White gloves: Yes or No?

[Biathlonman]

You've got something super formal scheduled - and need to go the whole hog. Will you wear white gloves with it? The cotton ones will do, but white kid leather gloves can be found at Brooks Brothers in the US. Pretty old-fashioned, but so are bucked shoes, jabots and lace. What do folks think? Just curious.

[beloitpiper]

Go for it.

[Jordan]

If I was carrying in the haggis or a banner or something like that. If not I would say no

[Zardoz]

I don't have much of an opinion on this, I guess wear them if you want. But I will say from experience, invest in the leather gloves, the cotton ones don't have enough "traction" sometimes!

[Chas]

I go to white tie events a couple of times a year. At one of the last the Earl Marshal (the Duke of Norfolk) and the three Kings of Arms from the College of Arms were the honoured guests. Neither they nor the other 100 odd guests wore white gloves.

Unless I was officiating and the role called for gloves, I would not wear them.

Regards

Chas

[Father Bill]

If you have the light cotton ones in your pockets, you can match, but under no circumstances exceed those at the event of higher rank than yourself.

Never with anything less than a black Argyle jacket, and when you shake hands remove or not to match the person whom you are greeting. Traditionally you would never remove your gloves to greet a lady, but I notice a lot of folks forgoing that tradition too. It's shaky ground and a slippery slope.

[Biathlonman]

Have never gone white tie but as the Earl Marshal is I think the official UK expert on all things ceremonial, (just the guy in charge of small affairs like coronations) if he doesn't do it, it isn't done. Those protocol boys can be more modern than one would imagine, because in the end, you want things up to date, and not criticized for being stuffy.

The white cotton gloves make you feel like you're about to handle rare documents in a university library rather than shake hands anyway. Different cities have differing senses of formality too - I think the Viennese still use white tie for their Opera Ball - but I read that white tie in Washington is now very rare. Can't imagine it going over in the more relaxed western US or Canada.

Besides, one wants to look like a guest, not a waiter. It would be fun to handle something with white kid gloves literally rather than figuratively - but if you have 'em and nobody else does, I don't think it would work. Am enjoying the opinions sent in though. We all have these bridges to cross from time to time. This counsel is learned and has vast experience. These forums are terrific.

[Jock Scot]

Wearing civilian Highland attire I have never worn white gloves and no one has taken me to one side and said "its just not done Old Boy turning up not wearing white gloves, you really must wear white gloves" so I assume that I must have done it right for the last few decades! Leave the white gloves at home.

[MacLowlife]

I got a pair (of kid ones) as a gift and wear them with white tie. Depending on one's perspective, mine are either gently aged or dirty. I always wear the left one and hold the right one, because I prefer not to shake a gloved hand myself...

But I have never found myself in need of them whilst kilted. I do agree for some kind of hono(u)r guard, but they would look silly at most black tie events...

[Pleater]

The information might be quite out of date now, but I was told - by a man wearing an opera cloak, that he needed white gloves as he would be dancing with ladies in low cut dresses. He was standing between a taxi and a closed shop at the time, staring fixedly at the white suede gloves I was wearing with the fluffy white coat, navy blue maxi dress and white leather boots.

Of course he might have been someone making a living conning gloves from people, but they were too big for me anyway, and rather a nuisance to keep clean.

That would have been - I think - 1970.

Anne the Pleater :ootd: