Handmade leathers gloves are amongst the most complex and intricate leather goods in all of fashion and there are only a handful of master glove makers left in the world who are skilled enough to craft them.
Our handmade deer leather glove Alessio
The Complex Crafting Process of Premium Leather Gloves
Everything starts with the leather. The requirements of gloving leathers are very high. They not only need to be warm and durable but also flexible enough to offer freedom of movements to the fingers all the while fitting like a second skin. Only very few leathers have these distinctive properties which is why they are very expensive.
After a rigorous quality check, the best leathers are worked by a master glove cutter who dampens and powders the leather and optimises the natural stretch of the leather for the perfect fit. Then, the leathers are table-cut, stretched again, and machine-cut with the help of size forms. Glove cutting is not only a crucial step to ensure the perfect fit of a glove but also an extremely rare skill.
Next, the gloves are marked, cut, and decorated. Then, the leather pieces and lining are stitched together by several seamstresses and seamsters. Finally, the gloves are carefully ironed to remove any remaining wrinkles and quality-checked one last time. It can take up to 6 people, over 100 processing steps, 2000 stitches, and 8 hours to transform the materials into a glove making it not just a regular piece of clothing but a true piece of art carefully put together stitch by stitch. We are incredibly proud to work with one of the most revered glove master families in the world. Located in Napoli, Italy, they have been crafting gloves of superb quality since the middle of the 19th century for many of the top luxury brands. Here you can take a look at our full men’s collection.
Our incredible artisans make all of our leather gloves by hand
Glove Etiquette
There are many different kinds of gloves reaching from athletic gloves over protective gloves to driving gloves. For the sake of this article, we’ll focus on classic leather dress gloves only.
How to pair gloves properly, depends on the occasion and outfit. A general rule of thumb says the more formal the occasion the cleaner the look of the glove. That is why machine-sewn Nappa leather gloves are sometimes preferred for more formal evening outfits and why hand-sewn Peccary, Carpincho, and deer leather gloves work well for more casual chic attires.
Gloving Leathers
As mentioned above, the type of gloving leather is one of the most important factors of glove prices and can greatly influence the overall appearance and longevity of a glove. We’ll list the most expensive to more affordable dress glove leathers in descending order.
Peccary Leather
Peccary leather is considered to be the rarest and most exclusive gloving leather in the world. It is not only incredibly supple and warm but also astonishingly durable. It is unlikely you will ever destroy Peccary if used normally and the leather will only get softer with time. Authentic Peccary leather shows a beautiful unique 3-prong pores pattern. To pay homage to this beautiful leather, we have dedicated an entire article to it which you can read here.
Our Peccary gloves Salvatore (left) and Ciro (right)
Genuine Peccary leather gloves usually retail anywhere from 275€ to 900€. This extremely high price is due to the production costs, middlemen, retailers, and luxury mark-ups. We only charge for the actual production costs which is why we can offer Peccary leather gloves for only 195€. We have looked everywhere and we can guarantee that you will not be able to find handmade Peccary leather gloves at a better price anywhere else, especially not with cashmere lining. Here you can take a look at our whole Peccary collection.
Carpincho Leather
Carpincho leather is considered the second most luxurious gloving leather in the world. Like Peccary leather, it is extremely soft with an almost marshmallow-like feel while also being exceptionally durable. Its dotted pore structure gives it an unmistakable appearance which embodies timeless elegance. Yet, despite such amazing properties Carpincho gloves are not easy to find. There is only a handful of glove brands left which offer them and they usually retail around 300-400€. We have a beautiful green and dark brown model with cashmere lining in our collection priced at 185€.
Our Carpincho leather gloves Gianni (left) and Ettore (right)
Deer Leather
Deer leather, also called deerskin, is a great and more affordable alternative to Peccary or Carpincho leather. The leather also combines a great deal of durability and softness with a slightly more pronounced grain pattern which gives it a sportier look making it especially popular with outdoorsy men. We have a big collection of deer leather gloves which are all paired with premium cashmere lining.
Our deer leather gloves Emanuele (left) and Carlo (right)
Nappa Leather
Nappa leather is the most common and most affordable leather used for dress gloves. It distinguishes itself by a beautifully consistent surface pattern and an incredible soft feel. Besides, the leather is much thinner than the other leathers creating its distinctive fine and filigree look which goes well with formal wear.
