Oliver Peoples, Tom Ford or Persol?

[MJ997]

Hello!

I´m looking for the perfect pair of sunglasses. Something that will last with me for the rest of my life and can be used in multiple environments. I work in investment banking so something that can be also used with clients and at office environment (so nothing too flashy/ obscure). Durability is also very important. After some research I came up with these options;

Oliver Peoples, Tom Ford and Persol (with Garrett Leight also as a plausible candidate). Which one of these do you think fits my requirements the best?

Oh and the models from those brands are; OP Finley, TF Henry, Persol (haven´t decided yet, but something of similar shape) and Garrett Leight Hampton.

Thank you!

 

[Murlsquirl]

You can't go wrong with any of those, but I can't imagine any sunglasses lasting the rest of your life.....you'll break or lose them for sure! I try to take care of my glasses and something always happens to them. Out of those you mentioned, I really like the Garrett Hamptons. I've been thinking about getting those for a while now.

 

[Thin White Duke]

As each of those brands have several styles, if I were you I would focus on quality and the style that suits you and fits your needs best, rather than on the brand names. I would also focus on brands which are made by glasses designers not clothes designers. Tom Ford is a clothes designer.

Having said that, I THINK that all of those brands are under the umbrella of Luxoticca so they probably all come out of the same factory, and if that IS the case then what exactly are you paying for with the more expensive brand, other than bragging rights?

For the record, among my geggs I have a pair of Oliver Peoples, two Garret Leights (he's the son of the founder of OP) and I have some prescription frames by TF (which I certainly did NOT pay retail for!). They are all acetate framed and all seem fairly robust. I tried a pair of McQueen style Persol 409s but even the smaller size were HUGE on my head. Instead I got Garret Leigh Hardings in 'honey amber' tortoiseshell which look similar with the keyhole bridge but fit me much better.

I agree with the poster above - I admire you eschewing the current throwaway culture and wanting to buy one ultimate pair but it's a tough requirement. I like changing up styles to suit the environment, my mood, my outfit etc. as some frames may seem more formal than others, some (like wayfarer styles with plastic bridge) feel better when driving long distances than say aviators with nose pads that might pinch. Less expensive ones you can wear to the beach or in the pool etc. Good luck.

 

[IChen]

I have a pair of Tom Fords I love and have lasted well. But I know they're all from under Luxotica but I'd decide based on the style and look of the glasses not the name. The only sort of brand I admire in terms of quality and price ratio is Dita and Sama. Cartier is simply overpriced in my opinion and niche luxury.

 

[Anm1984]

www.saltoptics.com

They are better than all of the above.

 

[Andy57]

Persol all day, every day.

 

[Cj52racers]

I would agree with Thin White Duke. I believe most/all of those are Luxotica brands. None are handcrafted or more well made than each other. They're all made in the same factories and to essentially the same mediocre standard.

If you want something timeless and well made, look for one of the brands still made in Japan or by hand. I would have to recommend Morgenthal Frederics as an excellent option.

 

[Anm1984]

Salt optics are made in Japan and is an independent Californian based company.

 

[Cj52racers]



Salt optics are made in Japan and is an independent Californian based company.

I know, I was responding to TWD and OP. Salt Optics are decent glasses from the few I've handled.

 

[usctrojans31]

I really love Cutler and Gross if you're not locked in to these makers.

I have a pair of Tom Fords I love and have lasted well. But I know they're all from under Luxotica but I'd decide based on the style and look of the glasses not the name. The only sort of brand I admire in terms of quality and price ratio is Dita and Sama. Cartier is simply overpriced in my opinion and niche luxury.

Unless something has changed, Tom Ford is Marcolin.

 

[IChen]



I really love Cutler and Gross if you're not locked in to these makers.
Unless something has changed, Tom Ford is Marcolin.

Actually yes that is true I forget. Luxoticais like so big and big ._.

 

[MJ997]

Thank you for all the advice . I think I will go with OP or GL.

 

[jonathanS]

You really can't go wrong with any of them. I have Several TF & Persol. Both excellent. Go figure out which frames fit your face best & decide accordingly. For what its worth, I like my Tom Ford Rock & Persol 3037 (I am recalling it off the top of my head, so that number might be wrong). You can't go wrong with Persol 649 either- if I buy another pair of sunglasses, it'd probably be those, but I haven't bought a pair of sunglasses in a while. I like the persols with the funny looking bridge - somehow it makes the sunglasses fit better (atleast in my experience).

 

[12345Michael54321]



I´m looking for the perfect pair of sunglasses.

No such thing, of course. Any more than there's a perfect lunch or a perfect piece of music. It simply depends. On the individual, the circumstance, and so forth. But that having been said...

Have you given any consideration to American Optical? If they were good enough for Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin (and a whole bunch of other astronauts), they're probably good enough for you. A pair will run you just under $50, which is ridiculously reasonable for what you're getting.

If you should ever lose them, break them, have them stolen by a dark wizard intending to turn them into a horcrux, etc., an identical replacement could easily be obtained. Rather than discontinuing models after a season or two, AO tends to keep offering the same sunglasses for decades.

I prefer the Original Pilots, but with spatula temples, not bayonet. Bayonet may be more "authentic," in some sense (arguable), but other than this their big advantage is that they permit the glasses to be easily put on and taken off when wearing a helmet. Just not a factor for me.

I also like the grey glass lenses. Grey is much more color-neutral than are green or amber (which is why photographic neutral density filters are grey, and not some other color), and I like keeping color shift to a minimum.

I wear non-polarized lenses, since while polarized lenses do have very real advantages in terms of glare reduction, they can also cause certain types of electronic displays to "black out." This is not just a theoretical consideration - one can not infrequently encounter it when looking at the instrument panels in some popular cars, or when looking at some smartphone displays. (Although if one is often on the water, the benefits of polarized lenses probably outweigh the disadvantages.) ('Course, you mention wearing them in an office environment, where one could argue no sunglasses are particularly appropriate, but so be it.)

I like the optical quality and scratch resistance of quality glass lenses. Polycarbonate lenses certainly have their place, and if I were looking specifically for protective eyewear, I'd likely opt for polycarbonate. But for everyday wear, AO's glass lenses' impact resistance is quite adequate, and their optical advantages appeal to me.

The company's website is aoeyewear.com , but I bought my last pair (55mm lenses, matte chrome frame) from Optics Planet's website, as their prices on AO sunglasses are good, their selection is extensive, I've dealt with Optics Planet before, they don't charge extra for shipping, they ship promptly, and they have a decent return policy.

Below: Astronauts Pete Conrad (3rd man to walk on the moon) and Gordon Cooper (one of the original Mercury 7 astronauts), wearing their AO sunglasses. Conrad and Cooper were the flight crew for the Gemini 5 mission.

Below: Buzz Aldrin (2nd man to walk on moon), with his AO Pilots in his left hand, as he places them into a sleeve pocket.

[/quote]

 

[golfinz]

I'm partial to GLCO. I bought a pair of hamptons but unfortunately they don't fit my small head so I picked up a pair of brooks. The Hamptons are in my sig for those that are interested