Welcome back to the Gentleman's Gazette and our series, Is It Worth It? where we discuss
iconic menswear products such as the Burberry trench coat, the Mont Blanc Meisterstuck,
or the Gucci loafer.
In today's video, we review Persol sunglasses, iconic eversince Steve McQueen wore them.
Specfically, we discuss the style 649,714, and the Steve McQueen and we will talk about
whether it is worth your money or not.
First of all, let me take off my sunglasses.
After all, we are in this video.
Now let us talk about the history of Persol to see why they are so iconic.
It was started in 191 by Guiseppe Ratti as a luxury sunglass brand focusing on athletes
and aviators.
In the 1930, Persol was responsible for a leap forward in the sunglass world by introducing
what they call the Maflecto System.
Basically, it is a flexible metal item inside the temple that is constructed in a way so
it is flexible and it adjusts more to your head shape so you do not have pressure points
that are uncomfortable.
This system really helps to take off-the-rack sunglasses and adapt it to the face of the
wearer.
To my knowledge, no other major brand actually uses that system today.
In 1957, Persol created the model 649.
t was designed for tram drivers in Milan.
The idea was that the large frame protected them from light and dust.
Looking back, the model 64 clearly marked the beginning of Persol as a fashion sunglass
brand even though at the time, they did not see themselves as that.
I mean, just look at those sunglasses, don't they want to make you be a tram driver in
Milan?
A little later in the 60s, model 714 was introduced to the market which had a novelty in the sense
that it could be folded.
Apart from minor changes, it is basically the model 649 that can be folded.
Persol sunglasses debuted in the US in 1962.
By 1968, Steve McQueen famously wore them in the movie "Thomas Crown Affair".
The model was the caramel brown acetate with the light blue lenses which I have here right
now, as well.
This appearance really put Persol on the map and the 741 style became synonymous with the
brand Persol which is why we are reviewing that specific model and not all the others
that they offer today.
Steve McQueen wore those sunglasses so much that he did not just wear them in the movie
but he would also be often seen wearing them in his spare time.
Ultimately, these Persol sunglasses became the quintessential Steve McQueen look especially
when paired with a Baracuta G9 Harrington jacket.
By the way, we have an is it worth it video about that jacket too so check it out here.
Persol was acquired in 1995 by Luxottica which is the world's largest eyewear brand.
With over 9 billion dollars revenue a year, it seems like almost every major brand has
their sunglasses produced by Luxottica.
Nevertheless, Persol sunglasses are still made in Italy and the iconic hallmark of them
is that silver arrow that you can see at the beginning of the temple.
So why are Persol sunglasses still so famous?
Basically, it comes down to star power.
Apart from Steve McQueen in the 60s and 70s, Jay-Z, Pierce Brosnan, and Ryan Gosling are
all big fans of Persol sunglasses these days.
And look at that, even Leo Dicaprio likes them.
Overall, they are worn by the public no matter young or old and it is truly one of those
items that have not gone out of style in the last 50 or 60 years.
No matter if you like the classic 649 style or the foldable 714, the designs have not
changed much since the 1960s and it is just a popular sunglass choice with all kinds of
people.
The secret behind this is that they probably flatter men of all ages.
If you are a younger fellow, it makes you look more mature.
On the flip side, if you are an older gentleman, they make you look vintage cool and seasoned,
not outdated.
In my opinion, another secret for their success is they really bridge the gap between formal
and casual extremely well.
Most sunglasses are either formal or casual; for example, look at Cary Grant.
He has a very formal classic sunglasses.
On the other hand, you have aviators which are a little more fashion-forward even though
they are a classic in their own right now.
Persol sunglasses, the 649, 714, and the Steve McQueen, they are right in the middle of that
spectrum.
Because of that, they can be worn with a three piece suit, just like Steve McQueen did in
the Thomas Crown Affair, or you can wear it very casually at the pool or with your Harrington
jacket.
At the end of the day, this style of Persol sunglasses has proven to be one of the most
versatile frames out there.
Okay, now let us take a closer look at the 649, the 714, and the Steve McQueen sunglasses.
They are all manufactured in Turin, Italy.
They are made out of acetate which is much more expensive to handle because it has to
be cut and hand polished so there is more waste.
At the same time, you do not see the seams of injection molded sunglasses which you usually
find in the market today.
