Men's Gloves

There's a memorable scene in the 1969 cult film Secret World, where French actor Pierre Zimmer makes love to Jaqueline Bisset wearing a single black leather glove. The effect is sensual and mesmerising, not least because there is something sexy about a man in gloves.Particularly black leather gloves...

Gloves of course, are more than just a style statement. They also offer warmth and protection and have been worn since antiquity in various forms and for various professions, including anything from from beekeeping to space travel. The down side of gloves is that, like socks..one can go missing. Even so, it's worth investing in a quality pair.

• Manufacturers sometimes talk about button length, which is simplythe measurement in inches from the base of the glove thumb to the cuff of the glove.
• Fourchettes are the inside panels on the fingers of particular glove styles.
• Points refer to the decorative stitching on the back of the glove.
• Quirks (no relation) are small diamond shaped pieces of leather sewn at the base of the fingers, to join that part to the hand of the glove anfd they are designed to increase comfort and fit. Note they are usually only to be seen on very expensive, hand sewn gloves
• A strap & roller is used to adjust the the fit and comfort around the wrist.

• A Vent is a ‘V’ shaped cut out of the glove, sometimes at the back, but more often on the palm, to give the glove an easier fit around the wrist.

Source: Wikipedia

Sliding ice cold hands into warm, snug gloves is a luxurious feeling and if your hands and feet are warm, you tend to fell warmer all over. Pure wool is great for warmth but not so good for waterproofing. Real fur makes for an ultra-soft, warm lining but fleece is cosy too.

If you live in exceptionally cold conditions and need to ward off frostbite, you might want to consider liners, which are a kind of fine, lightwweight glove you can wear under bulkier gloves for added warmth.

Good driving gloves offer a good grip on the wheel, as well as ventilation so hands dont get hot and sticky. Baby soft leather works best and for maximum style, match with a really hot, ridiculously expensive sports car, top of the range Raybans and a pair of Italian leather loafers.

Of course real racing NASCAR type driving gloves with full flame retardant qualities and injury protection are a different matter entirely. You might try here for those.

If you're a bike rider, motorycle gloves are essential protective gear and leather is best to guard against grazing injuries, as well as being the most comfortable to wear. Being a natural substance, leather lets your skin breathe rather than sweat.

For maximum protection, the gauntlet style is preferable, as it offers additional wrist cover and gloves with extra padding over the knuckles is also a good idea. Let's not forget though, that style too, is important. After all, motorcycle riders have a certain cool cache to live up to.

There are cheaper or more expensive gloves to choose from - obviously the more expensive ones are likely to be better quality and last longer but some of the cheaper leather gloves will do the job, until they fall apart.

The fleece-lined, duel stiched Kevlar glove pictured below is made from tough cowhide and the manufacturer's claim this particular hide is 30% thicker than most cowhide gloves.