Ray-Ban Just Dropped a $500 Pair of Aviators Plated in 24K Gold

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Ray-Ban Just Dropped a $500 Pair of Aviators Plated in 24K Gold
Ray-Ban Wayfarers are so emblematic of summertime that they are name-checked in Don Henley’s 1984 classic, The Boys of Summer. Since the shades debuted in 1952, everyone from Bob Dylan to Michael Jackson, Jack Nicholson, Fake Ray Bans and Tom Cruise have faced the sun (and paparazzi) in them.

Ray-Ban is out with another bold look this summer, a pair of Aviators that feels like anything but your dad’s sunglasses. The Wings 24-Carat Gold Limited Edition is more akin to the Ray-Bans that show up in songs by Tyga (Shades On), Katy Perry (International Smile), M.I.A. (Come Around), and Rick Ross (Veterans Day). The Wings feature a single, 24-carat, gold-plated lens, gold-plated flat metal top bridge and temples, an engraved logo, upgraded mask shape, and a super-light, single-piece nose pad. They’ll retail for $518.
First developed in 1937 for pilots, Ray-Ban Aviators quickly crossed over from serving as corrective lenses for pilot glare to being the preferred shades for rock stars facing the spotlights. Probably, with the re-make of Top Gun, the model will see a further boost in popularity. But don’t think that getting your hands on one of the gold-plated versions is going to be easy: Ray-Ban is releasing only 500 pairs.

The sunglasses even have an official “Run For Gold” trailer. In it, a gambler loses his fur coat, gold chain, and even his shirt in an underground den—but runs away before having to give up his Wings.