Rihanna, Ariana Grande and more stars are bringing back opera gloves

The fat lady has yet to sing on these elegant, old-world accessories.
Once solely the stuff of monarchs, debutantes and Disney princesses, opera gloves are having a major moment on the red carpet as of late. Perennial trendsetter Rihanna was perhaps the first to herald the Regency-era look’s return to relevance, sporting a gauzy seafoam green pair that matched her Fenty getup at December’s British Fashion Awards.
Days later, Beyoncé followed suit in black velvet at Sean “Diddy” Combs’ 50th birthday bash.

As awards season picked up steam, other A-listers couldn’t seem to keep their hands off the statement-making style. At January’s SAG Awards, Zoë Kravitz channeled Audrey Hepburn in a peach Oscar de la Renta gown paired with long white gloves; Oscar nominee Margot Robbie went bold in a hot pink pair at the London premiere of “Birds of Prey.”

And glamorous evening gloves were unquestionably the hottest look at the Grammys, with Ariana Grande rotating between three different pairs to match her trio of ballgowns and Lizzo slipping on a zebra-print version trimmed in feathers to match her afterparty frock. Ballet superstar Misty Copeland partook too, following Rihanna’s lead in a sheer green style.
“Gloves are such a signal of old-school formality; think Marilyn Monroe in the 1950s and from there, going back to the 19th century,” Elizabeth Way, assistant curator of costume at The Museum at FIT, told Page Six Style.
“Back then, wearing gloves was the sign of a lady, as opposed to a working-class woman who had to use her hands.”

According to Way, opera-length styles became an increasingly popular choice for formal events over the course of the 1800s as short-sleeved evening gowns with lower necklines came into fashion, as a means to prevent wearers from showing too much skin.
It’s ironic, then, that stars famous for celebrating their sexuality and promoting body positivity, like Rihanna and Lizzo, have taken such a liking to a style once worn out of modesty.
But the practice of pulling on a pair of extra-long gloves for an extra-special occasion, Way pointed out, feels just as modern in 2020.

“Gloves were originally very much a sign of leisure, a sign that you weren’t doing work,” she said. “And today, they have the same idea: You’re taking the night off from your phone, from any kind of work. Your job is just to show up and look as glamorous as possible.”

And hands down, there’s no better way to stand out from the red-carpet crowd.