So you want nice leather gloves for winter. The default configuration you’ll find in every store will be a calfskin leather with cashmere lining. I’ve owned a few pairs of those over the years, and while they’re fine, I’ve had a couple issues.
First, the cashmere is usually knit a little loosely so while it’s soft, I’ve always been able to feel the individual yarns when grabbing stuff and it’s just not comfortable. Sort of like how if you’re wearing just a sweater over like a short-sleeve tee and you’re driving for extended periods of time with your elbow on the armrest; I feel the individual yarns of that sweater in my elbow and it starts to hurt.
Second, they’re usually sized in generic universal sizes so they’re just kind of loose and floppy.
Lastly, I don’t think the cashmere lining has ever benefitted me in terms of warmth.
I’ve always read from Those Who Know Things that unlined leather gloves are the move. They can fit slimmer due to lack of lining, and they still protect your hands from the immediate cold of the weather, your steering wheel, whatever.
So a guy I met at my various Pitti travels, Nicholas Stricker, facilitated a pair from Thomas Remier Hanschuhe Wien—a Viennese company that makes nice gloves—to be given me. They’re doeskin suede in dark brown.
Based on wearing them on walks around the neighborhood with my kids, on driving with them, and in general usage, if you’re the type who likes to wear nice gloves, I can recommend them with one—well, two caveats.
The first caveat is: Sizing is important. I hemmed and hawed about the sizing because the way you measure is by wrapping a measuring tape around your palm, and the number you get in inches is the size. But I personally got like 3 numbers based on how relaxed or stretched out my palm was.
I DM’d Nicholas: ‘Hand measures 9.25” around. Not sure if the conventional sizing wisdom is to size down and they’ll stretch/give naturally, or to size up.’
And he replied: “Do you have unusually long and thin fingers? If not, do not size up. They should be really snug at the beginning but the leather really adapts to your hand after a bit. And then they fit like…”
So I took size 9. Once they arrived, they fit very well right out of the box, but not “really snug.”
I DM’d Nicholas: “Should I worry they’ll stretch and be loose? Should I have sized down?! I am questioning my choice in an existential manner.”
He replied: “How are the finger lengths?”
I tried them on again. 8 or 9 out of my 10 fingers fit just right, with a couple of them being a little shorter than the gloves’ fingers.
He replied: “Then they are the right size. If they were smaller then they might be tighter but you couldn’t move your finger’s comfortably. I hope I have averted your existential crisis.”
In the handful of times I’ve worn them, I have not noticed major stretching. I also noticed another pair of my gloves are the same size (from a different maker), and the finger lengths are noticeably shorter, to the point that the gloves’ fingers are too short. It is annoying, far worse than the neurotic wondering I had over these unlined ones.
Second caveat: In the smartphone age, all-natural leather gloves do not work with phone touch screens. (But they do work with my CarPlay touch screen.) So that may be annoying for you. In my experience with gloves that are made with touchscreen-compatible finger-tips, it’s no less frustrating, however.
In conclusion: These Handschuhe Wien gloves are great, and I recommend them. They are very nice and the price is justified.
Trying this level of premium gloves and the experience, however, has caused me to think perhaps what I really should do is have some custom gloves made. Sadly the company who was most recommended for custom gloves—Chester Jefferies—closed 3 years ago after 75 years in business.
I’ll be at Pitti Uomo next month where a company called Mazzoleni Gloves is an exhibitor, and I will check them out to see if they’re worthy. Their ‘custom’ gloves are still just sized, but with that kind of company they would be set up to do truly custom gloves. I’ll find out.
If you know of any other custom glove makers, though, let me know in the comments!
