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Autopilots: Our Top 10 Aviator shades

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Aviator sunglasses: It’s not a case of them being back today because they’ve literally never had a bad landing since they arrived – perfectly on time – in 1936 when eyeglass manufacturer Bausch & Lomb introduced them to get-the-sun-outta-my-eyes pilots in the armed forces.

These sunglasses’ very eclectic path into men’s fashion iconography/history ranges from General Douglas MacArthur wearing them as he stormed the beaches in WWII to the 1980s’ favorite Toms – Selleck and Cruise respectively – donning them in “Magnum, P.I.” and “Top Gun.”

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And although the general public’s love for the above-mentioned trio may have faded quite a bit since, the eyewear they totally rocked at the time has not. Aviator-style sunglasses are indeed eyewear that isn’t flying off the radar any time soon.

So consider these 10 Aviator shades – in a wide range of prices – that will accentuate your face and make you feel like a badass controller of your life’s current (or next) destination….

AB
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Aviator Sunglasses by Abercrombie & Fitch, $48

Barl
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Hawkeye Square Navigator Sunglasses by Barton Perreira, $445

Dita-con
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Condor by Dita, $395

Dita
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Mach-Two by Dita, $700

Ray-ban
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Original Aviator by Ray-Ban, $150

Shwoo
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Medford by Shwood, $189

Sunday
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Parker by Sunday Somewhere, $370

Thom-Browne
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Aviator Sunglasses by Thom Browne, $675

Toms-M-not-401
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Maverick 401 by TOMS, $159

Warby-Parker
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Dempsey by Warby Parker, from $145

Christopher Blomquist
Christopher Blomquist
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Christopher is a native New Yorker who lives and works (mostly) in Manhattan. A longtime fashion journalist, he served as… Read Full Bio
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