Lou Reeds 1966 Sunglasses!

Foggy Notion · Guest

Hey everybody I got a question!

This might be a long shot but here goes anyway - Do any of you recognize the (killer) sunglasses that Lou Reed is wearing in these 1966 photographs?

If you do, have you ever seen them in stores? On ebay etc?

Also if you know of any sunglasses that replicates or look a bit like the ones in the picture, please tell!

Thank you. Cool

Picture 1

Picture 2

Peter_J · Joined: 10 Aug 2007 Posts: 157

Lou said he only liked nostalgia when it was his. These sunglasses are nostalgia worth celebrating, and I think your retro is ahead of the curve.

I'm not able to ID the originals.

Based on where we are in the fashion cycle with other eyewear styles from this period, I am surprised that we don't see this style more often. However, I think the designers are catching up.

For example, hot off the bench are the Wiley-X for 2008 with a number of models that reflect this influence. See the whole collection of Wiley-X Sunglasses but take a look especially at the Wiley X Drapht Sun Glasses and Wiley X Zak Sun Glasses.

Otherwise, I think our current wrap-arounds have been flirting with this look.

Wrap arounds appear throughout the collection of Bolle Sunglasses, especially in the Bolle Snakes family of sunglasses. See the Bolle Snakes Anaconda Sunglasses, the Bolle Snakes Spiral Sunglasses, the Bolle Snakes Piraja Sunglasses and the Bolle Snakes Boa Sunglasses.

Contenders from Ray-Ban include the Ray-Ban Leisure Sport RB4037 Sunglasses and the Ray Ban Predator Leisure Sport RB4054 Sunglasses.

I like Lou's sunglasses but I really want those on the guy who is left of Lou in picture 1. Once again, that influence appears in Bolle in models like the Bolle Kicker Action Sport and the Bolle Hellbent Fusion Sun Glasses.

Allow me the pleasure to say walk on the wild side.

Foggy Notion · Guest

Allow me the pleasure to say thank you!

I find these to be the closest macth, it is hard to tell in these pictures, but I seen other pictures/movie snaps that the frame is clearly in this snake/havanna style. That's actually what I like about Lou's shades, they have that kind of modrock/futuristic/predator design (with the wrap around), but at the same time the color of the frame is kind of oldschool.
The only problem I find with these and most of todays sunglasses is that they don't tone them enough! Sunglasses are in my oppinon ment to be non transparant BLACK, just as the ones Lou is wearing !

BTW the guy on Lou's left is legendary guitar player Sterling Morrison.

Again thank you!

Peter_J · Joined: 10 Aug 2007 Posts: 157

You will definitely have the Lou look with the Snakes from Bolle!

Are you getting the tortoise color frame? It's not what Lou is wearing but it's nice.

For a lens that is more opaque, you might consider a mirror finish or the Bolle "gun" flash mirror. Maybe the heavy tint will come back.

I figured Lou's crew was filled with "Lou-minaries". I can hear Morrison fly on the frets!

Thanks for bringing these sunglasses to our attention. A vision of vision's future.