Opera gloves are creeping into mainstream fashion- but how do you style them?

The sophisticated, yet understated, opera glove has crept its way into 2022’s latest trends. This time, making its reappearance within the mainstream fashion scene.

Gloves are a timeless accessory that have been worn over centuries by countless women; emblematic of wealth and good fortune. Over the years opera gloves have acquired a reputation of eminence; associated heavily with those of royal status and high societal ranking.

Celebrities of 1950s era took a special interest in this elegant fashion staple, with famed fashion icons such as Marilyn Monroe and Audrey Hepburn who were often spotted wearing Opera gloves at some of the world’s most exclusive events. Such celebrities are often considered to be the archetype when it comes to this specific accessory.

These celebrities wore gloves for some of the most iconic moments in their careers, including Audrey Hepburn in her iconic Givenchy look from the 1961 film Breakfast at Tiffany's. Marilyn Monroe wore a distinctive design by William Travilla at the Hollywood premiere of Call Me Madam in March 1953, consisting of a strapless white satin column dress, belted at the waist and white satin elbow-length gloves accented by satin pumps. With this, she also carried a luxurious white fox stole.

Despite the evident inspiration which we could draw from these iconic moments, many of us still struggle with incorporating gloves into our looks. If that includes you, perhaps Richard Quinns’ AW22 London Fashion Week collection can help you along your path to the modern-day styling of this new must-have.

London Fashion Week 2022, saw Richard Quinn combine latex with florals in rose-strewn prints, while Simone Rocha unfurled regal, embellished looks, and the emerging label Poster Girl showed cut-out suede designs. The silhouette continued to dominate in Milan too, as Bella Hadid wore black silk gloves for Moschino, and a sage pair of knitted gloves for Fendi. At the core of Matthieu Blazy’s AW22 collection for Bottega Veneta were sheer sequinned evening dresses paired with matching shimmery opera gloves. Meanwhile, Halpern’s silk gowns were rigidified with matching shoulder-length gloves in pastel pink and green leather for a fiercer look.

As well as their appearance on catwalks; in March, ‘Julia Fox’ was caught strutting the streets in an ultra-cropped white vest and mini skirt with a striking pair of black penitent leather gloves accompanied with the boots to match.

I prefer a slightly more comfortable and breathable material when it comes to gloves. The baby blue velvet-feel, diamante-embellished velour of Juicy Couture gloves from Asos’s latest collaboration are my first choice for a glamourous but cushy fit (£36.00, asos.com). For a more traditional style; as seen in the recent Netflix series Bridgerton, I would recommend Comelia James’s, Desdemona Silk Opera Glove. These gloves will be the perfect silhouette completer (£245, corneliajames.com ).

For those of you who are in search of a more affordable but high-quality range of gloves, Dyspnea’s, Lafonda Lilac Oprah Gloves are an excellent choice. With a wide selection of colours to pick from and their highly stretchy embellished material, you will certainly find your perfect pair (£58, dyspnea.com). For those who wish to wear a fierce and daring look, the tulle hun gloves by Dolls Kills are perfect. (£12.80, Dollskill.com).

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