Ozzy Osbourne Sunglasses
Glasses worn by Celebrity & Musician Ozzy Osbourne
English singer, songwriter, and actor Ozzy Osbourne first gained notoriety as the frontman for the hard rock band Black Sabbath. He is regarded as one of the greatest heavy metal artists of all time. Known as “The Prince of Darkness” because of his remarkable theatrical appearance and strong vocals, Osbourne’s solo career started in the late 1970s, and since then, he has put out a lot of popular albums and singles.
Over his long career, which spans back over 50 years, Ozzy Osbourne’s signature style is usually defined by his wild and energetic performances dictating his fashion of the past half a century often dressed in black leather and denim, with long hair and sunglasses, which became his signature look. One of the staples of his look is his round sunglasses with small lenses, often colored purple. In this article, we’re going to look into which brand(s) of sunglasses are the preferred choice for Osbourne.
Does Ozzy Osbourne Need Glasses?
It’s open to debate as to whether Ozzy Osbourne has needed to wear glasses over his long career. During his younger years in the late 60s early 70s, he had yet to start wearing his signature dark and round glasses, with most of the photos from the era photographing him without sunglasses. That being said, there are images of him wearing glasses, such as the one above which shows him wearing a pair of eyeglasses during a studio recording session.
When Sharon Osbourne was talking about his recent affair she stated that things started to work out ”after I got him glasses. My god, you do need glasses”. Apparently he now regularly wears thick bifocals. This suggests that Ozzy has been reluctant to wear eyeglasses in the past and simply preferred not to regardless of his eyesight – perhaps he didn’t think they looked cool? Anyhow, his signature black shades are more of a staple look in the later half of his music career.
His Love of Oliver Peoples Sunglasses
Larry Leight established the luxury eyewear company Oliver Peoples in the United States in 1986. The company is well-known for its frames with a vintage feel and emphasis on fine craftsmanship and quality. The company’s initial main focus was on making expensive, retro-style sunglasses. Oliver Peoples grew throughout time to provide a larger selection of eyeglasses, including prescription spectacles and partnerships with fashion designers.
In recent years Oliver Peoples’s glasses have been the top choice by many celebrities, including Prince Harry, Lewis Hamilton, Jeff Goldblum, and of course, Ozzy Osborne. All the sunglasses mentioned below and worn by Osborne are from Oliver Peoples which showcases his devotion to this brand. In 2007, the company was acquired by Luxottica Group, one of the largest eyewear companies in the world. Despite the acquisition, Oliver Peoples has continued to operate independently, maintaining its focus on craftsmanship and unique, vintage-inspired designs.
1. Oliver Peoples
OP LE – T43 (Pewter)
A photo taken in 2002 shows Osborne wearing a unique pair of Oliver Peoples OP LE – T43s. This pair of sunglasses are distinctive and defined by the unique bridge and purple lenses. This pair of sunglasses is no longer sold or manufactured so they can only be purchased second-hand. A similar look and the spiritual successor to these are the Oliver Peoples Coleridge which retains many of the design accents of the pair worn by Osborne.
2. Oliver Peoples
OP 5 – T44
These very light pair of glasses have been a staple in Osborne’s catalog of sunglasses over the years. They have a simple bridge design and, again, are defined by their perfectly spherical lenses and deep shade of purple. These glasses are currently no longer sold by Oliver Peoples, but similar glasses, such as the Coleridge glasses are still available coming in at a price tag of around $300.00.
3. Oliver Peoples
O’Malley – T45
A more recent addition to Osborne’s eyewear repetiteur. The O’Malley’s are a different style from what is traditionally worn by Ozzy with thicker rims and oval-shaped lenses. Launched in 1988 these acetate frames are one of Oliver People’s most famous and recognized styles originally worn by Peter O’Malley, whom they get their name from, the former Los Angeles Dodgers player. They are still available to purchase from a price tag of around $400.00.
Oliver Peoples since Luxottica…
In 2007 Oliver Peoples was bought by the Luxottica Group. I’ve talked in the past regarding my opinions on the Luxottica company and how their dominance in the eyewear world is creating poorer quality eyewear at increased prices (basically they have a so-called Monopoly on the eyewear industry). I’ve done some digging on the topic of how the quality of Oliver Peoples has changed since the acquisition and find most people agree that the quality of Oliver Peoples has taken a decline since Luxottica has taken the reigns. That being said, Oliver Peoples has still managed to retain a lot of its business practices and philosophy since the acquisition so compared to most brands owned by Luxottica, including Ray-Ban and Oakley, the quality is above average.
If you’re considering a pair of Oliver People’s then it might be worth investing in a vintage or second-hand pair of frames made before the acquisition in 2007. This is the best and most surefire way to guarantee good quality from the brand. Alternatively, you can look at similar brands in the same style as Oliver Peoples that aren’t owned by Luxottica. The likes of Garrett Leight (Mr. Leight) would be a good choice in our opinion.
