended retail price $246), checked 15th Oct 26
- Lens: category 3, glass, prescriptable, not polarised
- Fit: 50 mm lens width, 41 mm lens height, 22 mm bridge, 150 mm temples
- Suits: round and oval faces, and anyone after one pair for every occasion
Verdict: if we could buy only one pair for the summer, this would be it: hard-wearing glass lenses, a category 3 rating that suits Australian sun, and a shape that goes with almost everything.
