Oakley was founded in 1975 in Southern California. The brand's origins are in sport sunglasses, and by the 1990s Oakley had become a household name due to its trademark M-Frame design. By the end of the 1990s Oakley expanded its corporate portfolio to include lifestyle accessories for outdoor activities and sports. Does this Spark an idea?
Asian Fit
Oakley sunglasses are designed for sporting activities and as such require a very precise fit so that they stay in place during the course of rigorous physical activity. Oakley recognized that a core demographic of customers had gone largely ignored by mainstream sunglass manufacturers and that it could address this by creating a special fit. The brand's Asian Fit line is designed to resist slipping down the wearer's nose while providing ample cheek and temple clearance.
Specifics
Oakley addresses the prototypical facial characteristics of Asians by utilizing some very specific design cues to address the design flaws inherent in standard sunglasses. Asian Fit glasses have an altered nose bridge that is narrower and deeper, allowing the pads to fit more precisely on the nose. Additionally, Oakley uses longer arm-pad mounts to add a greater amount of adjustment and precision to the feel of the Asian Fit line. The curvature of the frame design itself is also lessened, along with rounded ear stems for a better fit around the head.
Frame Styles
Oakley offers the Asian Fit design on the traditionally styled Flak Jacket, Half Jacket, Jawbone and Straight Jacket models of sunglasses. The Radar model, which is a 21st century take on the classic M-Frame design, is also offered in the Asian Fit. These are just the frame styles that are offered with Asian Fit, while many color and lens combinations also exist.
Custom
The Asian Fit is Oakley's attempt at fitting the company's sunglasses to a specific demographic's facial characteristics, but it may not be enough to closely approximate all facial characteristics. Oakley also offers a custom program that allows a buyer to fully customize every aspect of his glasses to fit his particular facial structure.
Tags: Asian Oakley, facial characteristics, 1990s Oakley, Asian line, M-Frame design