How to Wear Long Leather Gloves: Opera Gloves, Day to Night

Long leather gloves look best where the arm would otherwise be bare: with a strapless gown, under a sleeveless coat and with a corset top. Keep jewellery off the wrist and let the glove end just above the elbow. In the day, wear them in brown and taupe with a camel coat.

With a strapless gown

This is the classic opera-glove look. Maria Lucia Hohan styles the Leandra gloves in Truffle with the Huda gown in the same shade, so glove and gown read as one. Skip the bracelet and wear a statement earring.

With a corset

A black glove with a black corset, such as the Darcy under a blazer, takes a corset from party to evening. Keep the rest tailored.

Under a coat

With a short-sleeved coat, a cape and a sleeveless coat, a long glove covers the gap. In the day, choose Taupe and Fizz over black.

How long should long leather gloves be?

An opera glove reaches above the elbow. The Leandra is 55cm long with a snap-button closure at the wrist, and it comes in M and L.

How do you care for leather gloves?

Specialist leather cleaning only. Store them flat in a dust bag, never balled up, and keep them away from heat.

What colour long leather gloves should you buy?

Black first: it works with every evening gown and every coat. Then a neutral, such as taupe and truffle brown, for the day. A colour such as fizz, a warm rust, works when it echoes something else you wear, such as the Huda gown in Truffle.

Can you wear long gloves with a long-sleeved dress?

Rarely. The glove is there to cover a bare arm, so with a long sleeve it disappears. Keep long gloves for strapless, sleeveless and off-the-shoulder necklines.

Should you wear rings over gloves?

Only one, and only if it is a statement cocktail ring. Otherwise keep the hands clean and the jewellery at the ear.

How should leather opera gloves fit?

Close at the fingers, smooth along the forearm, and slightly gathered at the top of the arm. If they wrinkle at the wrist, try the smaller size. If the snap pulls, take the larger.

How do you take them off at dinner?

Traditionally you remove them to eat. Ease each finger loose first, then roll the glove down from the top of the arm, never pull it from the fingertips.

More reading: how to wear a shawl over an evening gown, how to style a metallic gown and Maria Lucia Hohan at Coveti.

Frequently asked questions

What do you wear long leather gloves with?

A strapless gown, a corset top and a sleeveless coat, anywhere the arm would otherwise be bare.

How long are opera gloves?

Opera gloves reach above the elbow. The Maria Lucia Hohan Leandra is 55cm long.

Should you wear a bracelet over gloves?

Usually not. Keep the wrist clear and wear a statement earring instead.

By Gemma Deeks, Fashion Editor at Coveti.