NEW RIFFS ON THE WAYFARER

Ray-BAN Wayfarers were iconic long before the Olsen twins started perching them atop their pert little noses -- in fact, long before the Olsen twins were born. Marilyn Monroe wore them in the ‘50s, striking a sharp contrast between her platinum-blond waves and the heavy dark specs. A chic tortoise pair will go down in movie lore as the sunglasses that Audrey Hepburn peered through to admire the baubles that took her blues away in “Breakfast at Tiffany’s.”

These sunglasses have had their moment in almost every decade, but this time they are not just back -- they are inspiring other designers to make their own versions of the timeless frames.

Grey Ant designer Grant Krajecki has added a cartoonish spin and increased the size of the glasses. The result is still the recognizable Wayfarer shape but so extreme that the sunglasses are best worn by those with a good sense of humor. Sabre makes a frame called Poolside, which is a somewhat scaled-down version with thinner, light plastic in punchy ‘80s colors that make it a cross between old-school Oakleys and the pair worn by Tom Cruise in “Risky Business.”

With so many Wayfarers on faces now, it might be time to try something a little different. Maybe you’ll be one of the first to wear the next legendary pair of shades.