Detail shots of Nappa Leather gloves
Glove Lining
Gloves can either be unlined or lined. Whereas unlined gloves give you the chance to really feel the quality of the leather and craftsmanship directly on the skin it does not really protect your hands from the cold.
For temperatures below 5°C/41°F, we usually recommend glove lining to keep your hands warm. There are many different kinds of linings. Cheaper gloves often have polyester or fleece lining and the most common type of lining is wool. Only rare luxury leather gloves are lined with incredibly soft and warm cashmere. All of our gloves have a natural-coloured cashmere lining guaranteeing to keep your hands warm even during the coldest winter days.
Our Carlo glove with 100% cashmere lining
Glove Detailing
There are many different kinds of decorative details and patterns for gloves. As mentioned above, the simpler the glove the more formal it is.
Points
Points are the raised lines of decorative stitching on the backside of the glove which diverge in a waving pattern. Even though you can find varying numbers of points, most dress gloves have three. It is the classic design which simply looks the best which is why all of our gloves have three hand-sewn points.
Vents
Vents are small openings at the base of the back side or on the sides of the gloves. They make it easier to put on and take off the gloves while also offering flexibility at the wrist.
Closure
An alternative to vents are closure systems such as snap buttons or adjustable straps. Our Alessio gloves are an example for that. The closure system offers the option to adjust the fit making sure it fits tightly around your wrist preserving the heat as good as possible. Another option is an elastic closure system as shown with our Carlo gloves.
Details of vent (Left: Emanuele Glove), closure (Middle: Alessio Glove), and points (Right: Camillo Glove)
Stitching
Stitching is one way to add a colourful contrasting detailing to a glove. Keep in mind that the more colourful the glove, the more casual it will become and the more difficult it might be to combine it with the rest of the outfit. That is why we keep our stitching in the same colour as the leather.
Quirks
Quirks are diamond-shaped pieces of leather at the base of the fingers. They are an additional complication which are designed to offer a wider range of movement to the fingers. For gloves crafted by master glove cutters who optimise the natural stretch and elasticity of the leather, however, quirks are not really necessary.
Exposed Lining
Some gloves like our Carlo show a little piece of the lining material by the cuff which is a great way to add some contrasting or complementing colours and to show off the premium lining material. Since the lining goes further up the wrist, it also provides more warmth.
Left: Detailing (Alessio Glove); Right: Exposed lining (Carlo Glove)
Hand-sewn vs. Machine-sewn
No matter the sewing technique, it requires the knowledge and skill of a highly-experienced sewer to put the leathers and linings together to create a luxury glove. Depending on the design, it can take many hundreds and even thousands of stitches to assemble the gloves.
Hand-sewn
As with almost any type of handicraft, it not only takes longer but is also more difficult and costlier to execute than the machine-sewn alternative. As the stitches are placed on the outside, the gloves are a bit chunkier giving them a more casual character. Some leathers, like Peccary and Carpincho leather can only be hand-sewn as the machine might harm the leathers. That is another reason why only very few glove brands still offer these luxury items. Most of our men’s gloves are hand-sewn as we like the more casual look and the craftsmanship necessary to create them.
Machine-sewn
Machine-sewn gloves are sewn inside-out creating a cleaner look. That is why machine-sewn gloves are sometimes preferred for formal events. Even though there is less handicraft involved in machine-sewing gloves, it renders the gloves more durable option as the stitching is tighter. You can’t go wrong with either option. It really depends on the look you are going for.
Our handmade deer leather glove Emanuele
Glove Sizing
Whereas cheaper gloves usually come in sizes S, M, L, premium leather gloves are sized according to the French tradition and come in sizes 7.5, 8, 8.5, 9,9.5,10 giving you the option to find the perfect fit for your hands.
From Hand Circumference to Glove Size
Finding your proper glove size is actually quite easy. You only need to determine the circumference of your hand, as all the other measurements of your hand usually fall in proportion. To do so, measure your bigger hand, normally your writing hand, at its widest point excluding the thumb with a measuring tape (see illustration). For our complete size guide, click here.
Where to Buy premium quality men’s gloves
You are interested in a pair of quality men’s gloves but you are not sure where to find them? We have a wide selection of Peccary, Carpincho and Deer leather gloves all 100% handmade in Italy and lined with luxurious cashmere. Since we sell directly to you, we can offer premium handmade gloves at much lower prices than other glove brands.
In case you have any further questions about our gloves, designs, sizing etc. send us an email to customercare@dalgado.de
