Browline glasses draw attention to the wearer’s natural browline by using a dark or contrasting material only along the top portion of the frame and temples. The lenses are typically held in place by a thin metal frame and are of a squared-off round shape.

 

Shuron Ronsirs originally released the browline eyeglasses in 1947, when they were invented by their vice president, Jack Rohrbach. The goal was to allow the owner of the eyeglasses to be able to completely customize the size, the fit and even the color of their glasses. Made from interchangeable bridges, brows, and eyewires, they were an instant success and dominated the prescription eyeglass industry. The browline look is now synonymous with the era. By the 1960s, Ray-Ban was a fairly large contender in the market and its owner Bausch & Lomb was one of the top manufacturers of browline style eyeglasses.

 

However, it wasn’t until Bruce Willis wore the tinted lenses that Ray-Ban realized there was a market for a sunglass version. Immediately after seeing them on Moonlighting, Ray-Ban launched the first browline sunglasses, which they called the Clubmaster.

 

Sales were enormous almost immediately, and despite only coming out mid-80s, they still ranked as the third most popular style of sunglasses sold in the decade, next to Ray-Ban’s Wayfarers and Aviators.

 

Ray-Ban took every revision of the original 1947 Browline and began offering it as part of the Clubmaster series. From bold brows to lightweight metal caps first introduced in the 1950s by Art-Craft and Victory Optical, the Clubmaster offered a style that could fit elegantly on just about any face shape.

 

Unfortunately, following the release of the film Falling Down in 1993, the browline style became synonymous with the angry, right-wing American. The downfall was compounded by the typical progression of eyewear trends and soon it became a Hollywood stereotype for geeks and middle-aged men. Fortunately, Ray-Ban was able to monopolize the sunglass market and use product placement in films which separated the Clubmaster sunglasses from the browline eyeglasses which were now considered uncool.

 

Today, the Clubmaster is experiencing a remarkable revival as a classic yet hip frame. It remains one of Ray-Ban’s most popular styles and is one that is imitated by many brands in the market, ranging in price from just a few dollars to more than a thousand. Popularized by leading Hollywood men, bearded hipsters and classic dressers alike, it is arguably a very chic style for those seeking a refined and vintage look.

 

Like the browline, Clubmaster-style sunglasses are designed with an upper frame that is thicker or appears bolder than the bottom portion of the frame. Traditionally, the upper — known as the brow or cap — is made from a thick plastic or acetate that is also used on the temples. However, the remainder of the frame, including the bridge and eyewires, are usually made of metal. In more contemporary frames, the design can sometimes replicate a round sunglass but use a lighter shade or different plastic on the bottom to showcase the upper portion of the frame.

 

They come in a range of color combinations, sizes, and variations, so this is a great classic frame that can suit most face shapes, sizes, and complexions given the range of options out there. Most Clubmasters would have originally come in black or tortoiseshell with silver or gold rims.

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Source: gentlemansgazette.com