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If there’s one thing celebs will do, it’s turn the most impractical item into a must-have trend. Case in point: I spent most of my Monday night phone-scrolling comparison shopping for opera-length gloves with absolutely no operatic dress events on the horizon. Damn Dua Lipa!
In a way, an opera glove summer was inevitable. Our current nostalgia-driven trend loop goes further and further back, whether the most voracious consumer realizes it or not – ’90s silhouettes that reference those of the ’70s, those from the ’80s, and so on, until us. We went all the way back to Victorian England where we wore corsets and talked Regencycore. But past life regression into the closets of lore is no longer theoretical (or confined to the small screen). It’s here and it’s spreading fast.
Pop stars and party legends are the NASDAQ of fashion’s unpredictable economies of influence, so the fact that Ariana Grande and Julia Fox have both invested heavily in elbow-length gloves tells us everything we needed to know. Now, after months on red carpets, party pictures and music videos, the unlikely gloves are making their way into everyday people’s shopping carts. Payment service Klarna reports that searches for the search query “opera gloves” have increased by over 4,500 percent since last year.
What all these inspired shoppers are going to do with their newly acquired gloves (other than likely giving up using their smartphones) remains to be seen. However, some of Klarna’s other reported search tips paint a complete picture; Sequin purses are up 1,509 percent, metallic eyeshadow is up 2,309 percent, and glitter heels are up 800 percent. Collectively, these nightly affects amount to what TikTok has dubiously dubbed “Night Luxe,” though everyone who’s read it reads it The Great Gatsby I can tell you it’s just “Roaring ’20s” rehashed.
As these cultural shamans take the zeitgeist even further back in time, it’s time to ask the questions I was faced with last night: What on earth do you need a pair of opera gloves for? What do you wear with opera gloves anyway? Have celebs gone insane? To have I crazy? Unfortunately I need these, don’t I?
It’s impractical, it’s nonsensical, but it’s undeniably available here and with every possible decimal place. Shop below for the best opera gloves I’ve found on my journey into the depths of the latest nostalgic celebrity trend.
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Balenciaga Long Stretch Lace Gloves
Shopping now: $595; nordstrom.com
Kathryn Bowen Mesh Evening Gloves
Shopping now: $550; nordstrom.com
Marine Serre Moon Print Gloves
Shopping now: $225 (originally $375); mytheresa.com
Prada Long jacquard wool gloves with circular zip pocket
Shopping now: $1,200; bergdorfgoodman.com
Dries Van Noten Multicolored Long Mesh Gloves
Shopping now: $243 (originally $315); sense.com
Savita satin long elbow gloves
Shopping now: $9 (originally $10); amazon.com
Basic flapper opera gloves
Shopping now: $10; amazon.com
YCShun Tulle Long Wedding Bridal Gloves
Shopping now: $12 (originally $13); amazon.com
Yuantong Sparkling Rhinestone Gloves
Shopping now: $45; amazon.com
E-Koray Long Women’s Fishing Gloves
Shopping now: $11; amazon.com