Every so often, an item comes along that defines amood, a look, an entire season.
For Fall/Winter '03 -- a season of change to a decidedly grown up, elegant,lady-like aesthetic -- that defining item isthe glove.
Not since the '50s, whenfashion was all about conforming to a proper and appropriate look,have women embraced gloves as part and parcel of their entire visage, along with the pump, the structured handbag, and the hat.
Instead, gloves have been considered just a winter necessity: something to be purchased and donned ONLY in the dead of winter, as a last resort to ward off frostbite.
Glove departments in stores were hardly enticing, and just about the only place you could even find interesting versions were at vintage shops.
When fashion takes off the gauntlet
Well, as we head into the new season, that’s all about to change. The defining moment was when Miuccia Prada endorsed gloves on her runway in Milan for fall/winter 2003, showing them for day and night and making them as covetable as her shoes and bags (her crocodile versions had the fashion faithful oohing and aahhing). It was obvious that gloves would be a key trend.
It certainly didn’t hurt that Tom Ford also showed gloves, accessorizing his voluminous pushed up sleeved coats at Gucci with long fitted leather gloves, or that Marc Jacobs did the same in Paris for Louis Vuitton (his cropped sleeved navy pea jacket worn with long black leather gloves was one of the chicest looks of the season in my book).
And the new fashion "god," Olivier Theyskens drove the cognoscenti wild with his youthful approach on display at the House of Rochas, where he used gloves with just about every outfit, exemplifying the '50s couture mood and putting his spin on the legendary label that he is now overseeing.
I for one, love gloves and am so ready for their return. In fact, I wore a pair of long black satin opera length gloves to the CFDA Awards at the New York Public Library in June, proving they are indeed a year round accessory, and not something simply relegated to cold or foul weather.
And I’m hardly alone in my "glove love." There has hardly been an article written in a newspaper (that deals with style), or a feature in a major fashion magazine, that has not already highlighted gloves as one of the most definitive and important accessories of the season.
In the July issue of Vogue, Anna Wintour, in her "Letter From the Editor", singled out the glove (along with the spectator pump) as an item that can be "life changing."
Life changing or not, it sure it chic!
10 reasons I love the glove (and I think you will, too)
1. Like all important accessories (handbags, belts, shoes, hats) they can instantly change the look and mood of an outfit. Nothing imparts the feeling of classic elegance and chic more than wearing gloves.
2. Gloves are a great way to add a fresh jolt of color to what you’re wearing: try red, green, blue, or yellow gloves with a salt and pepper tweed, camel, black, or navy dress, suit or coat.
3. The variety of gloves is astounding: there are gloves of every length (driving gloves, gauntlets, elbow and opera length versions, and some that almost resemble detachable sleeves and reach practically up to the shoulder). There are gloves in neutrals like black, white, and cream, as well as bold accent colors. They are even available in metallics like gold and silver. And they come in both solids as well as patterns: Marc Jacobs for example, showed one of the most whimsical versions of the season in striking black and white stripes to match his mod black and white short fur coat.
