Make sure the gloves fit and are the right length

We make gloves in six different hand sizes - 6, 6½, 7, 7½, 8 and 8½. These relate to the measurement around the widest part of the hand in inches. The widest part of the hand is just above the knuckles and measured with a soft tape going all the way around the hand, excluding the thumb. If the measurement is between sizes, round down to the nearest size.

We make gloves in many different lengths. The right glove length for a particular dress is usually a function of the length of the sleeve on the dress, if any. Generally speaking -  the shorter the sleeve, the longer the glove.

When we speak of the length of a glove, we are only referring to the length of the sleeve of the glove, not the whole glove including the hand. We take the measurement from the base of the thumb, just below the wrist, not from the fingertips. For example, a classic long evening glove, finishing on the bicep, is 16 inches in length, measured from the base of the thumb.

The other really important measurement for longer gloves is the circumference of the arm. There is nothing more annoying than a glove that is too loose and slips down the arm and few things less attractive than a glove that is too tight and ‘squidges’ the arm.  If you are buying stock gloves, we use a measurement which achieves a good compromise, but we are happy to make gloves to a specific, bespoke arm measurement.  

Take this upper arm measurement at the point of the arm where the glove will finish - from the base of the thumb 16 inches up the arm for a 16 inch glove and 12 inches up the arm for a 12 inch glove. Take the measurement all the way around the arm, with the arm slightly bent.

Think about style and fabric

In general satin works well with silk dresses and vice versa - silk gloves are often a good match for satin dresses.

The absolute classic ‘bride’s’ gloves are the Hermione or Desdemona. These are both long ‘opera’ length gloves,  finishing 16 inches up the arm - Hermione in satin and Desdemona in silk. The gloves can be worn full opera length up the arm or ruched down a little bit to achieve the perfect look.

The satin Hermione glove is the most widely chosen glove and we have this in white and three shades of near white or Ivory so that a close match can be achieved with most wedding dresses. 

The Desdemona glove in pure silk is especially versatile. Its subtly matte but lustrous finish complements so many different types of dress fabric.  It can offer a very useful counterpoint to a satin dress and the textural difference very often means that a perfect colour match is not necessary.

Arabella is a long glove, which is definitely worth considering. This is made in tulle, which offers a slightly less formal option and particularly suits summer weddings

Don’t ignore the short gloves. Not every ‘bride’s glove’ has to be long and a short glove can be absolutely charming with the right dress - some dresses cry out for short and some for long. 

If any doubt on material, you can always order fabric swatches from our website.

Enhancements

Many people - especially brides, obviously - worry about the ‘dos and ‘don’ts’ of wearing a ring with long gloves.  As a general rule, we think that it’s difficult to wear a well-fitting ring over a glove. There are four seams in the finger of a glove. No matter how fine the fabric, the finger is going to be bulkier with the glove and, if the ring fits over the glove, there is going to be a risk that it will not fit an ungloved finger closely and will slip off!