Monday, March 7, 2022

Opera Gloves Are Everywhere But Do They Work IRL? I Found Out

In the last year it’s been hard to look at a red carpet without spotting a certain swanky accessory on everybody’s arms. From Gigi Hadid at the Met Gala to Alexa Chung at the British Fashion Awards, celebrities left, right and centre flocked to the opera glove. Some suggested that the full coverage look was a direct response to COVID culture while others mused about a return to Old Hollywood glamour. NYC’s favorite fashionista Carrie Bradshaw even sported a bejewelled Gucci pair in an episode of And Just Like That. 

The style has been a firm favorite among the Gen Z elite too, with Harry Styles and MÃ¥neskin’s Damiano David making the case for men rocking opera gloves. Euphoria’s Barbie Ferreira gave us one of this season’s favorite fashion moments in Aune Collections while castmate Sydney Sweeney turned to Miu Miu’s classic interpretation for the series premiere. The pièce de résistance, however, has to be Dua Lipa’s most recent long-gloved look, which saw the singer take the stage in a diamanté-encrusted Mugler catsuit with matching handwear.

Popular culture may have moved the needle on the style but the runways have cemented the opera glove as a staple for AW22. At London Fashion Week Richard Quinn combined a love of latex and florals in blue rose-strewn prints, Simone Rocha provided regal, embellished designs and emerging label Poster Girl presented suede selections with romantic cut-outs. The silhouette continued its domination in Milan, too, with Bella Hadid modeling a black silk glove for Moschino and a sage knitted pair for Fendi.

Opera gloves may look undeniably chic on the red carpet or a high fashion runway but can they actually work in real life? The internet’s concerns boil down to practicality, with some noting that covered hands weren’t designed for a world of texting, tweeting and TikToking.

To solve this quandary once and for all, I decided to test the theory by donning opera gloves for a handful of everyday situations. Read ahead for the unvarnished truth about wearing fancy gloves IRL…

Shopping

Incorporating opera gloves into an everyday wardrobe is one thing but picking up your groceries in a statement accessory is an entirely different beast. This situation demanded a more casual cool design, leading me into the arms of Marine Serre’s streetwear-esque, moon print gloves. As I stepped onto the local high street in my usual hoodie and leggings combo, I turned to my phone to check my list of errands. This was where I encountered my first problem: the elastic glove material made swiping through my phone a harder task than usual.

Thankfully, ATMs still have actual buttons, otherwise I would have held up the post office queue for days on end. Once I got to the supermarket though, the gloves really began to work their magic. Perusing the fresh veg section I felt like an influencer who picks up organic produce without checking the price. The gloves elevated my sense of self to the point where anything felt possible: maybe I could be a person who meal preps and doesn’t buy the $1 pack of Oreos. Still, for all their main character qualities, the gloves did make the self-checkout a no-go (screen + gloves = issues). If you aren’t a fan of engaging in conversation with other human beings while shopping, they probably aren’t the best accessory for a trip to the grocery store.

Brunch

If there was a task I was most nervous about, it was eating out. Normally I try to keep my dining outfits as practical as possible (read: all black for the inevitable stains) but these lilac Dyspnea glitter gloves demanded I step things up a notch so I gladly mixed casual and classy attire for an all-out brunch look. I sipped my turmeric-based wellness drink feeling slightly smug, even receiving a rapturous comment from our waiter: “Darling…the gloves!” But the minute the main course arrived, I realized I’d made a mistake.

It turns out that opera gloves require a certain type of eating and in my ravenous state I hadn’t contemplated the fact that it absolutely had to be cutlery-based. Cut to my cheeseburger arriving and a very sticky situation. Thankfully, given the calibre of the restaurant, I didn’t look overly pretentious tucking into my bun with a knife and fork and lifting each bite to my mouth with painstaking precision. I struggled slightly to stab at my overdressed salad but eventually managed to roll myself home in a food coma so I’d call the outing a success.

Out Out

When you think of opera gloves, you think of grand occasions. Without any red carpets to attend I headed to an underground cocktail bar, which is about as fancy as my life gets. This meant pulling out the big guns in a pair of black and white velvet, feather-trimmed gloves from Miscreants. Stepping onto the bus I was convinced there would be audible gasps but once I remembered that I live in one of the biggest cities in the world, my anxiety about being overdressed disappeared. After a somewhat slippy journey trying to cling onto the pole, I stepped into the basement bar with a newfound confidence.

As I held my coupe and chatted with friends, my swanky style felt fitting to the dimly lit surroundings. I felt like a sexy Cruella de Vil, tossing my head back and shrieking with glee as I nursed my cocktail. But the minute I realized I had to pee, I panicked. Pulling off such a tight accessory is less than ideal in a bar bathroom; getting it back on is another thing. Later down the line I discovered that smoothing your hair while wearing velvet gloves will 100% cause static, resulting in a ponytail for the rest of the evening. My main takeaway? If you’re going to spend $13 on a drink, you should absolutely be doing it in ‘my husband mysteriously disappeared’ gloves. 

At Refinery29, we’re here to help you navigate this overwhelming world of stuff. All of our market picks are independently selected and curated by the editorial team. If you buy something we link to on our site, Refinery29 may earn commission.

