Surgical Glove Couture Has Kim Kardashian’s Seal of Approval
Sometimes, trends don’t always make sense. For example, just as the weather is finally warming up, and pandemic news is seemingly disappearing from everyday headlines, the fashion industry comes around and says, “Hey, by the way, gloves are in.” No, not nice wool gloves that serve the purpose of keeping your digits warm in the winter, or even useful plastic ones that will protect you from germs. We’re talking leather gloves, in bright colors, that will transport you right to the operating room where they seem to belong.
The gloves made there first appearance at the spring 2022 ready-to-wear Saint Laurent show last September, which paired structured blazers and sleek catsuits with pops of red and blue-covered hands. Then, in January, at the Prada Menswear show, gloves were once again the statement accessory of choice, this time appearing in a multitude of colors, from lime green to a rusted gold. Some, like at Saint Laurent, poked out from beneath suit sleeves, adding color to an otherwise neutral outfit, others matched the same bright hue of the jumpsuit worn by the model, extending the color story to the tips of the fingers.
It wasn’t too long after that celebrities started adopting the trend, beginning with Kim Kardashian, who plucked multiple looks from the Prada Menswear runway for her appearance at the fashion house’s show in Milan last month. For one occasion during the visit, Kardashian wore a full navy suit, complete with the bright gloves originally modeled by actor Asa Butterfield on the runway. Unfortunately, the look’s tailoring could of been a bit tighter, which was forgivable when it came to the suit, but only emphasized the surgical-look of the hospital-blue hand wear, making Kardashian look like a little girl playing with gloves at the doctor’s office to distract her from the shots she has to get.
That’s why when, just a week later, Demi Moore stepped out in a hauntingly similar ensemble, it was hard to not play a very obvious game of “Who wore it better?” Moore opted for a look from the Saint Laurent spring/summer 2022 show, a tailored suit-inspired one-piece with gold buttons and yes, blue gloves. And while Kardashian’s choice of menswear was an intriguing one, the perfect fit of Moore’s suit (and gloves) could not be ignored. Still, the gloves remained an odd touch, one that maybe worked on the runway, but seemingly couldn’t fully translate to a celebrity wardrobe, no matter how well-fitted. That is, until Naomi Campbell took it on.
On Monday, the supermodel stepped out in London to attend to some important royal duties as the Queen’s Commonwealth Trust Platinum Jubilee Global Ambassador. For the occasion, Campbell wore a three-piece suit, custom made by Alaïa. The look featured a wool double-breasted jacket, with a slightly larger coat draped over her shoulders, a skirt with a peplum hem, and a matching beret. It was the monochrome nature of the look that made the model’s bright red gloves really stick out. Perhaps it’s because Campbell chose red, as opposed to the blue hue of Kardashian and Moore, or maybe it’s because she wore them outside will a full jacketed look that made them seem more acceptable in context. Either way, Naomi’s endorsement of the trend completes the rule of thirds and suggests bright gloves are not going anywhere. Ideally, though, they will continue on the trajectory for which Campbell has set out—properly fitted, logical in their context, and hopefully, not hospital blue.
