Evening glove

white kidskin opera gloves

Long white gloves wore by Madeleine Malraux and Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis

Evening gloves are long gloves for women's formal wear.^[1] These gloves are often worn with evening dress for debutante(ball gown^[2]) and wedding dresses.^[3] The longest of the evening gloves are called the "opera gloves". Opera gloves are very long gloves that go far beyond the elbow.

The appropriate length of the evening gloves is determined by the length of the sleeves of the dress. The shorter the sleeves of the dress, the longer the gloves should be. Evening gloves for formal(white tie) and semi-formal(black tie) wear come in three lengths for women: wrist, elbow, and opera. The opera reaches over the elbow, usually reaching to the biceps but sometimes to the full length of the arm. The "elbow-length or longer" part is the key; gloves which cover a substantial portion of the forearm, up to just below the elbow, can legitimately be called "long gloves" or "evening gloves", but never "Opera Gloves". In this case, the term "opera" is the same as "opera length necklace" or "opera length stockings" and refers to the length of the object rather than the type of party.^[4]

The most formal fabric for evening gloves is kidskin^[5] (young goats leather). The most expensive opera length gloves are custom-made of kidskin. Many other types of leather, most usually soft varieties of cowhide, are used in making full-length gloves; patent leather and suede are especially popular as alternatives to kidskin, and are often more affordable than kidskin. Satin and stretch satin materials are extremely popular, and there are mass-produced varieties as well. More unusual glove materials include leathers made from salmon, python, and stingray.^[6]

Evening Glove Media

Queen Mary of the United Kingdom and Queen Elisabeth of Belgium wearing evening gloves at Belgian court.
Mary II wearing elbow length gloves c. 1690
Marilyn Monroe wearing evening gloves in "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes"
Evening gloves as worn in 1820 from Journal des Dames.
Coca cola advertisement from c. 1900
Rita Hayworth from the Gilda trailer in 1946
The Ladies home journal, advertisement from 1948
Jacqueline Kennedy wearing evening gloves at a state dinner in 1962.
Actress Sophie Marceau wearing evening gloves, 1996.