Fur Gloves This Season

It was evidently visible in the fashion shows earlier this year that the use of fur and therefore the use of fur gloves are returning to our wardrobes this winter. The host of designers playing with fur and its contrasting textures and styles at this time is really exciting and enticing. There are many reasons for this return to glamour, not least of all that fur gloves are luxury item that exude warmth and charm.
The recent inclusion of fur and, therefore, fur gloves into the designer’s collection can be attributed to the increased influence of overseas markets. China and Russia are two prime examples of countries that are having a bigger say in the fashion economy, and where fur has been used throughout history. Fur gloves have been prominent in many aristocratic cultures, and this is easily seen in the regal elegance or Hollywood glamour that such accessories bring to your wardrobe. Fur is synonymous with the utmost luxury and traditional, sartorial heritage. With vintage styles of the forties so evidently a strong trend – see Gucci’s selection for this autumn/winter – classic style and sophistication is so easy to achieve with the aid of a pair of fur gloves.

But it doesn’t just stop there – fur gloves can be used as a sensual and playful item bringing an edge of tempting tactility to an outfit. It has the opportunity to radically transform the outline of an otherwise mundane item into something special and something elegant. The soft and sumptuous pelts allow you to create contrasting textures that enhance and revitalise unused items. Fur gloves in neutral and natural tones can be used to tone down patterns, or add excitement to a plain piece.

Before we go any further, we must address the elephant in the room – the sourcing. After successful campaigns by PETA and other anti-fur groups, there is often a stigma attached to the wearing of fur. Fur has become somewhat of a bipolar argument and creates strong feelings on both sides of the debate – you are either for it or against it, and to be honest, if you have read this much of the article then it wouldn’t be too wrong of me to assume you adore fur and there is no need to argue my point. Nevertheless, I believe that there is a middle ground, and a way to have your deliciously soft and velvety cake and be able to eat.

It is important to look at where the fur gloves come from. Furs from animals that are solely bred for it alone are more difficult to justify – mink, chinchilla and some fox are all examples of this and have declined in production. Rabbit fur, thankfully, is the exception. Just as luxurious and sumptuous as other pelts, rabbit fur is often the co-product of the meat industry – and therefore you can draw comparisons between the relationship of leather and beef. Therefore, if you are conscious of the source of your fur gloves, you can be secure in the knowledge that you are making use of a material that would otherwise be discarded.

On a lighter note, but still equally serious about the pleasures of fur, is the simple practicality of the material. Fur, at one point or another, has been used all over the world to keep people warm and cosy when the temperature drops. Whether it involves the individual hairs dancing and playing carefree in the wind or lightly decorated with a sprinkling of falling snow; fur gloves will keep the worst weather out with sheer glamour and style. Fur hugs and adapts to your body and wardrobe needs in a flexible and tactile way that very few other materials can hope to achieve.

With the luxury, glamour and outright temptation that fur creates, with its aristocratic and vintage heritage, with its practicality and playfulness, and with responsible methods of sourcing it is no wonder that I find it so easy to explain why fur gloves are so popular.