A modern ode to opera gloves

This accessory is now invading the streets, the catwalk and the red carpets, dressing and adorning the arms of modern society, as well as acting as a second skin for an infinite cast of personalities channeling the great revival of the opera glove.

All dress codes or class status associated with these gloves are subverted by the current fashion system that now exposes a whole romantic and anarchic showcase of leather, silk or crochet versions, arousing provocation and desire for the new generations that make it their new favorite accessory.

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This accessory is now reborn on the catwalk and red carpets, dressing and adorning the arms, acting as a second skin for an infinite cast of personalities who have invoked the resurrection of the opera glove: a trend that had transcendence through series such as Bridgerton in 2020.

In this sense, the origin of opera gloves goes back to the stages associated with high society that had its golden age during the 1960s, covering the hands and arms of highborn ladies who protected themselves from prying eyes.

The seductive power and beauty of the accessory captivated a series of film icons such as Marilyn Monroe or Audrey Hepburn, who ended up wearing them during the golden age of old Hollywood. Gloves then became cult items or sex symbols that revealed the skin, and evoked all that sensual imagery associated with burlesque or cabaret of the 1930s.

BETWEEN SENSUALITY AND DECONSTRUCTION

The new era induced by the pandemic in 2020, beyond revolutionizing fashion, brought about the resurgence of opera gloves, integrating them back into street culture. Escaping and evading that dark era channeled a whole shift in mindset and trends and made us all want to lighten up our aesthetic and experiment with quirky and playful fashion.

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The incorporation of infinity gloves into outfits represented a collective evolution that I can see reflected in TikTok, as a form of self-expression or a streetwear staple explored by influencers like Bella Hadid. Not to mention that key scene where actress Taylor Russell paired sleek leather gloves with a black Alexander McQueen dress for the red carpet.

In this sense, the accessory of romantic essence is now redesigned to embody an innate sense of royalty and ethereal beauty by contemporary firms that reinterpreted the accessory for the SS23 season: from Jacquemus’ translucent yellow design to ISO Poetism’s deconstructed knitted version for the new punk girls.