| Ladies' evening gloves or opera gloves are a type of | | | | style of glove she popularized is a type of |
| formal glove that reaches beyond the elbow. | | | | coat-sleeve-length or three-quarters-length glove, |
| Ladies' gloves for formal and semi-formal wear come | | | | rather than true opera-length.) |
| in three lengths for women: wrist, elbow, and opera or | | | | The best-known type of opera glove, the |
| full-length (over the elbow, usually reaching to the | | | | mousquetaire, is given this name due to the wrist-level |
| biceps but sometimes to the full length of the arm). | | | | opening (most commonly three inches long) which is |
| <a rel="nofollow" | | | | closed by three (usually) buttons or snap closures, |
| onclick="javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview(' | | | | most frequently made of pearl or some lookalike |
| outgoing/article_exit_link');" href=" shirt</a>The | | | | material. |
| most expensive full-length gloves are custom-made of | | | | Mousquetaire gloves have buttons at the wrist so the |
| kid leather, also known as kidskin. Many other types of | | | | wearer could open the buttons and slip her hand out |
| leather, most usually soft varieties of cowhide, are | | | | without taking the whole glove off. The finger section |
| used in making full-length gloves; patent leather and | | | | would be folded in and kept away tidily. This is how |
| suede are especially popular as alternatives to kidskin, | | | | ladies wore gloves while dining. After the meal they |
| and are often more affordable than kidskin. Satin and | | | | would put their hands back into the gloves, usually for |
| stretch satin materials are extremely popular, and | | | | the rest of the evening. During the 19th century, |
| there are mass-produced varieties as well. | | | | especially from the mid-Victorian era onwards, gloves |
| While the etymology of the term opera glove is | | | | were tailored so as to fit very tightly onto the hands |
| unknown, gloves of above-the-elbow length have been | | | | and arms ??so tightly, in fact, that it was often |
| worn since at least the late 18th century, and gloves | | | | necessary to use aids such as talcum powder and |
| reaching to or just below the elbow have been worn | | | | buttonhooks to put on one's gloves; therefore, it was |
| by women in Western countries since the 17th century | | | | considered somewhat uncouth to put on or remove |
| (there is an engraving of England's Queen Mary dating | | | | one's gloves completely in public and women would |
| from the 1690s in which she is shown wearing | | | | make sure to don their gloves in the privacy of their |
| elbow-length gloves). Over-the-elbow gloves were first | | | | homes before going out to some event (another |
| widely popular during the Regency/Napoleonic period | | | | reason for the popularity of the mousquetaire opening). |
| (circa 1800-1825), and waned in popularity during the | | | | The mousquetaire opening/fastening for women's long |
| early and mid-Victorian periods (circa 1830-1870), but | | | | gloves seems to have become most popular during |
| enjoyed their greatest vogue in the last two decades | | | | the Victorian era; during the Napoleonic/Regency |
| of the 19th century and the years of the 20th century | | | | period, women's long gloves were often tailored to fit |
| prior to the start of World War I. During that period, | | | | loosely on the wearer's arm, and were often worn |
| they were standard for both daytime and evening | | | | gathered below the elbow or held up on the biceps |
| wear with most types of outfits-even some swimming | | | | with a garter-like strap. (In the 2005 film version of |
| outfits of the period were accessorized with opera | | | | Pride and Prejudice, Rosamund Pike and several other |
| gloves. Etiquette of that period considered gloves to | | | | actresses wear opera-length gloves with drawstring |
| be mandatory accessories for both men and women | | | | ties at the top of the glove, but this might not be an |
| of the upper classes, so it was fairly uncommon during | | | | accurate representation of the style of long gloves in |
| that era to see a well-dressed woman at a public | | | | the Regency era; fashion plates from the period do |
| occasion who was not wearing gloves of some sort. | | | | not appear to show gloves with drawstring-type ties, |
| According to several fashion historians, over-the-elbow | | | | but do often show women wearing gloves held up by |
| gloves were popularized, or more accurately | | | | garterlike straps or ribbons.) |
| re-popularized, during the late 19th century by the | | | | In Japan, ladies wear long gloves all day in summer, to |
| renowned actresses Sarah Bernhardt in France (who | | | | protect the ideal irojiro , or fair skin, which represents |
| liked wearing long gloves to disguise what she | | | | beauty, grace, and high social status (as well as purity |
| considered her overly thin arms) and Lillian Russell in | | | | and divinity in local religions), thus many Japanese ladies |
| the United States. | | | | avoid any form of tanning. |
| The opera glove has enjoyed varying popularity in the | | | | The length of ladies' evening gloves are referred to in |
| decades since World War I, being most prevalent as a | | | | terms of "buttons", whether they in fact have buttons |
| fashion accessory in the 1940s through the early 1960s | | | | or not. The word is derived from French, and the |
| (long gloves were an important accessory of Christian | | | | exact measure is actually a bit longer than one inch. |
| Dior's "New Look" designs), but continues to this day to | | | | Wrist length gloves are usually eight-button, those at |
| be popular with women who want to add a particularly | | | | the elbow are 16, mid-biceps are 22 and full shoulder |
| elegant touch to their formal outfits, and have enjoyed | | | | length are 30. Opera gloves are between 16 and 22 |
| minor revivals in fashion design on several occasions in | | | | inches long, though some gloves can be as long as 29 |
| recent years (they were very prominent, for example, | | | | or 30 inches. To fit oneself for gloves, measure all |
| in haute couture collections for the fall/winter 2007 | | | | around the hand at the widest part of the palm where |
| season). Opera gloves continue to be popular | | | | the knuckles are, but excluding the thumb. The |
| accessories for bridal and prom/debutante gowns and | | | | measurement in inches is the glove size, but if one's |
| at very formal ballroom dances (to this day, for | | | | arms are large, it may be practical to go up a size. |
| example, it is mandatory for female participants at the | | | | Generally, an evening glove is considered to be a true |
| Vienna Opera Ball to wear white opera gloves) and | | | | "opera-length" glove if it reaches to mid-biceps or |
| are often worn by entertainers such as can-can | | | | higher on the wearer's arm, notwithstanding its actual |
| dancers and burlesque performers (particularly to | | | | length in inches or buttons; therefore, a petite woman |
| perform a gown-and-glove dance). In popular culture, | | | | might find a glove with a measurement of 16 or 17 |
| probably the two best-known images incorporating | | | | inches adequate for the purpose, while a tall woman |
| opera gloves are those of Rita Hayworth in "Gilda" | | | | might need a glove longer than 22 inches. A glove |
| (1946) and Marilyn Monroe in Gentlemen Prefer | | | | shorter than elbow-length should not be referred to as |
| Blondes (1953). (Actress Audrey Hepburn was also | | | | an "opera-length glove" or "opera glove" under any |
| known for glove-wearing on- and off-screen, but the | | | | circumstances. |