Los Angeles: David Beckham in the dark-tortoise Ray-Ban Clubmaster

David Beckham's eyewear rotation during his post-football career phase has been a study in classics — the kind of frames that do not date because they were never chasing a trend to begin with. In 2016, the former England captain was photographed in Los Angeles wearing the Ray-Ban Classic Clubmaster RB3016 in dark tortoise with green lenses, a frame whose brow-line design evokes mid-century intellectualism while remaining firmly grounded in the present. The Clubmaster's distinctive combination of acetate brow and metal lower rim creates a silhouette that is at once retro and timeless — precisely the register Beckham has occupied throughout his style evolution.

The dark tortoise finish and green-tinted lenses on Beckham gave the frame a warmth that black acetate cannot replicate, while the vintage-inflected shape conveyed a knowing relationship with design history. Beckham's instinct for accessories has always been guided by proportion rather than novelty, and the Clubmaster rewarded that approach with a frame that photographs beautifully from every angle while refusing to announce itself. It was the kind of choice that separates someone who follows fashion from someone who has internalised it.