Gloves

When I was growing up, all we had was mittens
Those fluffy simple things that keep you hands so warm
Functional and modest, a mitt is just a mitt!
But gloves, my fashionistas are swanky
Do admit.

Some of you might have noticed a little pattern emerging; a new development in my video-post repertoire is that I do a little mini-performance as an introduction to the relevant topic. When I decided to start the Gloves video with a poem, I only had two requirements for it – short and to the point. I thought, what is the one thing that performs the same practical function as gloves and could be considered a substitute. And of course, the answer is…clumsy-old mittens. Mittens are to gloves as galoshes are to pumps. Both keep us warm but one is a lot more elegant and fashion-forward. So after realizing that mittens epitomize the strictly practical manifestation of gloves, the rest of the poem wrote itself. Gloves, after all, are a fashionista’s friend. Do admit!

The off-white shoulder-gloves I showed you may not be an example of an easily accessible, everyday item but they are the most high-fashion of the bunch. Similar gloves were featured in numerous Fall 2009 collections and are an example of gloves as statement pieces. I bought two pairs of shoulder-gloves last year (off-white and green) and when cashing out I had a short talk with the cashier about them. Her concern was that while she liked the gloves she had no idea how to wear them – “they are just so long.” Tip #1: As I had shown you in the video, I think the best way to wear shoulder-gloves is by playing up their length rather than concealing it. Pair them with a short sleeve jacket that exposes them fully or you can always scrunch them down with a ¾ sleeve coat. Here are some more examples of how shoulder gloves appeared on the runway: Gareth Pugh, Max Mara, Maurizio and Roberto Cavalli.

The second pair of gloves was suede with a crocheted trim. Tip #2: Matching any pattern or detail of the garment and the gloves increases the detail’s prominence within the look and makes the accessory more relevant to the outfit as a whole. I bought these Alberta Ferretti gloves on an extreme end-of-season sale and here comes one of the biggest advices I can give you…

Shopping tip: When it comes to acquiring a collection of seasonal accessories, such as gloves, shop a season ahead. You can purchase awesome pieces when they’re on final markdown at the end of winter. Stock-up on whatever colors and styles are available when they are selling for a fraction of the original price because they will come in handy the next year. This is the cheapest and easiest way to acquire a collection. Stores like Winners in Canada and what they call “New York’s best kept secret,” Century 21, in the US (its an awesome store), already carry designer items for a discounted price; but at the end of the season you get truly amazing deals. The only condition is that you cannot be a picky shopper because the experience of trying to find something specific at a time of extreme sell-offs will only frustrate you.

One of the things I dislike most about the way people dress during the winter is that it’s all so dark and boring. Next time you are walking down the street look at the colours the passersby are dressed in. You will quickly see that things are pretty gloomy out there . Tip #3: When wearing a dark outfit you can easily brighten it up with colourful gloves, which are best introduced to the look in conjunction with another accessory that relates to the gloves through texture or colour. For example, wear black leggings and sweater with scrunched-up long-gloves in fuchsia and a headband with a fuchsia accent.

Enjoy putting your own spin on whatever tips I’ve shared with you and don’t forget word of the wise, “No glove, no love!” .

Thanks for reading.