This story was originally published on Refinery29 UK.

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Prom Season Is Here: 9 R29 Editors Share Their Looks

Prom night has changed dramatically over the past two years. For a while, virtual dances and socially-distanced parties became the norm for Gen Z. But the promise of a great prom comeback is just around the corner, as the 2022 season starts this spring.  

Our editors remember vividly those nights: waiting for a date to ask them out, getting ready to attend the dance, and, most importantly (in our eyes, at least), picking what to wear. Some, like associate deals writer Mercedes Viera chose to go for a traditional gown, while others, like fashion director Irina Grechko and senior beauty writer Amanda Mitchell, broke rules with shorter dresses. Beauty director Sara Tan’s dress was not only custom-made but also Britney Spears-inspired(!).

Ahead of prom season, our editors looked back to their prom night looks.

The Trailblazing Dress

“I went home to Michigan to visit my mom and bought this gorgeous, Grecian-inspired orange BCBG Max Azria dress that hit just above my ankles. Little did I know, I would be a trailblazer at my new school as the first girl in the school’s history to wear a dress that wasn’t floor-length. But five years later, according to my friend’s sister, everyone was wearing short dresses to their prom. ”  — Amanda Mitchell, Senior Beauty Writer / Stories Creator

The Personality-Defining Outfit

“Prom was the moment I realized yellow will forever be my color. I also broke my school’s ‘no cleavage or lower back cut’ policy. My decision behind my prom look was a ‘moment at a crossroads’ for me. I had to make a choice of going with what was trending at the moment or doing what spoke to my spirit. It was very clear that my adult self was going to be a determined rule-breaker.” — Breanna Davis, Associate Social Media Editor

The Meant-To-Be Dress

“Knowing that everyone at my prom would wear floor-length dresses, I initially set out to wear a gown, too. While shopping though, I hated every single gown that I tried on to the point that my mom got me a backup dress, convinced I was never going to find what I wanted.

A few months before prom, while on vacation in Latvia, I walked past a local store that had a strapless, voluminous, striped dress in the window. I instantly knew it was the one despite knowing nothing about the designer and the style being knee-length. I love that the young adult in me rejected a traditional gown in favor of a short dress from an obscure designer. I should have known then that I would work in fashion and champion independent designers for a living.” — Irina Grechko, Fashion Director

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The Core Memory Dress

“I’m pretty sure I got this dress at a random Dress Barn in Jersey for my senior prom in 2010. The thing I cherish the most isn’t the outfit though, but the fact that I went to prom with my now husband! We look like little kids here but have dated since we were 15 years old — half our lives. I also remember getting ready for prom at my best friend’s house where we did our own hair and makeup. Eleven years later, that same best friend was a maid of honor at my wedding.” — Yuki Mizuma, Associate Photo Research Editor

The Not-My-Prom Prom Dress

“My class of 22 students in our very small Episcopal school in Puerto Rico opted not to have a prom. So, I got to live that dream through my cousin’s prom night. Much like I am now, back then, I preferred looser, baggy silhouettes. So it came as a surprise to everyone when I chose a navy, strapless mermaid dress to wear that night. I think it was the most glamorous gown I have ever worn to date. ” — Frances Solá-Santiago, Fashion Writer

The Matchy-Matchy Look

“My dad drove my mom and me into the big city so we could go shopping. My look was a lavender, floor-length halter-neck gown from a local independent Toronto boutique called Fashion Crimes. My makeup matched my dress (of course!), and my loose curls were inspired by Jessica Alba. I remember I ripped the red carpet photo out of InStyle to bring to the salon. — Carli Whitwell, Director of Editorial Operations

The Unapologetic Look

“The year is 2015, before I knew how to do my makeup or possess any style at all. While my makeup was actually atrocious, my dress wasn’t bad — it perfectly accentuated my cleavage. I think showing off my boobs after 12 years of private Catholic schooling really cemented — in my brain, at least — that I was a different person starting right then. I remember thinking that night, This is my last night with a lot of these people, I don’t have to hide anymore; I can be free.” — Mercedes Viera, Associate Deals Writer

The Confidence-Booster Dress

“I went with two of my best friends to one of their proms, and we made it the ultimate girls’ night. The mid-to-late 2000s were horrible for body positivity, and I struggled a lot with the fact that, at 5′8″ and while developing womanly curves, I was inherently going to always be bigger than most of my shorter, tinier friends. Luckily, mermaid silhouettes were basically made to accentuate and embrace a more voluptuous shape, and I think this dress really helped me see that my body, though not the stick-thin version I craved, was actually beautiful.”  — Annie Black, Social Editor

The Custom-Made Dress

“For my senior prom, I had a very specific point of inspiration — Britney Spears’ green Tinkerbell-esque dress from her performance with Michael Jackson in 2001. Needless to say, my mom wasn’t a fan of how short the dress was, nor was she a fan of the custom price tag, but I love how it turned out. And the fact that my prom dress was made from scratch made it feel extra special. I also love that it was inspired by Britney Spears — it just proves how much of an impact she had on my generation during that time in our lives!” — Sara Tan, Beauty Director

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