The Persol 649 is the house's defining sunglass — an Italian acetate frame drawn in 1957 for Turin's tram drivers, with Meflecto flexible temples and crystal lenses. We stock Persol at 342 Oxford Street, Paddington, and you can try the 649 on or have us order a size and colour in.
What the 649 is
The brief in 1957 was practical: Turin's tram drivers worked in an open cab and needed a frame wide enough to keep grit and wind off the eye, light enough to wear for a full shift, and stable enough not to shift when the tram did. What came back was the 649 — a broad, slightly squared front with a keyhole-ish bridge and temples that flex.
It became the shape Persol is judged on, and it has never really left production. What is easy to miss is how modest it is up close: no logo across the front, no applied trim, just a well-drawn acetate shape with a metal arrow doing structural work at the hinge.
Materials, sizes and lenses
The front is Italian acetate, polished and hand-finished. The Supreme Arrow at the hinge is the structural link between front and temple, and the Meflecto cylinders inside the arms let them flex against the head instead of clamping it — the reason a 649 is still comfortable four hours in.
Lenses are crystal, which is mineral glass: heavier than plastic, noticeably clearer, and far more resistant to scratching. Crystal green and crystal brown are the classic pairings, with polarised and gradient versions available, and havana and black the colourways most people land on. The 649 comes in more than one eye size and takes prescription lenses, which we edge in store.
Who it suits, and the 714 question
The 649 flatters a wider range of faces than its reputation suggests. The squared front gives structure to a round face, the width balances a strong jaw, and the smaller eye size keeps it in proportion on a narrower head — the mistake is assuming there is only one size and deciding it is too big. Check the outer edge against your temple: if it presses, go down a size rather than giving up on the model.
Against the folding 714, which is the same shape with three hinges, the 649 is the simpler and cleaner object and the one to buy if you use a case. Against the Typewriter Edition and the Galleria '900 series, it is the plainer and more wearable choice.
Colourways rotate and the limited runs are small. Ring us on 02 9331 4650 with the size and colour and we will check the cabinet and the order book.