Best viewed on full screen ©1999 Shooting Star Enterprises Gloves in the Victorian Era Gloves were a status symbol in the Victorian Era- a gently bred lady would not dream of going outside without her gloves. Indeed, in the early Victorian era (1830’s & 1840’s) some ladies even prided themselves on never going ungloved- even while sewing. The only time it was required to remove gloves was while at the table(The Essential Handbook of Victorian Etiquette). However as a general rule by the 1850’s gloves were often left off inside, unless you were at a dance or church. These were formal occasions requiring the finishing touch of the glove. Early Victorian gloves(Up to 1870) were generally short (2 button) sometimes 3 or 4 button length for evening wear.

10 button length gloves Undressed kid

Gauntlet Style gloves for Riding

If you read period fashion magazines you will see gloves referred to by button length which is not necessarily the amount of buttons on a glove but instead a measurement of length. This length is measured from the base of the thumb seam and given in buttons = inches measurements. Therefore: A 2 button glove is two inches from the thumb seam and extends about to the wrist. 2 button = wrist length 4 button = just past the wrist, 8 button = mid forearm length, 12 button = cups the elbow 16 button = opera length (also called mousquetaire or evening length) (see For Love of the Opera Glove) 21 button = shoulder length 24 button = the longest I have seen referred to in my magazines and these are meant to“wrinkle down” upon the arm

1868 evening gloves 4-6 button length

Glove myth and fact

Gloves were not universally worn by all ladies at all times.

Most photographs of the period do not show ladies in gloves, unless they are in their outerwear (coats, hats, etc.)

Gloves could be made of kid, thread, silk or washing leather- readers of fashion magazines were cautioned a cheap glove was not an economical buy and were encouraged to choose a single pair of good quality over several cheap pairs.

General rules for wearing gloves in the Victorian Era are :

Wear light colored gloves for evening wear

Dark colored leather gloves or to match the habit for riding or driving (these were sometimes made after the men’s gauntlet gloves- especially for military wives- then they might be buckskin or white)

Do not wear gloves while eating

Always wear clean gloves when dancing

Mitts(fingerless gloves) are considered less formal than gloves and not frequently worn after 1840's

After about 1865 more colored gloves are referred to and by 1880 there were a wide range of color worn by the ladies. Fashions always seem to come around more than once: for example, colored and long gloves worn in earlier periods- pre 1820 were abandoned as not the thing in the 1840’s and short white gloves were favored, by the late 1870’s opera gloves were once again popular worn by several famous actresses of the times and you could once again buy gloves to match your every outfit. Here’s the basics for different time frames

Approximately...

1840’s was the period for wearing crocheted mitts- you still see them worn some after this period, but not as often as most reenactors would lead you to believe!

1850-1860's wrist length(2 button) gloves for day and evening wear usually kid and usually white or yellowish

1870’s gloves of up to 8 button length for evening(white) 4-8 button common for daywear colored gloves becoming popular. 1877-1880 some long crocheted fingerless gloves are seen.

1880’s fashionable gloves are longer starting at 6 button and going up to the 24 button evening gloves. Your gloves generally came up to at least where your sleeve ended. If you had limited funds a pair of 6-8 button black dressed kid and a pair of undressed 6-8 button kid were recommended. Long gloves to wear with evening dresses very popular-in white kid or silk(not as formal as kid).

If you like gloves, especially long ones, here's a site to check out For The Love of Opera Gloves Glove history, glove collecting, glove ettiquette and lots of glove pictures. You gotta go here!If it doesn't work on first click please try again, the link is not broken, the server is busy