
1. They Were Invented for Function Rather Than Style
Pilots loved not only the function of the new shades but also the style, and the sunglasses quickly evolved into what we now know as classic aviators. In 1937, Bausch & Lomb released a civilian design marketed as Ray-Ban aviators.
2. A Legendary General Set the Fashion Trend

Military legend General Douglas MacArthur sparked the aviator sunglasses fashion trend when he landed on Leyte Island, Philippines. He was wearing aviators and smoking a corncob pipe. Newspapers published photos, and the rest is fashion history. We’re pretty sure that’s exactly what the five-star general was going for. Pretty sure.
3. Top Gun Was an Aviator Fashion Show
4. Classic Aviator Sunglasses Have a “Bullet Hole”

5. The Surgeon General Would Not Approve

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