Let’s Talk Gloves

Let’s Talk Gloves

A Guide to Ladies’ Ballroom Gloves

We at Ballavimus love gloves. It is true they have a practical purpose, but mostly we love them because they make us feel fancy. Gloves make one feel that we can shake hands with life, and wave goodbye to the doldrums of the everyday. However, gloves at balls and dances are a different matter.

 

What to know: Practically and aesthetically, not all types of dancing are suitable for gloves. Not all gloves are suitable for dancing.

For White Tie events, with gentler forms of dancing like waltzing, gloves are great. For more energetic dancing however, they tend to slip off. Modern synthetic ballroom gloves also get rather warm as the chances are they’re likely to be stretch satin rather than chamois, so they won’t breathe well.

These days gloves come in a mind-boggling variety of styles and materials. We at Ballavimus are not all doom and gloom about “modern materials”. They do have upsides. If you’re buying online, stretch satin fit most hands and can be washed after wearing. Other options include velvet, lace and cotton.

Traditionally evening gloves were made of pale kid leather. Now rare and expensive, these feel amazing. Keep them for the most special evenings. Glovemaking (see what we did there) is a declining art. Once marked they cannot be washed or easily replaced. They come from a time when everyone, men and women, wore gloves when touching. Now they pick up the grime from other people’s bare hands, so can only be worn a few times. First world problems for sure. 

 

Where to get them: You can get often find great new (or used) gloves from all the usual places to find vintage clothes (charity shops, vintage stores, eBay, Etsy). Avoid the cheap costume ones you see on Amazon as the satin and stitching is often crude.

There are still a few great English glove makers if you decide to splash out. Dents is the first stop and most affordable at around £20 for the basic range. There are a plethora of amazing bespoke glove makers out there if you want to go the luxury route. Try Cornelia James in London, Wing + West in New York, or C’est Jean for delectable couture creations on the Continent. 

 

Etiquette: Gloves do not need to be taken off for shaking hands. Never eat while wearing gloves. Take them off and lay them over the back of your chair at dinner. Drinking with them on is fine.

 

Practicalities: If you gloves button at the wrist, you should keep the sleeve portion on and tuck the hand of your glove into the wrist opening. It might seem odd, but it was conventional, but if you have spent as much time looking for errant gloves mid-ball as we have, it starts to make sense.

When you rise from the table to begin dancing, the man seated next to you should gallantly offer to do up the wrist buttons again. This was, we understand from our grandmother, an opportunity for him to appreciate the perfume which had been applied to wrist and gloves. It was a different time..

 

This post is provided for general informational purposes only and does not constitute professional or legal advice. Ballavimus accepts no responsibility for any loss arising from reliance on this material