A Show of Hands

As a fond lover of costume dramas, I find it a serious downer that women no longer wear gloves on a daily basis. The elegance of Audrey Hepburn’s long, black gloves in “Breakfast at Tiffany’s,” (based on the book by New Orleans’ own Truman Capote, who also wrote the very different screenplay) or the moment when Daniel Day-Lewis unbuttons Michelle Pfeiffer’s glove and kisses her wrist in “The Age of Innocence,” (based on the spectacular book by Edith Wharton) would have been lacking on some level were it not for the now woefully underutilized accessory. In fact, apart from those worn for combatting low temps, the fingerless variety to add edge to the right outfit or donning a pair of opera gloves with a gala gown for a Mardi Gras or charity ball, there just aren’t that many occasions a modern gal can get away with it and not appear as if she stepped out of a costume drama.

Enter driving gloves.

A few weeks ago, after noticing how the New Orleans summer had wreaked havoc on my hands — despite meticulous, multiple times per day applications of moisturizer and sunscreen — I decided to look into driving gloves. A few clicks and $7.99 later, a pair of black, polka dot, UV protection driving gloves with anti-skid grips were on their way in the mail.

They live in the center console and slipping into them after starting the car was an easy habit to adopt and continue, because a) I know they will protect the delicate, thin skin on the backs of my hands, b) (for bonus) texting while driving is rendered all but impossible and c) it makes me feel like a Formula 1 driver.

My leather, cashmere-lined gloves are a staple in the winter, so now I feel ready for all seasons. That said, I’m now considering a pair of unlined, kid leather gloves in black, a racy red or perhaps a variety of colors for fall and spring when my black cotton pair is too light and the lined leather is too warm. Because, it turns out, one can never have too many gloves. They really do go with everything.

But, back to the subject at hand — your hands, chicly covered in cotton or leather, will be protected from their greatest enemy (the sun, in case you need a reminder) if you slip those digits into a pair of gloves. Can you help it if they also look fabulous? No. No you cannot.

Moral of the story, let’s bring back gloves. Holy Golightly would most certainly approve, no? Let me see a show of hands — gloved, naturally.   

 

 

 

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