Many items with impeccable style credibility — i.e., they’ve been cool for so long that they will never not be cool — have humble origins. A perfect example is Persol’s style 649 sunglasses.
Before securing immortality on the face of Steve McQueen and becoming Anthony Bourdain’s go-to eyewear, the 649 frames were purpose-built in 1957 for Italian tram car drivers.
While McQueen is often credited with giving the utilitarian shades their big break, it was actually Italian movie star Marcello Mastroianni, best known for starring in Fellini’s La Dolce Vita, who first wore them on film in 1961’s Divorzio all’Italiana.
By the time The King of Cool wore his customized pair with blue lenses in The Thomas Crown Affair seven years later, Persol’s signature frames were solidified as timeless classics.
The Italian eyewear brand, long owned by Ray-Ban and Oakley’s parent company Luxottica, deserves credit for remaining faithful to the 649’s roots over the past nearly 70 years. Although dozens of spinoff styles have been released, the original 649s have remained essentially untouched.
