Welcome back to the Gentleman’s Gazette!
Today’s video is all about Driving Gloves.
Nothing add as much class to driving as a pair of leather driving gloves.
And they also keep you warm and give you extra grip when you are in the steering wheel.
Today we discuss driving gloves, their history, the quality levels, the different styles,
the leathers and anything else you want to know about this wonderful men’s accessory.
First, let’s talk about driving glove history.
Obviously they are closely tied to the automobile industry.
The first appear in the 1890s and that time driving was rough.
There was no power steering.
The wheels were out of metal or out of wood.
There was no cabinet no heating and so driving gloves were essential to keep your hands clean
and to have an actual grip on your steering wheel.
Interestingly, the driving glove did not look like this.
Instead it was a gauntlet style that reach all the way back over you overcoat and it
was made of thick leather sometimes lined with wool and you really don’t have any
sensitivity in your fingers, but you don’t need it because steering wasn’t sophisticated.
It remained that way up about until the 1930s when the style changed dramatically.
We got this really tight fitting glove, that was shorter.
It had perforation holes so you wouldn’t transpire in your hands.
It also became a stylish fashion accessory and so no gentleman motorist would leave the
house without his elegant leather driving gloves.
If you were able to wear gloves on a regular basis, especially light colored ones, it was
very luxurious because you have to keep it clean and if you could afford the staff to
do that , it was a very high status symbol.
Of course at that time there was no power steering and having a thin layer of leather gave you
an extra grip on the steering wheel.
In the following decades, the driving gloves lost a bit of its popularity as cars got warmer
and about by the 1960s they added a grip to steering wheels.
So they weren’t really necessary anymore.
However, stylish folks such as Steve McQueen would always wear his personals and driving
gloves and so it helped to keep them popular.
Same thing with James Bond, he would wear them and so they were still part of the mainstream.
Throughout 80s, 90s and 2000s, there was a distinct decline in driving gloves but with
the resurgence in classic style, driving gloves had become popular again and maybe the movie
Drive with Ryan Gosling wearing them prominently had something to do with it.
Today, driving gloves are associated with stylish gentlemen who take driving seriously
and want to look the part.
You particularly see them with people who are into vintage cars, high end cars or race
cars.
But in fact you can also wear them if you have your own little Fiat 500 or your Saturn
car just to keep your hands warm.
And think about it, if it’s hot in the summer, and your steering wheel is blazing hot a pair
of driving gloves protects you from the heat.
Also every modern car still have the glove box or glove compartment.
And even though most people don’t care to put the glove in there anymore, it is a clear
indication that at one point in time it was essential to have a pair of driving gloves.
Now that you know the history, let us discuss the difference between a regular pair of gloves
and a pair of driving gloves.
First of all driving gloves are unlined versus most regular gloves are lined.
The reason is with a thinner leather you have more control and sensitivity and you feel
everything on your steering wheel.
And insulating layer such as cashmere or alpaca also moves around and so it’s warmer but
you really feel further away from the steering wheel and that’s why every driving glove
is unlined.
Now at Fort Belvedere, we also offer unlined gloves for spring and summer.
So what’s the difference to those gloves?
Well, you want a grippy soft leather.
Of course our regular gloves are also really soft but here we have a suede finish which
is not as grippy as the lamb nappa finish.
We did a bit of testing, and we only get out lamb skins from Spain, Ethiopia or South
Africa because they are the softest and it has to be very comfortable but also have the right
amount of grip on your steering wheel while not sticking to it.
Apart form lamb nappa gloves,
hair sheep is another good leather for driving gloves.
Deer skin can be good if it’s thin enough and then there is peccary.
Personally, I love peccary.
It’s the best leather.
It’s the softest and it’s the most durable.
However by default, its rather thick.
So unless you can split the leather down and get a thin peccary glove, I much prefer a
lamb nappa glove because it is about half as thin and therefore you get a better feel
and sensitivity on your steering wheel.
The other difference is ventilation holes.
When you race with your car, your hands are much more likely to perspire and the hole
perforation helps to keep your hand climate normal so you don’t have to sweat and you
have that constant grip through out the race or your drive.
So we decided not to just add holes at the fingers but also at the back which is hand-woven
and it doesn’t just look nice because it has this arrow shape which is very dynamic
but there are also hole perforations so your hands stays cool.
Most importantly, if you have a very short wrist and while most gloves reach past it
because they are winter gloves and they are supposed to keep you warm, driving gloves
with prior holes are supposed to give you grip are supposed to be comfortable however
you hold your hand and not impede you or have you overheat.
So now what exactly is the difference between driving gloves and racing gloves?
These one’s are made out of leather.
They give you grip.
They keep you warm and they look extremely stylish.
Racing gloves on the other hand are meant to really perform and protect you from eventual
fires and that kind of stuff.
So what are the different kinds of styles of driving gloves?
First of all, you can have machine sewn gloves.
And you can see here its fine stitching and while they look quite elegant, the problem
is that you have the seams on the inside and while you just walk its not very uncomfortable but
on the steering wheel its definitely less comfortable than having them hand sewn which
is the other option.
You can see the seams here on the outside.
And so they are much more comfortable when you drive.
If you live in a warmer climate, you want to consider ones that have the finger tips
cut off.
So what quality aspects should you look for in driving gloves?
As I said a right grippy soft leather is important and so are seams that are on the outside.
On top of that, I like to have an adjustable snap button that is not a velcro.
Because a velcro sometimes comes off and it’s just a cheaper feeling.
Personally when I have a vintage car or a high end car, I want a high end glove and
so I go with a snap button that is adjustable.
The next quality hallmark I pay attention to are the knuckle holes.
For some strange reasons, Driving gloves have these knuckle holes and probably the goal
was to have better ventilation.
Now I find that these four holes never actually proper align with my knuckles.
So it is actually less comfortable and it can sometime chafe my skin.
Therefore at Fort Belvedere, we decided to skip those knuckle holes and go with a woven
pattern in the same soft nappa leather so you don’t feel uncomfortable but you still
get the ventilation effect.
If you like the look of knuckle holes, definitely try a pair on because they can be quite uncomfortable
because they are usually seams around it.
In terms of driving glove colors, it is really up to you what you want to have.
Some people like to match the interior of their cars.
Others like it contrasting and bold.
At the end of the day, it’s a personal choice.
So overall, driving gloves may not be necessary for the everyday person but they are beneficial
for everybody.
No matter of you drive a luxury car or just an entry-level car, they keep your hands warm
or protect you from the heat.
They give you extra grip and the are enormously stylish.
Best of all, you can even wear them when you are not driving because it is a very stylish
accessory.
And it’s perfect for spring, summer or warmer climates to wear it instead of an unlined
glove.
If you partake in races, if you like vintage cars or if your a member the Concours d’Elegance
a driving glove is absolutely essential and you should actually invest in a number of
them.
If you are interested in quality driving gloves for stylish men, please head over to our shop
here where we have a selection of Fort Belvedere driving gloves.
All of our Fort Belvedere gloves are hand sewn in Hungary by glove specialists and
the leather is extremely soft and comes from Italian lamb nappa tanners that have a long
history in it and know exactly what they do.
So it’s durable soft and comfortable.
If you enjoyed this video, please sign up for our free newsletter so these videos come
right into your inbox.
And don’t forget to give us a thumbs up, leave a comment and even hit that little bell
so you get a push notification to your device whenever we have a new video.