Readers of this blog will know I’m not that into luxury brands – to me, they generally don’t provide a very good value for the money spent, and quite often they don’t even provide the best product when compared to other options on the market. With these big-name brands, so much of the price of the goods goes into marketing rather than the product itself so it’s a difficult purchase to justify from a rational perspective.
With that said, sometimes the luxury version of a classic product just works. On top of that, I believe that it’s best to just get exactly what you want rather than a replacement for it. For me, that’s the case with the Oliver Peoples “Gregory Peck” sunglasses – one of the brand’s classic styles that has been my go-to for a long time. After five years of heavy wear, my old pair finally gave up the ghost and I went ahead and bought some new ones.
About Oliver Peoples Eyewear
Most people will probably be at least tangentially familiar with Oliver Peoples, one of the most popular eyewear brands to come out of the US (at least before the direct-to-consumer movement of the past ten years). After its founding in 1987, the Los Angeles-based brand became well-known for being spotted on Hollywood celebrities and in fashion magazines (every menswear nerd likely remembers this moment from American Psycho). In 2006, the company was acquired by Oakley, who was then in turn acquired by the eyewear giant Luxottica.
Now, Luxottica has sort of become the go-to example of the evils of monopolies and the homogenization of the fashion industry. The brand certainly does have a huge amount of control over the eyewear market, given that they own almost every big brand as well as retail locations like Sunglass Hut and LensCrafters and vision insurance companies like EyeMed. I’ll be the first to admit that none of this is very good for the average consumer, but as long as the product works for you and you can afford it I don’t think it matters too much how the company behind it is structured.
But anyway, on to the glasses themselves.
Gregory Peck Sunglasses
I’ve always been a big fan of P3 frames (often called “keyhole” frames, due to the shape of the bridge). You can read more about the style and its history on my earlier post on the topic here, but in short it’s an enduring classic style that is definitely popular right now and also happens to look good on me. The round frames tend to look best on angular faces like mine, but they’re a pretty approachable style that will look good on most people.
The Gregory Peck is a classic P3-style frame and a core piece of the Oliver Peoples collection. The frames are inspired by the actor who played Atticus Finch in the 1962 film To Kill a Mockingbird. They feature a round acetate frame, a keyhole bridge, and anti-reflective, UV-protected lenses (some color combos have fancier lenses).
One of the aspects that first attracted me to this pair was the size – the 47mm lens is a bit smaller than most similar styles on the market, which is a feature I desperately need for my narrow face. This isn’t to say that they’re too small for most people – most people wear glasses too big for them, anyway – but just that they haven’t been sized up and have maintained more vintage proportions.
They also feature those subtle little details luxury brands are known for sneaking into their products – my favorite is the Oliver Peoples logo filigree on the outside of the arms. It’s pretty much impossible for me to capture on camera, but if you look closely at a pair you’ll see it.
With MSRP for these sunglasses ranging from $365-425 depending on the frame and lenses, these shades are definitely a luxury product. But they’re made in Italy from excellent acetate, have a very solid construction throughout, and are a handsome take on a classic style. (Note: if you buy them through Bloomingdales like I did, you can get 20% off with the code SAVEMORE. This brings them to $292 with free shipping – a rare discount from a trustworthy retailer.)
Are they polarized? No. But are they a good value for the price? Not really, given the competition. But are they the best glasses out there? Also no. But you know what? They look good, fit well, are made well, and if I can wear one pair daily for five years before they break then I consider that a pretty good use of my money.
With all that said, I surely can’t fault anyone for looking for alternatives. Here are some of my top choices for similar P3 sunglasses at similar or lower prices:
- Garrett Leight Hampton – similar price, but more colors and exceptional quality (and created by the son of Larry Leight, founder of Oliver Peoples). I have an optical pair that I love.
- The Bespoke Dudes Cran – great price, lots of colors. Made in Italy. These will likely be my next purchase.
- Moscot Miltzen – These frames have a bit more of a chunky, downtown vibe to them – more Andy Warhol than Atticus Finch. Nonetheless, they remain a classic and have made generations of men look good.
- Warby Parker Haskell – while not as nice as the others on this list, it’s hard to argue with the price. Read more about my Warby Parker frames here.
- Spier and Mackay – polarized, great shape and materials, and only $78. A great option for the price.
For the most part, I’ll continue to keep luxury brands at arm’s length – I prefer to use my hard-earned dollars to support smaller brands that have higher-value products. But sometimes, the product that works best is also the product with the fanciest name on it. And when that’s the case, there’s no shame in getting exactly what you want.
