made for the arrival and the exit

the plot of todd haynes’s carol (2015) turns on a pair of gloves. in a manhattan department store during the christmas season of 1952, cate blanchett’s carol buys a model train set for her daughter from a young shop assistant, and when she leaves, as the film’s synopsis¹ puts it, “she leaves her gloves on the counter.” therese posts them back to her, and everything follows from that. one close reading of sandy powell’s costumes² calls the gloves a “totem or fetish” for therese, “an item of extreme focus and importance, although she couldn’t quite say why.”

that is a fair description of what gloves do in december. they are the first thing seen when you arrive and the last thing put on when you leave, and they are often the most noticed object in a winter outfit precisely because they come off. a red gloves christmas party outfit uses that rhythm. build a dark, simple base in black velvet, navy satin or charcoal tailoring, let red leather gloves be the one festive note, and let them do their work on the way in, at the door and on the walk home.

why gloves make the right festive red

the festive season is when red gloves make most sense. you are out in the cold more, in coats more, moving between dark pavements and bright rooms, and the gloves are what people see at the threshold. red is already the colour of the season, so a red glove carries christmas without anything else needing to say so. no tinsel, no sequinned reindeer, no novelty earrings.

gloves also frame the gestures that a party is made of. raising a hand to a friend across a crowded room, holding a glass of something cold on a terrace, embracing someone at the door. red leather makes each of those small movements visible, and then, once you are inside and the gloves are off, it leaves the outfit to speak quietly for itself.

building a red gloves christmas party outfit

the office party

a navy or charcoal trouser suit with a long, slightly relaxed jacket, a black silk camisole or a fine black knit beneath, pointed flats or a low slingback, and a long dark coat over everything. the gloves are the only red, which keeps the look smart and gives it one unexpected flicker. one pair of earrings is plenty. during the speeches the gloves go in a coat pocket, where they belong.

after-work drinks

dark straight jeans, a black satin shirt worn loose, black heeled ankle boots and a grey wool coat. here the gloves turn a weekday outfit into something that looks planned. a cherry red is ideal against so much black, crisp and a little lacquered under bar lighting.

dinner with friends

a cream ribbed knit dress, tan suede knee boots and a camel coat. this is the softest version, and it wants a warmer red, tomato or poppy, which sits beautifully against camel and cream and glows in candlelight. keep jewellery gold and small.

the cocktail party

a black velvet dress with a square neck, sheer black tights, black patent pumps and a black coat. the red gloves against all that black are the most graphic look on this list. a red lip is optional. without it, the gloves stand alone and look braver.

black tie

a long black or midnight-blue column in crêpe or velvet, or a dinner suit, with a tailored black overcoat. here leather day gloves are for arrivals, departures and the cold terrace between courses, and should be thought of as part of the coat. on the dance floor, the traditional glove is a long evening one, which is a different conversation. choose the smoothest, most polished leather you have to match the formality.

the family christmas

a grey roll-neck, wide grey wool trousers, brown loafers and a navy coat. the gloves add a festive note that will not feel effortful among relatives. if there is a boxing day walk, a pair in sturdier leather will cope with it.

gloves, doors and good manners

the old rules of glove etiquette are still sensible, and they are what keep red gloves elegant rather than showy. take them off to shake hands, unless you are outdoors and it is bitterly cold. take them off to eat and drink, because leather and canapés are not friends. do not leave them on the bar, which is how most gloves go missing in december; put them in a coat pocket or your bag, or hand them in with your coat.

the point of all this is that red gloves are at their best in transit. their moment is the arrival and the departure, the walk from the taxi and the long goodbye on the pavement afterwards. inside, they rest. that restraint is part of their glamour, and it is exactly what carol’s forgotten pair suggests: the glove you take off can say more than the glove you keep on.

what to leave out

a red dress with red gloves and red shoes is too much red. choose one, two at most. red gloves with a white fluffy collar or white faux fur veer straight towards the grotto. and novelty details, bells and pompoms, belong only at a party whose invitation mentions jumpers.

wutong makes no red glove. if you are dressing someone else for the party season rather than yourself, its fringe gloves are a black pair that moves with every gesture, and the gift guide has the rest.

if your festive season wants one moment of colour at the hands that isn’t red, try wutong’s deepest colour, plum, in its plum python-print suede gloves.