Collecting vintage leather and especially leather opera gloves is great fun, and vintage items can be a spectacular find for that special day, outing or gift.

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This is our second guide about leather garments and gloves:  for basic care tips, read our other guides.

A.  BACKGROUND NOTES ON VINTAGE GLOVES

Vintage leather gloves can be made of kid leather, calfskin, suede or a combination of hides.  The most exquisite and desirable gloves display the mark of a true craftsman.  Details to look for are:  stitiching; lining; additions (buttons, snaps, lace, embroidery, beading); features (lace-work; piercing) and of course, length and origin.  The best samples are European.  The French, German, English gloves display a tradition of centuries and are highly desirable.  Search for them on eBay for the best selections and enjoy!

B.  TYPES OF GLOVES AND WHAT TO LOOK FOR

If you want to wear your vintage leather gloves, and you should, look for at least a size 7.  Most vintage gloves were made a tad smaller than manufacturing standards of today, so go for a larger size when in doubt.  If you are collecting them for display, don't worry about size.  Your priority should be sophistication, esthetics and condition. Make sure you purchase gloves in the best condition possible.  You may be lucky to have an original tag, but most old gloves were stamped in the interior, with information such as size, lot numbers and company name and/or country of origin.  All these details add to the alure and to your knowledge. Determine what you would like to collect, unless you collect anything beautiful or unusual.  You can collect by size, skin type, country, colour and much more.

C.  GLOVE LENGTH:

Some gloves were created for specific occasions and their length corresponds to their usage:  'Shorties' end on the wrist line,  around 8-9" long, and they include  car and day gloves. 'Gauntlets' are somewhat longer, from 10" to around 13" long, and these have a flared top up the forearm.4-button: These gloves are 10 to 11 inches long and cover the wrist, reaching a couple of inches up onto the forearm. The longer version is called 'Three Quarter', around 14-15" in length, and this is a style made so famous by the lovely Audrey Hepburn in the 50s, worn well with the 3/4 sleeve length of Givenchy and other designers of the era.  From there we go to 'Elbow-length', the glove that reaches up to or just over the elbow, and then the classic 'Opera Gloves', at 21-23".  There is also the extremely long 27-30" glove, reaching all the way to the armpit.  This is a very dramatic look indeed.

Enjoy your glove collecting: there are spectacular ones out there!

CARE AND STORAGE: 

PLEASE READ OUR OTHER GUIDE TITLED: 

CARE GUIDE for Vintage Leather gloves & garments

VISIT OUR STORE ANYTIME FOR WONDERFUL AND RARE VINTAGE GLOVES AND OTHER ITEMS:

vintage and rare leather gloves at Opus Gaia