Gloves

[RJman]

This week I lost my first ever expensive purchase, a pair of kidskin cashmere-lined Hermes gloves.  I'm furious with myself and have checked with my hotel, my office, the taxi commission and everything else I can think of.

I also checked with Hermes, and replacing them would likely cost me well over $500.  As I do not wish to go to hell when I die, nor to be bankrupt before I so do, I am pondering alternatives.  I have been spoiled -- I want to find gloves that are
- handstitched
- cashmere-lined
- kidskin hopefully (not peccary)
- numerically sized (not S/M/L)

Any suggestions?  I've looked at Pickett Fine Leather, but can anyone suggest any other good glovemakers?  I know New and Lingwood sells gloves but I really don't like the way they mark up things that are bought in.  Budd sells gloves, does anyone know how they are?   And do Swaine Adeney Brigg, Cleverley or Edward Green sell good gloves (in the case of Green and Cleverley, do they make/sell gloves at all?)?

Oh, and if anyone found size 8 black Hermes gloves in a taxi or at Cipriani on 55 Wall St, do give me a call.  In fact, if any of you KNOW the number for Cipriani on 55 Wall Street, PLEASE let me know.  Directory assistance, the web, and Cipriani itself couldn't give it to me -- very, very odd.

 

[Manton]

Dent's of England makes a fine, individully sized glove that meets all of your requirements at much less than $500. Sold at H. Herzfeld, NYC.

 

[AlanC]

Apparently P.Lal carries Dent's: Dent's at P.Lal

 

[demo5]

The best pair of gloves I ever owned (and lost), were nappa leather, sidewall cashmere lined gloves from Portolano. Unforunately, they are not made anymore. I have gotten other pairs from them, however, and have found them to be of the highest quality. With summer approaching, it will be hard to find them, but if you wait until the fall, they will be back around. I know Neimans carries some of their line. They have a very very limited selection on portolano.com. However, you could always call/e-mail the company to find out who carries them beyond Neimans.

 

[RJman]

All of the Portolano I have seen was made in China.  It's perennially on closeout at Century 21, Marshalls and Bluefly.  I wouldn't pay anything near full price for it. Their products haven't impressed me.

 

[jcusey]

More than one person whose opinion I value has suggested Merola in Rome; and my understanding is that you can fax them tracings of your hand and various measurements and they can make you essentially a bespoke pair of gloves, specified however you want them. Of course, when I sent e-mail, I was told that I would have to order 12 in a size, but I don't think that I made myself clear about what I was really looking for.

 

[STYLESTUDENT]

More than one person whose opinion I value has suggested Merola in Rome; and my understanding is that you can fax them tracings of your hand and various measurements and they can make you essentially a bespoke pair of gloves, specified however you want them. Of course, when I sent e-mail, I was told that I would have to order 12 in a size, but I don't think that I made myself clear about what I was really looking for.

Based on the winter catalog, both Merola and Loro Piana gloves are available at Bergdorf. Price about $250, if I recall. Cost for peccary gloves (and I know that's not what you're seeking) are $250 at Davide Cenci and $187 at Paul Stuart (who has a wide selection, individually sized, from Italy-I purchased the peccary gloves from them). Purple Label gloves are $200-$250 at the mansion. Both Oxxford and Turnbull also stock gloves. I thought that the Oxxford stock was high quality but also expensive (this was 1 1/2 years ago). FWIW, I think Naturlaut was trying to sell Purple Label gloves on EBay 3 weeks ago, but didn't get any bids if I recall (not my size). Sorry for the random nature of these observations.

 

[RJman]

No, thank you Stylestudent, thank all of you for weighing in and apologies for my snippiness. I wonder who makes T&A's gloves.

 

[The_Foxx]

hope you will also check the selection at paul stuart and bensilver (ben silver has some relatively good deals, actually): i REALLY like the first one: http://www.bensilver.com/fs_stor....ay=4934 http://www.bensilver.com/fs_stor....ay=4931 good luck, hate it for you that you lost such a great pair of gloves.

 

[Horace]

I've looked in to good gloves and purchased several pair.

I can recommend Dent's but my favorite have been Chester Jeffries bespoke, for a very reasonable cost. They have a website but it's incomplete. Ask for their catalog. Also, I've tried Alywn glovemakers (also on web), which aren't bad either. All three are English firms and I have gloves from each. CJ fit best, obviously. I think there's still a glovemakers guild in England and you might contact it for other sources. If you go direct you can get good gloves at a reasonable cost.

On AAAC, there were one or two good threads on gloves that would interest you, I think.

 

[STYLESTUDENT]

The Pickett website offers sized capeskin gloves (don't know the relationship to kidskin) that are cashmere lined at reasonable prices (unlike the highly-priced hogskin gloves): http://web14090.vs.netbenefit.co.uk/...og/Gloves.html I can't comment on quality. Edit: Merola deerskin gloves at Bergdorf, not lined and not sized, cost $175 (if any are left). Loro Piana peccary costs almost three times as much.

 

[kabert]

Dent's are available in DC at Wm Fox & Co. on G Street. I doubt though that they'd satisfy your desire to replace the lost ones -- they are very nice, but I wouldn't call them ultraluxurious or decadent in same way I imagine the Hermes ones were. You might try Neiman Marcus. Or, wait for your next trip to NYC -- Stylestudent's suggestions sound like good ones.

 

[LabelKing]

I would also suggest la Crasia who do custom gloves, and also Boon of Antwerp.

 

[naturlaut]

I second the recommendation of Merola and Dents. Merola gloves are especially beautiful. In any case, both are excellent makers in terms of craftsmanship, though I'd have to agree that some Hermes gloves are quite stylish on top of having equally good quality leather and stitching.

I actually bought the RLPL from Mr. Harris but they were too big.

 

[Mike C.]

In fact, if any of you KNOW the number for Cipriani on 55 Wall Street, PLEASE let me know. Directory assistance, the web, and Cipriani itself couldn't give it to me -- very, very odd.

Quick tip: If you ever leave something at a restaurant, bar, club, etc... Don't ever say "I'm calling to see if you found a pair of Hermes gloves that I left there last night."

Instead, say "I spoke with one of your managers last night, and they told me to call this afternoon to pick up the pair of gloves that was left there last night." Say this regardless of where such a conversation ever existed.