Vintage Gloves: History, Materials, Dating & Collecting Guide
Introduction
For much of the twentieth century, gloves were more than protection from cold weather. They were an important element of everyday dress, particularly for women, and could indicate occasion, season, formality and personal style.
Leather gloves ranged from lightweight unlined dress gloves to luxurious winter examples lined with wool, silk or fur. Surviving vintage gloves can often be approximately dated through their materials, length, construction, decorative stitching, lining and overall silhouette.
Museum collections preserve numerous leather gloves from the 1950s and 1960s, confirming how established leather gloves remained within fashionable dress during this period. (The Metropolitan Museum of Art)
Gloves in Mid-Century Fashion
During the 1950s and into the 1960s, gloves remained a familiar part of women’s wardrobes.
Different styles were worn for:
- everyday town wear
- driving
- formal occasions
- evening wear
- winter wear
- church and social occasions
Lengths varied considerably, from short wrist-length gloves to long evening gloves.
Leather was particularly suitable for tailored day and winter gloves because it combined durability with a close, elegant fit.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute holds numerous leather examples dated specifically to the 1950s, 1950–69 and early 1960s, demonstrating the prevalence of this type of accessory during the period. (The Metropolitan Museum of Art)
Leather Used in Vintage Gloves
Fine gloves were traditionally made from relatively thin, flexible leather.
Depending on maker and period, this could include:
- kid leather
- lambskin
- goatskin
- nappa-type leather
- suede
“Nappa” generally refers more to the character and tanning of a soft, smooth leather than to one particular animal species.
For an unmarked vintage pair, it is therefore safer to describe the material visually as soft nappa-style leather or simply soft genuine leather unless the original label specifies the animal hide.
Fur-Lined Gloves
Winter gloves could be lined with a variety of insulating materials including wool, cashmere, fabric and natural fur. Specialist glove terminology recognises fur as one of the traditional lining materials used inside gloves. (Vintage Fashion Guild Forums)
Decorative Points
The three elongated stitched details seen on the back of many traditional gloves are usually called:
Points
They are a classic glove-making decorative feature.
Glove Construction
Vintage gloves can also be distinguished by their seam construction.
Traditional terminology includes hand-sewn, piqué, inseam and other methods. The Vintage Fashion Guild’s construction glossary describes piqué as an overlapped machine seam often used on finer women’s gloves, while inseam construction hides the seam by sewing the glove inside out before turning it. (Vintage Fashion Guild Forums)
Dating Vintage Leather Gloves
Useful dating clues include:
- length of glove
- shape of cuff
- finger proportions
- decorative points
- stitching
- leather type
- lining
- maker’s label
- country-of-origin markings
- packaging
- original retail labels
No single feature normally provides a precise date.
Collecting Vintage Gloves
Collectors generally look for:
- supple leather
- matching pairs
- intact stitching
- complete linings
- attractive colours
- unusual decoration
- recognised makers
- original labels or packaging
- desirable materials
- wearable sizes
- minimal staining or deterioration
Condition is particularly important with leather. Dryness, cracking or hardened leather can greatly reduce both desirability and practical wearability.
TMC EXAMPLE
c.1960s Tan Leather Fur-Lined Gloves
This pair from the TMC Emporium collection demonstrates several characteristics associated with mid-century winter gloves: supple cognac-tan leather, three stitched points across the back of each hand and a full natural-fur lining extending through the hand and fingers.
Dimensions: approximately 25 cm long × 9 cm wide
Index finger: approximately 8 cm
Weight: 87 g per pair
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