Glove length is measured from the base of the thumb up the arm, not from the wrist. Ours come in three lengths: short gloves end at the wrist, semi-long gloves come in two reaches — 16–20 cm partway up the forearm, or 28–30 cm at roughly the elbow — and opera gloves are 40–42 cm and reach high on the upper arm, close to the armpit.
The reference point matters more than people expect. Measured from the base of the thumb, every figure lands several centimetres higher up the arm than you would guess from the wrist — which is why a 28–30 cm glove is an elbow-length glove, not a forearm one. Everything below is the detail: where each length sits, what it is worn with, and the older button system you will still see quoted in vintage listings.
The three lengths at a glance
| Length | Measured from the base of the thumb | Where it reaches | Usually worn with |
|---|---|---|---|
| Short | Ends at the wrist | The wrist bone | Coats, driving, winter, everyday |
| Semi-long | 16–20 cm or 28–30 cm | Partway up the forearm, or roughly the elbow | Three-quarter sleeves, cocktail dress, daywear |
| Opera | 40–42 cm | High on the upper arm, close to the armpit | Sleeveless evening dress, bridal, black tie |
Where to start the tape: the base of the thumb is the point where the thumb joins the palm. Run a tape from there straight up the inside of the arm and you will see exactly where 16–20 cm, 28–30 cm and 40–42 cm land on you. It takes ten seconds and it is the only reliable way to picture the length before it arrives.
If another maker quotes a length without saying where they measured from, it is worth asking. The same glove described from the wrist and from the base of the thumb gives two different numbers, several centimetres apart.
Short gloves
This is the length almost everyone owns, and the one we make most of. It ends at the wrist bone, so the cuff sits under a coat sleeve and nothing bunches up at the forearm.
It is the only sensible length for anything practical. Driving gloves are short by necessity — length at the wrist gets in the way of steering. Winter gloves are short because the coat does the rest of the work. If you are buying one pair of leather gloves to wear through the year, this is it.
Semi-long gloves: 16–20 cm and 28–30 cm
Semi-long covers two reaches. The shorter runs 16–20 cm and sits partway up the forearm — the pairs with a side elastic are cut this way. The longer runs 28–30 cm and sits at roughly the elbow, which is the one people most often misjudge, because 28–30 cm sounds like a forearm glove and is in fact an elbow-length one.
Each listing states its own figure, so check the pair rather than the category.
Both are useful for the same reason. They work with a three-quarter sleeve, where the glove meets the cuff instead of leaving a gap, and with a cocktail dress or short sleeve, where they cover the part of the arm a coat leaves out. They read as considered rather than formal, which is why semi-long is the long glove you can wear in daylight. Ours are lined in silk, in Italian lambskin.
See them all in women's long leather gloves.
Opera gloves: 40–42 cm
Opera length is 40–42 cm from the base of the thumb, which takes the top edge well past the elbow and high onto the upper arm — on most people close to the armpit. This is a formal length and it does not pretend otherwise: galas, weddings, black tie, concerts, ceremonies.
The point of the length is what it does to the line of the arm, and at this reach it covers almost all of it. It is worn with something sleeveless or strapless, because there is nowhere for a sleeve to go. Ours are lined in natural silk so the leather runs up the arm instead of gripping it, and they are made in sizes 6.5 to 8.5 for women and 7.5 to 10 for men.
Black is the classic, and we also keep red, cognac, burgundy and bridal white, with 35 colours available on request.
What does "button length" mean?
You will see gloves described as 8-button or 16-button, especially in vintage listings and costume guides. It is an older convention: the length is given in buttons, each one roughly an inch, counted from the base of the thumb up the arm. More buttons means a longer glove.
Usefully, that is the same starting point we measure from, so the two systems line up. Our shorter semi-long at 16–20 cm works out at roughly a 6- to 8-button glove, the 28–30 cm at roughly an 11- or 12-button, and our opera 40–42 cm at roughly a 16-button — the classic opera figure. If you have a button length in mind from a pattern or a costume brief, send it to us with the event and we will tell you which of our lengths matches it.
How to measure for long gloves
Your glove size comes from your hand, exactly as it does for a short glove. The length is a choice, not a measurement.
Hold your hand half-bent, as if loosely gripping a steering wheel, and measure around the knuckles with the thumb left out. The circumference in centimetres is your size. Do not press the hand flat — a flat hand measures smaller, and you would order a size down. Full charts are in our measuring guide.
Then decide the length by where you want the glove to end, using the tape from the base of the thumb as above. If you are between two lengths, or you want a reach we do not list as standard, write to us before ordering — we make to measure, and it costs nothing to ask.
Over or under the sleeve?
Under, if the sleeve reaches that far. A long glove is meant to be the sleeve. Pulled over a fitted sleeve, the fabric bunches inside the leather and ruins both lines.
In practice this means matching the glove to the outfit rather than the other way round: sleeveless or strapless with opera length, three-quarter or short sleeves with semi-long, and anything at all with short gloves.
Do you keep long gloves on at dinner?
No. The traditional rule is simple and still holds: gloves stay on for greeting, dancing and photographs, and come off to eat or drink. Take them off before you sit down at the table, rather than at it, and keep them in your lap or your bag — not on the table.
Rings are worn under gloves, not over them. An engagement ring is the usual exception at a wedding, where many brides wear it over the glove so it can be seen.
Long gloves for a wedding
Weddings are the most common reason people buy long gloves, and opera length in bridal white is one of our most requested pairs. Two things are worth knowing early.
The first is colour. White is not one colour, and a glove that is slightly the wrong white next to a dress is obvious in photographs. Send us a fabric swatch and we will match it.
The second is time. A bespoke pair takes up to five days to make, so 8–12 days in total within the EU. Order with a few weeks to spare and there is no rush at our end — and remember that ready-made gloves can be returned within 30 days, while custom pairs cannot, which is exactly why it is worth settling the length and the size first.
Opera gloves for men
Long gloves for men are rare, and where they appear they belong to a fixed way of dressing rather than a flourish: formal evening dress, morning dress, ceremonial and uniform wear. If an event specifies gloves, the dress code will usually say so, and if gloves are not mentioned they are probably not wanted.
Ours are the same 40–42 cm from the base of the thumb, silk lined, in sizes 7.5 to 10 — see men's long leather gloves. If you need to match a regiment, an order or an institution, tell us what the requirement is before you order.
If none of the standard lengths is right
Then we make the pair to your measurements. We have no fixed limits on size, colour, leather, lining or stitching, and if you want a reach between our two long lengths for a particular dress, write to us before ordering and we will tell you what is possible. See our bespoke service for how it works.
Still deciding?
Tell us the occasion and what you will be wearing, and we will tell you which length to buy. We have been fitting hands and arms in our Târgu Mureș workshop since our family started making gloves in 1925, and we would rather advise you before you order than exchange afterwards.
Write to info@nmgloves.com or call +40 754 301 994. Free shipping across the European Union, delivered in 3–7 days. Browse the full range in long leather gloves.