Opera Gloves

At this stage, the name “opera glove” is a little misleading. Celebrities and high-end businesses have recently marketed the elegant item that covers the elbow as a versatile piece of clothing. Romeo Hunte was wearing a velvet pair of pants and an enormous t-shirt as he was being interviewed recently during New York Fashion Week in the midst of a party with loud hip-hop music. There have also been some clever and successful mutilations of the fancywear. Actor Kodi Smit-McPhee wore a red latex pair to the 2022 Met Gala along with a dapper button-down and stiff denim pants (made from Bottega Veneta’s eternally charming trompe l’oeil leather).

Getty Images/ Getty Images Entertainment/ Jeremy Moeller

The improbable ascent of the opera glove demonstrates how even the most formally stiff and stuffy embellishments can be updated for social media-friendly casual attire. Consider the model Gigi Hadid as an example. The Netflix actor recently made an appearance on Good Morning America dressed in a knit sweater that matched her knit opera gloves (both by Valentino), presenting the ideal combination of whimsical and chic. You could also take inspiration from model Irina Shayk, who supported a free shape with a pair of skin-tight velvet gloves worn underneath a casual top.

Lace opera gloves were worn under pastel-colored suits in Kim Jones’s impressive spring 2020 collection for Dior Men’s. But, the most recent round of collecting indicates that the trend is picking up speed.With his array of leather opera gloves layered under business pinstripe suits, Luar evoked American Psycho. For his fall 2023 collection, Rick Owens also provided tough iterations of the opera gloves, which he created from battered and used leather. And we believe Kendall Jenner, who wore a pair of animal-print gloves with matching intimate wear, is a terrific source of inspiration for us all. Lesson learned: opera gloves are now appropriate for both a night in and a night out.