all in the lifting of the lid

the best part of receiving gloves happens in about four seconds. the lid lifts. there is the dry whisper of tissue being folded back. and then the pair itself, lying flat and still, fingers pointing towards her, with that faint scent of new leather rising from the box. a good wrap is designed entirely around those four seconds.

here is how to wrap gloves as a gift so that they arrive looking as considered as they are. lay the pair flat, palm to palm, with the thumbs tucked in. never fold them across the fingers. wrap them loosely in plain, unscented tissue and place them in a shallow, rigid box only a little larger than the gloves themselves. then add matte paper and a ribbon you have tied by hand. flat, cushioned and boxed is the whole principle; everything else is detail.

why gloves deserve a box

gloves are slim, soft and light, which makes them easy to underestimate. rolled into a ball of paper or dropped into a gift bag, even a superb pair looks like a stocking filler. a box changes the way they are received before the lid is even off. it also protects them. leather that is pressed tightly across the fingers for a fortnight under a tree can take a crease that lasts, and a crushed fringe can kink.

a shallow box is best, about the depth of two fingers. deep boxes let gloves slide and settle at an angle; a snug, shallow one holds them exactly where you laid them, so they are presented the way a shop would present them, flat and symmetrical.

why the tissue should smell of nothing

leather has an unusually long memory for scent, and glove-makers have known it for centuries. in the hill town of grasse, now synonymous with perfume, a large tanning industry developed in the fifteenth century, and the fashion for perfumed gloves grew up partly because scent masked the smell of tanned leather, according to the fragonard perfume museum¹. in 1614 louis xiii created the guild of master glover-perfumers, the maîtres gantiers parfumeurs. in england, scented pairs were sometimes called “sweet gloves”, and perfumed gloves were often given as presents and new year’s gifts in tudor and stuart england, as the wikipedia entry on perfumed gloves² summarises from the scholarly literature.

the lesson for anyone wrapping a pair today is the reverse. because leather takes on scent so readily, keep it away from scented tissue, potpourri, pine-scented ribbon or a box that has lived in the bathroom cupboard. a pair of new gloves should smell of nothing but good leather. if you want scent to be part of the gift, put a drop of her perfume on the card, not near the gloves.

how to wrap gloves as a gift, step by step

lay the first glove palm down on a clean table and the second on top of it, palm to palm, so the thumbs meet and can be tucked gently inwards. smooth each finger straight with the flat of your hand. if the gloves have a long cuff, you may fold them once at the wrist, but slip a sheet of tissue between the layers so leather does not press directly against leather.

take two sheets of white or ivory tissue and wrap the pair loosely, as you might wrap a letter you wanted to keep. close the tissue with a small paper sticker or a single fold tucked under, never tape directly on the leather side, which can mark or lift the finish. lay the parcel in the box with the fingertips pointing towards the edge she will lift first, so the hand is the first thing she sees. put the card on top of the tissue, inside the box.

close the box and wrap it in heavy, matte paper. matte reads as expensive in a way that foil rarely does. finish with a ribbon in grosgrain, velvet or cotton tape, tied in a plain bow or a single knot with long tails. hand-tied ribbon always looks better than a pre-made bow, because it shows a person was there.

fringed gloves need a little more care

fringe is the most beautiful detail on a glove and the easiest to spoil in transit. lay the strands out straight and parallel from the wrist before you wrap, then place a sheet of tissue directly over them so they are held flat. if the box is long enough, let the fringe lie at full length rather than folding it back; if it must fold, make one soft fold over tissue, never a crease. wutong’s black fringed leather gloves are worth this extra minute, because the moment the fringe lifts and falls as she takes them from the box is part of the gift.

presenting them

context can make the gift. gloves are, above all, about going out, so tie the giving to a plan. slip the box onto the hall table on christmas morning with a card that says “for today”, before the family walk. hide the pair in the pocket of her favourite coat, a fingertip just showing, and suggest she check her pockets before you leave. or fold a small note inside one glove, such as a ticket for the ice rink or a reservation for dinner, for her to find when she tries them on.

if they must go in a stocking, keep them boxed in a slim case, so they stand upright and are not flattened by satsumas.

what to write on the card

one line, specific to her, is stronger than a paragraph. “for the walk home from the station.” “because your hands are always cold and i am always noticing.” “for our january walks, in better gloves.” for a mother: “for the dog walks you never miss.” if she enjoys a little history, the tudor custom of giving gloves at new year makes a lovely line, and a reason to give them on the first of january instead.

tuck a gift receipt discreetly under the tissue, beneath the gloves, in case the size needs changing. she should find it only if she looks for it.

when you have chosen the pair, perhaps from our gift guide, the wrapping deserves the same attention. take your time with the bow.