Ever since I met my husband 11 years ago, I have been waiting for the day the eye doctor would tell him he needed glasses. I love men in glasses! Now that day is here and, in search of inspiration (not that he'll necessary listen to me), I have been noticing every single four-eyed man who crosses my path. Quite predictably, I'm more interested in the unusual frames, especially vintage-looking ones. So I narrowed down my favorite shots from the street and set out to find their original counterparts online, which proved to be a challenging task. Until I got to Michael Caine. As a great fan of Caine's style, I always knew that he was an eyeglasses enthusiast, but I didn't know the extent until I started to dig deeper into my research. Eventually I found a picture of Michael Caine in every single style of glasses that had caught my eye on the street. What does that mean? Does it mean that Michael Caine has been that profoundly influential on the shape of eyeglasses men wear, even today? Probably not. But what I suspect is that he was -- and is -- unafraid to try anything when it comes to eyeglasses and successfully carries off pretty much anything he tries. Here's looking at you, Mr. Caine.

There is a perfect combination of Groucho Marx and Clark Kent in these glasses. They add a lot of style to both men's looks. left: Bryant Park, N.Y., September 2007. right: Michael Caine, 1965. (Credit: Getty)

I can't remember a time when Ray-Ban sunglasses have been out of style. Sure, their popularity comes and goes, but unlike Vuarnets, "goggle" glasses with blinders, and Oakley shields, Ray-Bans always look classic. In fact it's precisely the old-school shape of both the Aviators and Wayfarer styles that makes the look of forties aviation pilots, sixties movie actors, seventies rock stars, and eighties brat-packers still look relevant today.

Because we've seen Ray-Bans worn in such a high profile way for so long, I'm now most impressed by guys who have found new interpretations of the Ray-Ban look. I saw a guy on the street the other day whose sunglasses looked liked classic aviators in every way except the edge of the frames was shaped differently. I asked him if they were Ray-Ban, and he proudly declared they were "street" glasses he bought in Dakar. I also recently noticed a street vendor selling aviators in updated shades of electric blue, white, and bottle-green. You see, the logo really doesn't matter. The idea is basic and repeatable, the very definition of a standard. It's just a little American configuration of glass and metal (or glass and plastic, as the case may be) that has taught a world of men how to go incognito.

I almost didn't recognize Lou Reed looking so clean cut. If it wasn't for the headphones, he'd almost look preppy! 1981. (Photo: Corbis)

General Douglas MacArthur in original Ray-Bans during World War II, 1944. Ray-Ban Aviators were invented (in 1939) to reduce glare for fighter pilots. (Photo: Corbis.)

This guy bought his Ray-Ban-esque glasses from a street vendor in Dakar. Chrystie Street, NYC, 2007.

If you ever doubted that Clint Eastwood was one of the coolest guys of all time, I hope this picture will change your mind. 1956. (Photo: Getty Images.)

I love how this guy makes preppy look newer and sleeker, Wayfarers and all. Bleecker Street, NYC, 2007.

Jazz pianist George Shearing, 1958. (Photo: Corbis.)

Wayfarers, Vans, and a Strand Bookstore bag -- he knows what he's doing. Broadway, NYC, 2007.

Bleecker Street, NYC, 2007.

Black Aviators must have been the Ray-Ban of choice for seventies rockers (Peter Wolf from the J.Geils Band wore them, too). Mick Jagger, Paris, 1979. (Photo: Getty Images.)

A musician in Washington Square Park, NYC, circa 1955. (Photo: Getty Images.)