Wayfarer-Girl

It was my grandfather who first exposed me to Ugg boots, albeit they were the generic L.L. Bean version. Years later, dozens of girls in my high school were wearing the very same style. I'm not getting a pair, I said to myself, trying to resist the trend bandwagon. But I caved. Or, should I say, my momma made me--she made me an Ugg convert.

It was the same story with Ray Bans. The Wayfarer started popping up on faces everywhere--from Kate Moss to Lauren Conrad, and even President Obama! Then a few days ago, they appeared on my pillow. What a lucky girl I am to get "pillow packages" from my mom. In fact, my sister, Lolly, is probably seeing green right now!

I was admittedly skeptical when I opened the sunglasses case to find a pair of red-framed Wayfarers with tortoise shell arms. But moms know best... right? After deciding I'd give the glasses a try, I took a peek in the mirror. They're fun! I realized. I think they're going to work...

In the past few days, sporting my new sunglasses has been a blast. The bold red color is fun, bringing a smile to my face and not allowing me to take myself too seriously. While the color is not one I would have chosen for myself, like the clothes that I steal from my sister, things that aren't the "typical YOU" often earn the most compliments. The tortoise shell sides balance the candy apple red, blending preppy with punk. And although, I don't feel that I have to necessarily match my sunglasses to my outfit, the tortoise shell provides for some flexibility in this area.

Raymond Stegeman, one of the founders of Ray Ban, first introduced the wayfarer in 1952. The unique plastic frames made the glasses an instant hit among celebrities. Perhaps one of their most memorable appearances was with Audrey Hepburn herself, in 1961's classic Breakfast at Tiffany's. During the 90s, the popularity of the glasses waned. But now they're baaaack!--obviously. And how appropriate that my mom, born the same year the Wayfarer was first introduced (shhh, don't tell her I told you), made me a Wayfarer-girl.

Sources: (1) celeb sunglasses photo and Audrey Hepburn, photo courtesy of www.cromoda.com; (2) Lauren Conrad wearing Ray Bans, photo courtesy of Celebrity Sunglasses Finder, online at http://www.celebrity-sunglasses-finder.com/; (3) Ray Ban history, thanks to www.classicsunglasses.net/ray-ban/a-history-of-ray-ban-wayfarers.