Mid-life crisis, Part 1: I need those sunglasses

When I have to get up earlier than usual in the morning, which is to say, anytime in the morning since I'm up into the night, I don't sleep well. It's because I don't want to oversleep. What invariably happens is that I get up before my alarm because I've spent so much time worrying about missing it.

Why do I bring this up? I don't know when a mid-life crisis is supposed to start, but I have that same general feeling about it as I do my morning alarm, I might as well control it so it can't control me, so I'm launching it right now.

And what brings this feeling on? Sunglasses.

This is how my mind works. I watched the Great Escape the other night with my kids, who saw it for the first time and loved it. I was fascinated as usual by the movie, and in particular, Steve McQueen. Like many men, I have a total man crush on McQueen. There is simply no one cooler.

So I hit Wikipedia to read more about the Great Escape, what was real, what wasn't, etc. Then I began linking to the actors, known and not as well known. Finally I clicked on McQueen, much of it I already knew, but read anyway. I clicked on Le Mans, which despite my love for auto racing, I've never seen.

As I was lost in a McQueen's Wikipedia diaspora, McQueen's most indelible cinematic image (to me anyway) came into my head ... his "look" from The Thomas Crown Affair, most notably, his sunglasses.



No sunglasses have ever been cooler than the ones he wore in that movie. Until I researched the account you'll read below, I couldn't even describe them if I didn't have a picture in front of me (as you do now). I didn't know what color the lenses were, the frame, etc. They were just some undefinable mantra of cool, passed down from God, or Shangri-La, or wherever perfection is achieved. Since I first watched that movie a few years ago, I've wanted a pair just like them.

So I Googled them up. They are Persol 714's. There's several models of them, but the ones McQueen wore had blue lenses. Frames come in Havana, turquoise, black and brown. The brown's are most advertised as McQueen authentic, but it's hard to tell based on the pictures I've seen. Personally, I prefer the black frames, but here's the brown version.



I was discouraged when I saw that McQueen's original pair was sold for $70K at an auction, but apparently, I am not alone in my desire to have those glasses. Persol has put out a limited edition version of the glasses. They can be had for roughly $200-$500.

Holy crap. I must have these. And I qualify this as the opening salvo in my mid-life crisis because ...

a) I have never given two shits about any fashion of any ilk in my life. Until recently, I didn't even wear sunglasses.
b) Under normal circumstances, I would think it to be insane to throw that kind of money at sunglasses. The ones I wear now cost a fraction of that.
c) There's absolutely no way I could justify purchasing these glasses in my current budget.

Most importantly ...
d) I am in no way, shape or form a fraction as cool as McQueen was. I might have his glasses, but to quote Beavis & Butthead, "you can't polish a turd."

Yet, I want them. They are so fucking cool. My mid-life crisis has begun!

 

Those shades kick ass. I say go for it

 

I'm sad this wasn't about Blublockers.

 

That's my second choice because ...

"My name is Geek, I put 'em on as a shocker ...
Man ... I love ... these Blublockers!"

 

That's an awesome link. Wish I'd posted it.

Oh wait...

 

Speaking of Blublockers ... check this shit out from Youtube ...

 

Approves of your crisis.

 

Does NOT approve of your crisis.

 

Just to get this back on the rails ... here's the chess scene from Thomas Crown Affair. McQueen isn't wearing his sunglasses in this scene, but if you watch it, you'll see that it really doesn't matter.

Dammit! Here it is!

 

Rene Russo wore sheer clothes in the remake of the Thomas Crown Affair. The remake wins. There's your midlife crisis.

 

I respectfully disagree. Less is more with that chess scene.

Plus, she's trying to seduce Steve McQueen not Reminington Steele.