Unique Serving Platter

Some products are synonymous with style and become cultural icons. Ray Ban sunglasses fall into that category, occupying the up market end of the sunglasses spectrum. The company was founded in 1937 by Bausch and Lomb who later sold the brand to the Italian Luxottica group in 1999.

One of their most famous glasses is the Aviator, developed in 1937 for a United States Air Force commission. The new Ray Ban sunglasses were the epitome of cool and had dark lenses that were often reflective and a teardrop shape. Other manufacturers have copied this design ever since it first appeared. The Aviator took off, being particularly popular with Navy pilots. Civilians began to wear them too and the range is still popular across the population. Police officers also wear them, but it is celebrity endorsement that made them really fashionable. Today’s versions most often have polarized lenses. Rock stars took to them, including Freddie Mercury and Tom Petty, who were never seen without them.

Another old line, still available today, is the Wayfarer. These too come in a polarized version and have spring hinges. They have been a best seller since their appearance in 1952 and some observers claim that they are the most successful sunglasses ever made. The Wayfarer has a chunky design and has a retro 1950s look. It was Marilyn Monroe and Audrey Hepburn that made it a must have commodity. Male stars such as Roy Orbison, James Dean and Bob Dylan also gave them credibility. Sales dipped a little after the heady days of the 1950s and 1960s, but picked up again in the 1980s when that generation of celebrities started to wear them. It’s hard to imagine the following movies without the presence of Ray Ban sunglasses - The Blues Brothers, Top Gun, Reservoir Dogs and Men in Black.

Today, there are various products in the range with a wide choice of colors and lenses and the company continues to have a high profile and celebrity image. The parent company, Luxottica, own many prominent businesses and the financial stability of Ray Ban seems secure. The company chooses to sponsor events that are in keeping with their chic image, including the prestigious Sundance Film Festival. They have also sponsored the Honda Formula I racing team since 2004. The Ray Ban sunglasses logo appears on the side of race cars and on the visors of Jensen Button and Rubens Barrichello. Some companies offer discounted replicas of Ray Ban products, but there is no substitute for the real thing.

Have you ever thought about how many rags to riches stories there are in the United States? It seems that a great deal of our heritage is based on these types of stories. Stories about people starting from very humble beginnings, with only an idea or concept for a product that ends up making them rich and changing their lives and those around them. On a small scale my mother was that type of person.

My family did not have a great deal of money when I was growing up. This was at the time when women held jobs but left them once they had children. The few women that did work once they had children had to find private babysitters to care for them, there were not day care centers. My mother was always looking for ways to bring in extra money for the family, while still staying at home with us children. She sold garden produce as well as apples from the apple orchard. This was great in the summer but did nothing to supplement the income in the winter months.

My mother was an excellent seamstress. She saved a great deal of money by making our clothing and altering out dated clothes so they would remain in style. One year for Christmas she made each of us custom stuffed animals as a gift. Each one was different and very detailed. She made the custom stuffed animals out of remnants as well as pieces of clothing that could not be salvaged. I received a stuffed bear that was made from an old brown wool coat. He was very cute and cuddly. I took him along to a friend’s house when I went to visit during our Christmas break.

The friend’s mother loved the bear and asked where I had gotten it. I explained that my mother made custom stuffed animals for all of us. This woman contacted my mother and asked her to make one of the bears. She had an old fur coat that her grandmother gave her. She never wore the coat and wanted to have some remembrance of her grandmother. She thought my mom could make a bear out of it.

This launched a business for my mother. Soon people found out that she would make bears and other custom stuffed animals out of used clothing. She was getting so many orders that she hired another woman to help her make them. She ended up having a sewing shop that employed six people. When she retired she sold it to one of the employees. Mom ended up having a very good income and she and dad were able to buy a second home to spend the winters in.