Style+beauty

power gloves

Designers are laying down the gauntlet this season

words by Sophy Grimshaw

When Audrey Hepburn’s Holly Golightly slunk cat-like into view in Breakfast at Tiffany’s, it was the making of a fashion icon. In addition to the affectation of the cigarette holder and the simplicity of the little black dress, Hepburn sported a pair of opera gloves, redolent of elegance and 1950s glamour – or, in leather, of seduction and even villainy.

If the closest you come to gloves are rubber ones for doing the washing up, or tatty mittens that only come out when it snows, this season designers are tempting you to invest in some power gloves too. Show-stoppers in luxury materials stretch to mid-forearm, as with those from Gucci, if not all the way to the elbow and some even beyond that, such as those from Brioni.

Many are classics: Celine’s driving gloves, Jasper Conran’s black opera gloves, Etro’s version in brown leather or Dior’s in mauve leather. There are the progressive styles: the zip-up or quilted gauntlet pair by Burberry, the ruched version from DAKS or the high-shine patent style from D2. And some are more avant-garde: the ribbed knitted style, worn with a cocktail dress at Lanvin; others not just fingerless but handless, more arm-warmers than gloves, from the likes of Armani; the outsize mittens from Ann-Sofie Back; the puff-cuff gloves and fullball styles from Missoni; or John Rocha’s in transparent lace.

Of course, the designers are not the first to realise the statement-making potency of power gloves. If gloves have been worn for some 3,000 years, opera gloves – arguably the first designed for effect rather than function – were first worn in the late 16th century and considered by etiquette to be essential wear for ladies for the next 300 years. Indeed, Queen Elizabeth I is recorded as having worn a pair of 18-inch long, white leather, gold fringed gauntlets, although they only became fully fashionable when glove styles were modelled on the uniform of 18th century French Musketeers. In France, opera gloves are still referred to as mousquetaires.

Ladies of leisure and rank have used gloves as a reflection as much of status as of style – until the industrial revolution they were costly items – and different eras have seen them rise and fall in length in accordance with fashions. Both Catherine de Medici and the Empress Josephine were fans of power gloves and neither woman was short of power, even if they rose and fell eventually too.

shine on

Get your hair looking its polished best for the party season

words by Sophy Grimshaw

Soft, manageable hair is the ideal starting point before any kind of styling, so indulge in a deep conditioning treatment. Probably the best on the market is Redken’s Heavy Cream, made from avocado oil. A weekly dose will moisturise dry hair dramatically and mean you’ll need dead ends trimmed less frequently. From avocado to pumpkin, which is the key ingredient in the haircare range from Healthysexy. Smooth their Pumpkin Whipped SoufflÃ© onto damp or dry hair for natural-looking hold and to tame flyaways. If you prefer a serum, invest in the excellent BioSilk Silk Therapy, which has long-lasting smoothing and shine-boosting qualities - but use it sparingly to avoid greasiness. For those with short hair who prefer the stronger hold of a wax, try Sumowax from Bumble and Bumble. Now that your hair is soft and styled, give it a blast of shine. FrÃ©dÃ©ric Fekkai’s Sparkling Shimmer Spray adds a subtle ‘glitter’ effect that looks great for an evening event or party.