Now, you might say, well, acetate frames are a standard for quality sunglasses today and
you are quite right.
However, that Maflecto System that Persol offers really helps to really have that good
comfortable pair of sunglasses.
It does not hurt you after thirty minutes.
So of all those styles, they are so similar, why are reviewing three different pairs of
sunglasses?
Well, first of all, the 649is the least expensive version, it is the entry version, it is the
oldest version and it is not collapsible.
Also, if you compare the three frames, it is a little more straight in the front and
less angled than the 714 and the Steve McQueen.
Otherwise, in terms of shape and height, they are pretty much the same.
The entry price of the 649 is $260 and you have to add $50 for polarized lenses.
If you want to go with the 714, you have to add $60 to that so basically, the price is
$320 and $370 for polarized lenses.
If you want the original Steve McQueen model, you have to shell out $480.
To make the 714 collapsible, you have a hinge in the middle an you can bend down the temples
of the sunglasses.
Now, the Steve McQueen one is slightly different in the sense that you fold the temples towards
the sunglass lenses.
Also, if you look at the temples, the 714 and the 649 have that arrow design that points
away from the frame versus the Steve McQueen pair of sunglasses have a total of three arrows
that go to, backwards, and one forward.
Actually, that's a really small detail on the Steve McQueen sunglasses so unless you
like the color combinations of the Steve McQueen models and dislike the others, I do not think
it is worth the extra mark up.
Now that brings us to the main question of this video, is it worth it?
Well, I think $260 for the 649 style is definitely worth it.
It is a very classic style; you can wear it for years to come.
You can wear it formally, informally, casually, or anything in between and unless you lose
them, the cost per wear is probably really good.
Today, you can wear sunglasses year round and the style has been proven to be timeless
which is exactly the kind of product we, at the Gentleman's Gazette, like.
It may seem expensive upfront, they are not super lightweight, they have a nice solid
weight, the lenses are also good, I particularly like the polarized senses so you would always
add the $50 for those.
On top of that, you get those frames in small and standard.
Since I have a bigger head, all of those models are standard size.
You buy them from Persol.com, they got a nice cardboard box and inside, the sunglass case
seems to be imitation leather.
At the end of the day, for me, it is all about the sunglasses.
At $260, I think it is a worthwhile investment if you can afford them.
The 714 model lets you fold the sunglasses in a very compact way.
Personally, I've had that model for two years and I've only folded them that way twice.
It just takes more time and it is almost impossible to put on sunglasses that are folded with
just one hand quickly so I usually just wear them like a regular pair of sunglasses and
so you might just want to go with the 641 style, not with the 714.
That being said, I like the slightly more angled crown of the 714, the 649 is just a
little flat.
That being said, I'd probably still go for the 714 simply because of the style, for pure
value, I prefer the 649.
The Steve McQueen edition is basically the same model as the 714 with the exception of
temple design.
The Steve McQueen are folded forward, the 714 is folded downward on the temple.
Otherwise, the case if the Steve McQueen is a lot nicer but like I said, I would not use
it anyways but if you really like the color acetate combination with the blue lenses,
it is just a cool iconic look and of course, it is always a good story to tell.
In my opinion though, $480 which is $220 above the basic version is not really justified
so if value is important to you and you want to go for the basic style, the 649 is where
it is at.
That being said, if you wear those glasses for years to come, don't lose them, don't
scratch them, then the cost per wear is so low that all three of them are worth it if
you like their style.
Because they are owned by Luxottica, it's very easy to find a Persol dealer all over
the world.
That being said, it's also a product that gets faked quite frequently so only buy from
a source where you know it's a genuine product and not just a knock off with cheap lenses.
One thing to keep in mind is that Persol offers a large variety of different lens shades and
frame colors or patterns.
Most vendors will only have a few available so it really pays to check out their website
to see what style suits you the most so you know you are spending that amount of money
for exactly what you want.
In todays video I have my caramel brown acetate with blue lens Steve McQueen version, the
714, as well as a 649.
For the exact links, please head over to our wesbite so you can see exactly what we wore.
I combined them with a denim shirt and a green Harrington jacket which is the same style
as Steve McQueen wore in the 60s and 70s.
I wore them with a pair of seersuckers and brown boat shoes from Rancourt.
I added a pinky ring with malachite and silver which work with my jacket as well as the silver
parts of the Persol sunglasses.