TREND: GLOVES

You know that feeling – you can’t stop staring, emotion invades every nerve in your body, thoughts race uncontrollably through your head, your adrenaline takes over and you know instinctively that you are in love.

It is love and first sight and you can not hold your feelings back for a moment longer – you just have to go up and . . . try them on! Ah, they fit like a glove – literally.  If the designer pre-fall and fall collections are any indication, there is some serious glove love in the air. 

Gloves seem to be the new “it” item among designer accessories: Balenciaga’s pre-fall show had long-haired fur mittens, with some extending to the mid-arm.

Givenchy’s pre-fall show had gloves with ostrich feather trim.

Louis Vuitton had great versions of leather driving gloves.

 

And for fall, designer heavy-weights Armani, Lanvin, Proenza Schouler, and Fendi had soft and patent leather gloves ranging from mid-palm to 3/4 length – ruched, color-blocked, and some with cut-outs.  

Let’s face it, all of us obsess (some more than others) over designer apparel and accessories.  Subtract the people who can truly afford the hefty price-tags that those coveted pieces carry and you are left with a very limited customer pool.  However, there are those that can justify “investing” in a luxury accessory as the will get more use out of the $2,000 they spend on a handbag versus the same price on a dress.

The glove/mitten will certainly fall at a much lower price-point than its handbag counterparts (except for Balenciaga’s fur mittens), and in these times of monetary uncertainty, will surely lure many “cusp” consumers back into the designer stores with exquisite designs, luxury-level quality, longevity in their relevance to the wardrobe, and relatively affordable prices as far as luxury items go. With the current glove designs, it is certain that you will walk hand in glove for a very long time.

Images courtesy of the Fashion Spot forums.


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