A Guide to Men’s Gloves – How To Buy Stylish Gloves

Gloves have served a purpose for men for centuries. From archers on the battlefield to Kings on the throne, gloves have always played a part in history.

But how to buy stylish gloves for men today?

This article is going to cover the different styles and uses of men's gloves. You will find:

What To Look For When Buying Gloves
How Should A Man's Glove Fit?
The Types Of Gloves For Men?
Dress Gloves
Casual Gloves
Functional Gloves
How Many Glvoes Does A Man Need?

What To Look For When Buying Men's Gloves

The most expensive gloves you will buy are the ones you never wear.

When making your purchasing decisions, it's essential to take the function, protection, and personal style into account. It will provide value no matter how much money you spend if it can fit into all three categories.

Let this article act as a buying guide to help you make an intelligent decision.

How Should A Men's Gloves Fit?

Glove sizing can be tricky.

Although expensive, the best option is to have them custom-made.

For off-the-rack purchases, you'll have to do some guesswork on how any given brand divides up its “small,” “medium,” etc., sizes.

Most companies base their sizes on two measurements: the hand length (from the tip of the middle finger straight down to the large crease where your palm meets your wrist) and the hand width (the whole circumference of your hand around the widest part of your knuckles, not including the thumb).

Gloves that only have one size base it on the width around the knuckles.

Gloves that add a “long” or “short” to their sizes have taken into account the width as well. Most companies will have a sizing chart online.

You want the closest fit you can have without straining the material. A loose glove that slides back and forth won't hold warmth nearly as well.

You also need a length that thoroughly covers the wrist, far enough up that you can tuck it entirely into a coat sleeve.

Types of Men's Gloves

Gloves don't categorize quite as neatly as suits. Outside of costume design (which has a historical focus), there isn't widely recognizable terminology.

When you are just discovering how to buy stylish gloves for men, it is easy to get overwhelmed with all the options.

Most men will broadly lump gloves into “dress” and “sport” options. The former is darker and generally leather; the latter is thicker and made from many materials.

Generally speaking, gloves come in three different styles:

Dress Gloves
Casual Gloves
Functional gloves

Dress gloves work well with a business suit (or something even more formal) and a long overcoat. Functional gloves are great for their designed purposes but not really style items.

For everything in between, you'll want a casual pair.

Men's Dress Gloves

man wearing dress leather gloves with turtleneck sweater

Your basic dress glove is plain black leather, tight on the fingers, and straight-sided. Lambskin, kidskin (from young goats), and calfskin are the most common materials.

Because the world would be a boring place if everyone wore plain black gloves, several details and variations have made their way into even dressy styles of gloves.

Some details to look for:

Points are raised lines of stitching on the back of the glove. Most dress gloves have three, splayed out in a widening angle toward the knuckles.
Cuffs are a band of material below the wrist, often lined with a different material from the rest of the glove. In dress gloves, cuffs should be limited to dark fur, not contrasting sharply with the color of the leather.
Linings are a sensible way to add insulation and are common in most gloves. Dress gloves remain as thin as possible by using lightweight, compactable liners like cashmere and rabbit fur. Lightweight synthetics are also used these days but should be entirely interior and hidden from view to keep from “cheapening” the look.
Fourchettes are long panels that run up and down the sides of the fingers. Dress gloves usually omit them or make them the same color as the rest of the glove. In rare cases, they may be a slightly offset color or a different texture. The “two-tone” effect is more casual, which is acceptable for evenings out in a nice suit and coat, but not really for business attire during the day.
Quirks are small, diamond-shaped panels at the base of the fingers. They are used to customize the fit, which shows signs of a hand-made glove. This feature has led to some mass-produced gloves adding them for decorative purposes. It's supposed to make the glove look fancier, but authentic ones will be almost invisible unless someone looks closely at the base of the fingers.
Vents are small, triangular notches at the base of the glove. They allow a bit more flexibility at the wrist, which is vital in a close-fitted glove. Most dress gloves will have one at the base of the palm. Because they angle up into the glove's body, however, make sure the gloves are long enough that all of the vents fit beneath your coat sleeve; otherwise, you have a triangle of bare skin exposed to the cold.

