Gloves affair: elbow-length, fingerless, silk, tulle or leather — gloves are having a moment
Rime Arodaky at The White Gallery Boutique, County Down. thewhitegalleryboutique.co.uk
Once reserved for formal occasions, opera gloves are currently appearing centre stage in fashion - from the pages of Vogue to the Met Gala, from the catwalks of Paris to TikTok, where, at the time of writing, #operagloves had clocked up some 423.9K views with content creators embracing the trend for the elbow-length gloves more typically spotted in period dramas like Bridgerton.
It’s no surprise that celebrities have grasped the trend too with Beyoncé, Adele, Ariana Grande, Miley Cyrus and iconic 90s model Kristen McMenamy all spotted wearing gloves. Earlier this year Irish actress Nicola Coughlan channelled her Bridgerton character on the cover of The Observer Magazine in a multicoloured velvet pair, fashion-forward Rihanna has always been a trendsetter in the glove stakes and almost every celebrity in attendance at this year’s Met Gala wore a pair of gloves that were elbow length and beyond - from Blake Lively to Kiki Lane, Naomi Campbell to Katy Perry.
Blame Bridgerton, blame House of Gucci, blame a post-lockdown desire for glamour - whatever the cause, the trend for gloves is not going anywhere and looks set to get even stronger for AW22 with David Koma, Bora Aksu and Eudon Choi all featuring gloves in their AW22 catwalk shows. Irish designers Simone Rocha and Paul Costelloe also served up some glove energy while Dame Vivienne Westwood got in on the action and Richard Quinn’s sleeve gloves took the whole thing to the next level.
London-based Irish stylist Brian Conway says that he loves a “glove moment” and regularly styles gloves in his fashion editorials recently including crystal-embellished gloves from David Koma, black PVC gloves by Ming Lim and long Italian leather gloves by Irish designer Paula Rowan.
“Saint Laurent had a major glove moment on their SS22 catwalks — pops of colour mixed with power tailoring,” says Conway who also cites Gucci and Prada as progenitors of the trend for SS22. “The Prada pouch gloves are having a moment too,” he says. “I guess it starts on the catwalk and then filters through fashion magazines, is adorned on celebrities and then trickles down to the everyday luxury consumer.”
When it comes to this luxury consumer, Erin Gunn, Private Client Womenswear Stylist at leading global luxury platform Farfetch, knows exactly what the luxury consumer wants and at the moment, that includes gloves.
Gunn agrees that while opera gloves have been spotted on the runways at Gucci, Altuzarra and Valentino, the trend has really been pushed to the forefront by celebrities — making a comeback thanks to Gen Z favourites such as Olivia Rodrigo, fashion leaders like Zoe Kravitz, or Kanye West's latest muse, Julia Fox.
“Opera gloves have been worn for decades, but perhaps with the pandemic we've taken the trend to more casual everyday styling versus only wearing them with evening gowns in the past. It's a surefire way to elevate your outfit when we've all been stuck inside,” says Gunn who advises that the gloves of Marine Serre are simply “perfect for upgrading your classic peacoat this season”.
Other favourites of Gunn’s at Farfetch are leather gloves by Prada, Manokhi and Brunello Cucinelli.
Gloves are even forming part of bridal collections this summer with a dress by Parisian bridal designer Rime Arodaky at the White Gallery Boutique in Newry, County Down, featuring a removable sleeve/ glove. “The ‘Camilla’ dress is inspired by the 80s and 90s and by Madonna,” Arodaky tells us from Paris. “It’s an edgy ‘Hollywood’ style and very flattering. The removable sleeves can also be worn as gloves for years to come and can become an heirloom.”
With gloves looking set to be everywhere for AW22 how can we begin to incorporate the look now? And will anyone over the age of 20 look ridiculous in doing so? “I think the trend can be for anyone and anywhere,” insists Erin Gunn of Farfetch.
“For weddings and evening events, gravitate to silk and tulle versions, or if you dare, a leather version like in Adele's latest music video. For everyday, they can be worn easily with your winter coat or with slouchy knitwear with the sleeves rolled up to change up proportions.”
When it comes to some of the biggest names in fashion and celebrity, the gloves of Dublin designer Paula Rowan have recently been exposed to an even wider audience than ever thanks to Lady Gaga in the House of Gucci movie. Her gloves have also been worn by many celebrities including Madonna, Julianne Moore and Naomie Harris.
Rowan and her creations have become integral to London and Paris Fashion Weeks this season being picked up by some of the most exciting names in fashion including British Vogue Editor Edward Enninful, stylist and fashion consultant Patti Wilson and by Dazed Editor in Chief Ib Kamara. Rowan’s gloves recently featured in the Halpern show at London Fashion Week where the vibe was “reimagined embellishment and hyper-felinity with a nod to classical couture” and at Loche during Paris Fashion Week.
Rowan sees gloves as items of clothing rather than merely something to keep the hands warm which is why you’ll find extraordinary statement pieces in her collection - from second skin longer styles in a myriad of colours to voluminous, feathered and fingerless styles. She believes there are a variety of reasons for the return of gloves to the fashion scene. “I think a lot of it is to do with the celebrities who are wearing them, then, throughout the pandemic we’ve heard a lot about hand hygiene and people are thinking ‘Right, if we have to cover our hands, let’s do it in a really elegant way’, you’ve got shows like and in which characters are wearing gloves and there’s also an element of people wanting to dress up having spent the past two years in loungewear.”
She says that she increasingly has both younger customers (off the back of ) coming into her shop in Dublin’s Westbury Mall, as well as a growing client base who are keen to get dressed up and are seeking gloves to match their outfits. Elbow-length gloves instantly elevate an outfit, she says, and can be a dramatic and elegant. The designer has recently introduced tulle and lace gloves to her collection too.
“It’s a ‘look’ and if you’re going to a wedding or the races it’s lovely to finish the outfit off with a glove. Women are also starting to wear my laser-cut leather gloves to protect their hands in the summer,” she says.
For those nervous about adopting the trend for opera gloves, Rowan suggests ruching an elbow-length glove at the wrist to make it work with your outfit or trying a bright colour. “I have 25 colours in my elbow-length gloves and also do fingerless options so you can hold a glass of wine at a function without losing the look.”
Sounds good to us.
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