High-end eyewear can be a tough sell for many guys. After all, why shell out hundreds of dollars for a set of shades, when you can pick up a pair of passable knock-offs for next to nothing? Well, there are a few reasons for investing in a pair of legitimately quality eyewear (not ‘pay for the brand’ pieces): durability, long-term value and ocular health. Like so many things, you get what you pay for.
When it comes to our shades, we’ve been taken by the high-quality and aesthetic of a company called Dita. For those in-the-know, these are some seriously covetable sunglasses. Haven’t heard of Dita? Well that’s about to change.
The Los Angeles-based company was founded by lifelong friends Jeff Solorio and John Juniper in 1996, formed as a way to pay homage to the classic eyewear styles of the 50’s through the 80’s. Since that first collection, they’ve become known for seamlessly combining classic silhouettes with modern materials and techniques to produce a superior eyewear experience.
To help maintain this exclusivity, Dita avoids major ad campaigns, sponsored wearers and mass-market retailers.
Dita has since become known as a brand that retains its value over the years, even increasing – just look at Dita on eBay – because of the high quality of the pieces and their exclusivity. In fact, many embrace the brand as an alternative to trend of label-branded eyewear (read: low-end frames with high end branding), since all Dita frames are minimally branded and produced in-house. They are proud of the fact that they are not a branding company and that they design and make their own frames and that fact shows in the sunglasses they make.
To help maintain this exclusivity, Dita avoids major ad campaigns, sponsored wearers and mass-market retailers. However, that hasn’t prevented the popularity of the brand amongst the Hollywood elite. Dita is especially popular with celebrities like Brad Pitt, Lenny Kravitz and Jamie Foxx, just to name a few.
The brand is also exceptionally popular in Japan, where a number of high-profile collaborations with Japanese labels like Neighborhood and visvim have raised Dita’s profile with the fashion set.
In 2007, Dita launched their much anticipated Optical eyewear line, which was inspired by timeless classics. More recently, they launched a sports/athletic eyewear offshoot called “Lancier by Dita Eyewear,” which were designed to provide high-performance vision solutions in sports.
Their most recent “Legends Lookbook” stars Dita Von Teese and Tattooist Mark Mahoney. While, that’s all well and good, what else makes Dita stand out from other sunglasses on the market? That’s simple: they’re some of the highest quality frames that you can get your hands on. Dita’s frames are made using only the finest Japanese ‘Zyl’ Acetate, which is plant-derived for superior sustainability and quality. Many eyewear connoisseurs believe that Japanese ‘Zyl’ acetate to be the best in the world because it has a more natural, less ‘plasticky’ feel and has to be finished by hand. Dita frames are cut from large blocks of this acetate to ensure the strength and uniformity of each and every pair. Finally, Dita uses their signature ‘hex’ rivets instead of traditional screws for a stronger, more substantial look and feel.
Now that you know all about Dita, why not grab a pair to spice up your own style? They’re definitely worth every dollar. You can pick them up at their ‘Dita Legends’ online store, using Dita’s Store Locator or stopping by one of their ‘Dita Legends’ shops in Los Angeles, Tokyo and Newport Beach. It’s at one of these operated shops that Dita frames can be exclusively purchased, as well as other high-end fashion items that align with the brand and aesthetic.
Author
Erik Adler
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Just purchased the statesman 3(black & gold), insider(tortoise), and the super genius(tortoise). Let me just say the quality for the price is phenomenal. If you don’t have a pair get some, and if you can’t afford them, start saving up now. These glasses are worthy of the investment and effort. Enjoy!