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Sunday, March 11, 2012

My obsessions with...gloves

11. 03. 2012

There is something so very quaint and sophisticated about gloves.  Wearing them properly is a skill that takes time to master and I confess I have been gaining mileage in this department for years.

A few years ago I bought my first pair of opera gloves: the forest green pair in the picture. Real silk of a fairly decent quality, they're a dream to wear. Since I don't go to the opera you might wonder what's the use of owning a pair? I like to wear mine for a promenade thorough the old part of Ljubljana with my cropped three quarter sleeve jacket.

In the upper right corner is a pair of vintage deer leather driving gloves I inherited from my grandma. The pink mohair knitted ones were made by my mum after I begged and begged her to knit them for me. She's such a skilled knitter but has all lost patience for it. I so wish she'd make me a few more pairs but I simply don't have the heart to pressure her when she'd much rather be outside gardening or taking a walk through the woods.

My every day pair is a simple black & cognac nappa leather pair I've had for a decade. Comfortable and familiar. The last is a pair of crochet mittens with mini pom poms I made on a whim. These come with a matching beanie and scarf I made several years ago. The photo is included in my blog banner.

Any thoughts on gloves? Do you have more than one pair?

11 comments:

  1. I wear riding gloves every day at the stable, when brushing the horses, walking the horses, riding, when shoveling and lifting hay barrels. I just have to have gloves on. I feel " naked " at the stable without gloves.
    But- guess what! This winter, although it has been very cold, I have not worn my " city " gloves at all.
    My car´s wheel warms automatically, I leave my car in the parking hall in Hki, and since it has been so cold, avoid walking on the streets on winter time. I tuck my hands in my pockets ( ; instead.
    But I have a pair of leather gloves along. Maybe I am afraid I´ll forget them somewhere, if I have them on. This has happened before.

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    1. Mette, I've had my current pair of everyday gloves for 7 years and though I've dropped one or both and left them behind on several occasions, they somehow always find their way back to me :-) I just hope that by writing this down I haven't jinxed anything!

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  2. I love gloves too and I really only wear them in winter. I may have two pairs that get used infrequently. My mom used to wear driving gloves year around. I found that so elegant and she dressed elegantly too. I frequently like to get a pair for driving but it won't go with my casual attire. xx

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    1. It's all about contrasts. Just last week I met a flamboyant young man who wore light wash skinny jeans with a floral shirt, slim tailored black coat, sneakers and cognac brown driving gloves. He looked so incredibly adorable and chic and the outfit was such a personal statement. He inspired me like no one has in a long long time.

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  3. I love the opera gloves! I don't dress nearly well enough to warrant wearing them, and it's so infrequently cold in New Orleans anyway. That said, I do own a few pairs of cheap gloves, and I probably have several pairs of minuscule leather gloves that belonged to my grandmother. I do like the look of them :)

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    1. I hear you :-) If I bought them solely for black tie events...they'de be gathering dust in my gloves' box. I've had my heart set on buying vintage crochet or lace gloves as well. I'm such a sucker for all those period British movies with all the elegant ladies drinking tea and parading around in fancy dresses.

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  4. I have an evening pair of gloves - long slinky black ones but I've only worn them twice. Love the feel of them and the way they make me feel all glamorous! The only other pair of gloves I own is a lovely soft black leather pair I wear for a couple of months in winter - perhaps because there are only a couple of cold months I enjoy wearing them when I have the opportunity :)

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    1. when it comes to the sensation of silk agains bare skin, I believe there are very few sensory experiences that can even come close to that :-)

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  5. I wouldn't want to wear them but I think opera gloves look sexy on other women. I wear bicycle gloves whenever I ride, gardening gloves for gardening and everyday gloves for cold weather but in general I don't like to wear gloves if I don't have to.

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    1. When it comes to wardrobe I do enjoy certain extremes and contrasts, not doing things the usual way. As I've already mentioned, I like to wear sneakers with my coat, daytime pieces for formal occasions and vice versa, like opera gloves for an afternoon coffee date. I suppose pushing the boundaries of appropriate and dress code is fun, it also puts things in perspective. It irks me how people take themselves way too serious and try to exert their authority through formal business suits, etc. this is my way of rebelling ;-)

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  6. You should show us a photo of you wearing the opera gloves.

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