Arguably the most masculine of sunglasses styles, the “aviator” is synonymous with the birth of the modern air force. Developed in the 1930s, aviator sunglasses or “pilot’s glasses” have become a trend-proof addition to men’s accessories thanks to their association with military greats and fly leading men.

“Like so much in menswear, the origin of the aviator derives, unsurprisingly, from the air force,” says Simon Spiteri, a buyer at Mr Porter. “In 1929, a US Army General challenged optical firm Bausch & Lomb (then owners of Ray-Ban) to create a pair of sunglasses that would protect test pilots from the headache-inducing glare found at altitude; thus the signature teardrop-shaped lenses were born.”

The first pair of aviators arrived in 1937 with green lenses and were marketed as “Ray Ban” and promised “real scientific glare protection”. The name “aviator” wasn’t coined until the Second World War and became a well-known style of sunglasses when General Douglas MacArthur landed on a beach in the Philippines and newspaper pictures of him wearing them became a lasting image of the war.

The aviator was soon worn by sportsmen and fisherman, and quickly became a fashion accessory thanks to the likes of Elvis Presley. Since then, they have never gone out of style. Michael Jackson turned up at the 1984 Grammys in a pair of Ray-Ban aviators. Johnny Depp’s coloured lenses in 1998’s Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas gave them more of a counter-culture vibe. And in between, they were confirmed as a man’s ultimate wingman accessory.

“Their mainstream popularity came as a result of Top Gun,” says Spiteri. “Tom Cruise and Val Kilmer cemented their popularity, and have since been an accessory that every man should have in his possession.”

How To Wear Aviators

If you’re wondering whether aviators suit you, let us paraphrase that very movie: don’t let your sunglasses write cheques that the rest of your look can’t cash. In other words, if you’re going to wear aviators, they have to fit your style and personality.