Welcome back to the Gentleman's Gazette!
Today's video is about clubmaster sunglasses which are also known as Ronsir or Browline
style.
We're here to talk about the history, how to wear them, how to buy them, and what to
look for when you buy these sunglasses.
They were originally invented by Jack Rohrbach from Shuron LTD.
At the time, he was the vice president of Shuron LTD and the goal was to create glasses
that allowed the owner to customize fit, size, and color.
So they weren't really sunglasses and in the 50's and 60's, people would just wear them
as regular glasses and sometimes you could see them with metal snap-on sunglasses.
By the 1970's, those glasses were out of style and Hollywood only used them to portray an
older man or a geek.
By the 1980's, the TV series moonlighting came out and Bruce Willis famously wore the
Ronsir from Shuron in that show.
They're called browline style because they make people look at the browline because of
the contrasting colors and dark on top.Typically, lenses are held in metal frames.
Today, sunglasses are much more popular than the regular glasses style.
Shuron allowed the customers to basically choose any kind of color for the dark parts,
the metal parts, and the tinted lenses.
RayBan liked the style and copied it and simply called it clubmaster.
They were also much stronger on the marketing department which is why today, the clubmaster
is much more well-known and synonymous with the browline style than ronsir is.
In 1993, Michael Douglas wore the browline style in the movie Falling down and as such,
it became synonymous with an angry man.
At that time, it seemed like the clubmaster or browline style were on life support but
they really came back strong and today, they were one of the most popular sunglasses in
RayBan.
So what are the hallmarks of Clubmaster or browline style sunglasses?
Well first of all, it's the frame on top that is thicker than at the bottom.
The upper part is usually made of plastic or acetate and the bottom part out of metal.
Also, it comes in various color combinations and so there's nothing really special about
it.
Other than that, it really comes down to your preference because there's no certain color
scheme, combination, or metal color, it all depends on your personal choice or preference.
Of course, the classics are black or tortoise shell, gold, in either gray, green, or brown
lenses.
If you want the red and white frame with the pink tinted lenses, go for it but it's not
a classic.
So how should you wear clubmasters?
The look is instantly classic and hence, it's perfectly suited for a gentleman who likes
to wear suits, whether it's a two-piece suit or a three-piece suit.
It just gives you a more timeless appearance and it's definitely very suited for style
reasons than aviator sunglasses.
On the other hand, if you want sunglasses for function, the clubmasters are not your
friend, there are simply too many gaps.
On top, the sun comes in.
When you walk outside, around noon, the sun is all the way on top.
It can come in from the side versus a pair of aviator sunglasses which really covers
you much better.
It really hugs your face.
Of course, you can also wear them with blazers, or chinos, or more casual combinations.
it will always give you that slightly vintage look.
They're great for round, oval, and rectangular face shapes but if you want to learn more
about how to find the perfect pair of sunglasses for your face shape and skin tone, check out
this video.
I definitely suggest you try them before you buy because otherwise, the gaps can bee too
big.
I don't have a small head and I'm wearing the smaller of the two clubmaster sunglasses
which is the 49.
So try it before you buy it.
Which brings us to the question, where should you buy your clubmasters?
If you want to stick with the original, you should go with Shuron LTD.
The company has been around since 1865, still around today but unfortunately, they are not
the strongest in the marketing department, their website is a bit dated.
While you can see all the styles they offer, they don't show you the lenses they have and
you cannot really order online.
You have to call in and unless you know exactly what frame size you want or like, and what
suits you, you're going to have a hard time.
Therefore, I suggest you call them, figure out what local optician carries Shuron so
you can go there, try all different options and basically create your made to order pair.
Pricewise, it should run anywhere from $165.00 which is what I was quoted from the company
but I've also seen it for $75-$115 online.
If you like the regular glasses style, they also have the clip ons which look quite cool
actually.
They have tinted glasses in literally any shade you want, polarized only comes in brown,
green and gray.
If you want something off the shelf, I suggest you go with RayBan clubmasters, they're around
$150 and you can also customize them in made to order on their website.
Alternatively, you can go to Amazon and buy directly from RayBan or to an optician of
choice so you don't end up with fake sunglasses and you get something that looks good on you.
Personally, I prefer the classics so I like tortoise shell with dark glasses and gold.
Also, goes well with my skin tone but you can pick other things and if you want to learn
more about how to find a good quality pair, check out our in-depth guide here.
Overall, it's a classic style and I love it because it goes well with suits but I suggest
you try it before you buy it because unlike other sunglasses, it comes in so many different
shapes and because of the gap, you want a pair of sunglasses that fit.
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