Looking for something different and uniquely attention-catching to touch up your wardrobe? Don't underestimate the power of retro. While love beads and leg-warmers may never come back in style, other fashion accessories can only look better over time. Accessories like this gain personality with age. And sunglasses such as the vintage Oakley, Revo and Ray-Ban sunglasses are among them.



Oakley is a brand that is relatively new in the market, but is a dynamic, fast-moving player. It is quite difficult to call even its older models "vintage Oakley," since this particular brand prides itself on coming out with new and better models all the time - it may be more apt to say a pair of sunglasses is only either an Oakley or an outmoded Oakley. But come the time, its recent high-tech, state-of-the-art styles will be treasured by collectors, as well!

Ray-Ban is one of the oldest and most trusted names in fashion eyewear. As such vintage Ray-Bans may not be all that hard to find. People have collected Ray-Bans since Hollywood made sunglasses in general famous during the late 30s and early 40s. The Ray-Ban company has experimented with many styles, setting the trend for different heydays of sunglasses - from time to time it even revives its own retro styles, such as when it re-released its 1983 Wayfarer line of sunglasses in late 2006. No matter how Ray-Ban makes its way through the market, it will remain a household name in shades.

Revos are distinctive. As with all vintage shades, authenticity is important, but it gains just that much extra importance with a Revo. These shades were originally manufactured by a NASA engineer, who decided it might be marketable to create wearable lenses out of the material used to protect the portholes of satellites from solar emissions - and was right. Revo lenses are prized for their durability and top-rate UV protection, not to mention their classy frames. Vintage Revos would be a remarkable addition to any collector's trove.

Some retro sunglasses come in quirky styles that would appear humorous, and even downright ridiculous, to a less colorful generation - tapered ends, heart and star shapes, glitter paint, the works. But don't knock it, because these sunglasses may well be the single accent that your boring wardrobe needs. Then again, retro may not always mean quirky - it can also mean classy. You can't go wrong with vintage Oakley, Ray-Ban and Revo sunglasses.