Glove Glam: Jewelry and Opera Gloves!

A pinnacle of regal elegance, HM The Late Queen Elizabeth II, remains in our hearts worldwide.

Photo Source: @british.royal.crown- Instagram 

It is December, the season of festive parties! If you are fortunate enough to be invited to a White-tie ball or a formal party, consider wearing opera-length gloves as an elegant accessory with your long gown. 

As the past Chair of the Salvation Army of Palm Beach County’s “Paradise Ball,” for their centennial White-tie celebration in 2022, I have received questions about the appropriateness of wearing jewelry on top of opera-length gloves. Opera-length gloves reach over the elbow and are the epitome of formal elegance. 

The answer is yes! One can wear a bracelet on top of an opera glove on either wrist. An evening bracelet may be worn over a glove, but not rings. Rings are worn underneath a glove.

Stuart and I attended an elegant “pink-themed” dinner dance with Lady Henrietta Spencer-Churchill at Blenheim Palace in Woodstock, England, this past July 2024. It was a most magical evening.
Photo credit: Mark Forbes. 

Here are a few etiquette guidelines when wearing opera-length gloves:

Can you drink with gloves on?

Yes, it is acceptable to drink with your gloves on. 

Can you eat with gloves on?

No! Eating with gloves on, whether standing or seated at a dining table, is not done. 

So, how does a lady eat when wearing opera gloves?

The mousquetaire “button” option allows one to unbutton the buttons under one's wrist and semi-remove one's gloves, so the hand is glove-free to dine. Once the buttons are undone, a lady can pull her hand out from the opening and neatly tuck the remainder of the glove up the wrist and inside the gloves.  

Alternatively, one may gracefully remove the gloves by gently pushing the arm portion toward the wrist while pulling each finger until the glove slips off.  

If the gloves do not have the mousquetaire buttons, where does one place the evening gloves once they are removed while seated at a formal dinner? 

After you remove your gloves, fold them in half and place them on your lap with your napkin over them. You may remove the gloves before being seated or at the dinner table. 

After dinner, one may put the gloves back on by placing the hand in and working the glove up from the wrist, then gradually smoothing the glove up the arm. Try not to pull from the top. 

May I wear gloves other than white?

Opera-length gloves can be made of leather, silk, or satin.  The most traditional, and my preference, are elegant “white leather, full-length opera gloves with mousquetaire.”  Cornelia James holds a Royal Warrant and made gloves for the late Queen Elizabeth for over 70 years.  

Do you want to cover your arm completely with your opera gloves?

No, a bit of your arm should be showing.  So, if you have a capped sleeve, you may wish to rouche the top of the opera-length glove down a bit because a portion of the arm should always be visible. 

Do you wear evening gloves while dancing?

Yes, indeed!

Should you wear your formal gloves when shaking hands or while standing in a receiving line? 

Yes, you may shake hands with evening gloves on, except when shaking hands with the President, the First Lady, or a high-ranking church or government official. 

Should you take your glove off when presenting your hand to be kissed? 

You may keep your glove on when a gentleman is kissing your hand. This is such a charming, old-world European tradition. I will never forget when my German son-in-law kissed my hand upon our first meeting… I thought to myself, "He is a keeper." And he is! 

When our youngest daughter Caroline (in white) made her debut at The Infirmary Ball in New York City, it was a few days before Christmas. Family and friends came from afar to celebrate with us, and it was the perfect occasion to wear opera-length gloves.

Discussing various aspects of old-world elegance is a delight and a gracious time when gentle manners mattered. Let’s keep these traditions alive!  

Xx 

Holly

PS: Please take a peek at the bracelets that my sponsor, Elizabeth Gate has to offer- each one a work of masterpiece art.