Men's Casual Gloves

Most guys own one functional pair of gloves but adding a second pair allows for some interchangeability.

The idea of the casual glove is to have something that isn't black. Brown is always the best alternative since it matches the most common casual shoes.

Several options have become well-regarded among sharp dressers over the years:
Colored leather gloves that break away from both black and brown can be a nicer casual.

Dark shades like burgundy and forest green have a leisurely rich elegance, while more vivid tones like bright red and lemon yellow are playful and flashy.

What are the types of men's casual gloves?

Pigskin gloves have the same bumpy texture as a football, smoothed and softened. The toughest versions are workwear, but fine pigskin is a perfect accompaniment to casual jackets and sweaters.
Suede has a soft knap that makes it look more relaxed than smooth leathers. It's another good choice for pairing with casual sports jackets, especially in brown or a soft color like lavender.
Wool gloves are informal, but a pair of thin wool knits can come in handy in colder weather. They are an excellent addition for function and add subtle style to your outfit since they aren't too loud of an item. Stay away from the oversized fuzzy knits as they are more underdressed.

The casual formality opens options for decorative and functional features. Snaps, zippers, sizeable decorative stitching, two-tone fourchettes, and fingerless gloves can all fit into a sharp casual outfit.

Additionally, many come with small conductive patches on their fingertips to use a cell phone without taking off their gloves.

Functional Men's Gloves

man in ski mask wearing functional ski gloves

The final category here doesn't bear too much discussion for decorative purposes.
Functional gloves are exactly what the name suggests: functional pieces of equipment. Buy the ones that get the job done.

Fit and function are the most important features to focus on.

For example, a boxer needs to protect his hands.

A surgeon needs precision and accuracy. Latex gloves allow dexterity and sterilize the environment.

A reservoir engineer needs to protect his hands from chemicals that could leak.

Functional gloves have several different fabrics and functions:

Material Protective Gloves: These protect from temperatures, burns, and sharp objects. They are heat and cold resistant and cover the hands from and shrapnel that may fly off from manual labor.
Weather Protective Gloves: These gloves protect your hands from the elements around you. Hikers, mountain climbers, skiers, and people who live in cold climates will use these most often. They have fleece on the inside and some leather or synthetic weather protective layer on the outside.
Sure-Grip Gloves: Their primary purpose is traction. They keep the hands from slipping on anything you're holding. They also protect against minor issues like abrasions, chafing, and dirt. Construction workers use these for gripping tools and pipes while still protecting their hands.
Chemical And Liquid Resistant Gloves: made from different kinds of rubber. The most common are butyl, neoprene, latex, and nitrile. Each one serves a purpose- sterilization, corrosion protection, or resistance from acids, oils, and greases.
Fingerless Gloves: Besides making a fashion statement, why would a man wear fingerless gloves? Wearing gloves can lower the dexterity of the digits, but having openings allow for the fingers to have a full range of motion while still keeping your hands warm. Motorcycle riders need to squeeze their brakes, hunters need the dexterity to pull the trigger, and weightlifters need to protect their hands while still gripping the dumbbells.

Men's Sports Gloves

Hunters use fingerless gloves for warmth and finger function.
Archers use gloves to protect their wrists and fingers.
Hockey Players wear gloves for warmth and protection.
Golfers, Baseball Players, and Football Players – wear gloves for grip.
Weightlifters wear gloves for protection and grip.
Boxers wear gloves to protect their hands and wrists.
Racecar Drivers and Bicyclists wear gloves to have complete control of the breaks and steering wheel.

How Many Men's Gloves Do You Need?

How many pairs of gloves should a man own all together? It depends on his needs. Some hands-on laborers may have three or four pairs of work gloves for a specific task. But when you are learning how to buy stylish gloves for men, it is vital to think about lifestyle.

Overall, it's always worth owning a pair of sturdy winter gloves that will hold up in any weather, plus a pair of dark leather dress gloves that can go with suits and overcoats.

The third pair of casual gloves probably isn't a life necessity. But it is nice to have.