History Main / OperaGloves

Opera Gloves is not a trope. It has been converted into a UsefulNotes page, available [[UsefulNotes/OperaGloves here]]. If you came here from an internal wick, please remove it or change it to HighClassGloves or [[Sandbox/HighClassFinery High Class Finery]].

Opera Gloves is not a trope. It has been converted into a UsefulNotes page. If you came here from an internal wick, please remove it or change it to HighClassGloves or [[Sandbox/HighClassFinery High Class Finery]].

Opera Gloves is not a trope. It has been converted into a UsefulNotes page. If you came here from an internal wick, please remove it or change it to HighClassGloves or HighClassFinery.

Opera Gloves is no longer a trope. It has been converted into a UsefulNotes page. If you came here from an internal wick, please remove it or change it to HighClassGloves or HighClassFinery.

Switched to a UsefulNotes page.

[[quoteright:260:[[Film/{{Gilda}} http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/9fbbc69c142327942c7ca25598500981.jpg]]]]

Opera Gloves are long (elbow-length or longer, usually reaching to the upper arm or even the shoulder) gloves worn by women as an accessory, ''usually'' to a formal outfit such as an evening gown or wedding dress. The "elbow-length or longer" part is the key; gloves which cover a substantial portion of the forearm, up to just below the elbow, can legitimately be called "long gloves" or "evening gloves", but '''never''' "Opera Gloves".

Most popular during [[RegencyEngland the Regency Era]] (roughly 1790 to 1814, so you'll see them in a lot of Creator/JaneAusten adaptations), the [[VictorianBritain late Victorian Era]], TheGayNineties and TheEdwardianEra (roughly 1870 to 1914), and the UsefulNotes/WorldWarII years through the early Sixties. Mostly confined to "specialist" fashions since then (wedding gowns, debutante outfits and the like), though there was a minor revival in the 1980's.

Opera Gloves are usually associated with the following character types (not an exclusive list, but these are the types most frequently seen wearing long gloves:
* royalty (empresses, [[TheHighQueen queens]] and {{Princess}}es) and the aristocracy;
* {{socialite}}s, especially debutantes, [[ProperLady Proper ladies]] and stuffy ''GrandeDame'' types;
* other [[SilkHidingSteel young ladies]]
* burlesque strippers;
* chorus girls and showgirls in general;
* singers, especially opera divas and big-band singers in 1940's movies;
* fashion models (in which case said models will probably be wearing Opera Gloves as accessories to their outfits in a FashionShow);
* [[FemmeFatale femmes fatales]] in ''film noirs'' and spy movies;
* brides and bridesmaids, especially with a FairytaleWeddingDress;
* {{dominatri|x}}ces;

As noted, Opera Gloves are closely associated with the aristocracy and royalty, especially during the 1870-1914 period, (in fact, gloves in general have been a symbol of royalty and authority for millennia) and many fictional queens, princesses and noblewomen will be portrayed as wearing them as part of their dresses (would be GorgeousPeriodDress, but those were worn in RealLife as well). Also, in the late Victorian era these were required with "full décolleté" (low-necked and short-sleeved) evening dresses worn to {{Opera}}s and other formal events, to avoid showing too much bare arm. Yet the gloves themselves are SimpleYetOpulent compared to those dresses; plain white kid leather is one of the most frequently used materials, and the material considered the most appropriate for gloves to be worn with formal dress. More elaborate materials, decorations and bright colors (or even black leather) are usually reserved for less formal contexts.

They can also be FetishFuel, especially when worn as part of a dominatrix outfit, or if featured in a scene with a stripper (or somebody imitating a stripper) where the ecdysiast ''slowly'' removes her gloves, one at a time. Opera Gloves are often paired with strapless gowns, as a way of emphasizing [[BuxomIsBetter the wearer's bustline]].

Commonly paired with a PimpedOutDress, EverythingsSparklyWithJewelry, PrettyInMink (whether a fur wrap or fur coat), ParasolOfPrettiness, OfCorsetsSexy.

Compare ZettaiRyouiki (which involves long socks).

There is a trend in Regency and Victorian period dramas in which every woman ''except for'' the heroine wears gloves, even in the obligatory ballroom scene. This is purely directorial license, probably meant to symbolize an 'open' or 'unconcealed' nature. In fact, in a Regency or Victorian ballroom setting the wearing of gloves would be considered almost a mandatory prerequisite to participate- people did not want to directly touch the (often quite sweaty) hands of their dance partners.

----
!!Examples:

[[foldercontrol]]

[[folder:Anime & Manga]]
* ''Anime/SailorMoon'' as Eternal Sailor Moon, and in the [[Manga/SailorMoon manga]] where all the Sailor Senshi get a similar [[FrillyUpgrade power upgrade/costume change]] all of them have these over the elbow gloves. Prior to that they either wore elbow length gloves - except for Sailor Uranus and Neptune who get mid-forearm length ones.
** And some of the dresses in the wedding episode.
* Urd's goddess uniform/outfit in ''Manga/AhMyGoddess''.
* Lust in ''Manga/FullmetalAlchemist''.
** Sloth in the [[Anime/FullmetalAlchemist 2003 anime version]] is a straighter example, as Lust's gloves leave the palms of her hands exposed.
* A male example in ''Manga/MahouSenseiNegima'', where it's [[http://www.mangafox.com/manga/mahou_sensei_negima/v31/c282/8.html Negi]] who wears these gloves, [[spoiler: apparently to hide the BlackMagic runes on his arms.]]
** Maybe Ken Akamatsu is Trope savvy. [[spoiler: Negi is a prince, and Opera Gloves are a sort of sign for aristocracy.]]
* ''Manga/SorcererHunters'': Tira and Chocolat as dominatrixes.
* The would-be wedding dress made for Princess Fala/Allura in ''Anime/GoLion''/''{{Voltron}}''.
* In ''Manga/LoveHina'', [[spoiler:Naru]]'s wedding dress has [[FluffyFashionFeathers feather-trimmed]] gloves.
* In ''Anime/PerfectBlue'' the CHAM costume has Opera Gloves.
* Dorothy from ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamWing'', during her stint as a WomanInBlack.
* A few {{Pretty Cure}}s have this, albeit most of the time they end up as either FingerlessGloves or armwarmers. Honorable mentions go to [[Anime/HeartcatchPrettyCure Cure Moonlight and the Dark Pretty Cure]], who each have an Opera Glove [[FashionableAsymmetry on one arm but not on the other]].
* Princess Kaguya of ''Manga/{{Yaiba}}''.
* ''KamichamaKarin'', mainly in Karin's Aphrodite [[MagicalGirl transformation]]. And Nyx's outfit, which has gloves of this sort apparently made out of black lace.
* [[CuteMute Chane]] [[KnifeNut Laforet]] in ''LightNovel/{{Baccano}}''.
* Izumi, Mitsuki and Anna boost the FetishFuel quotient of their {{Meido}} outfits in ''Manga/HeIsMyMaster'' by wearing white Opera Gloves with black cuffs around the tops. (A great many variants of the FrenchMaid or {{Meido}} outfit will include fancy gloves of some kind, though said gloves are more often than not wrist-length.)
* Sorata Muon's female assistants in ''Manga/{{Mouse}}'' often wear Opera Gloves as part of their working outfits when they go a-burgling with him, or to add an extra dollop of FetishFuel when they want to have fun with him.
* Gloves of various styles, appropriate to [[VictorianBritain the time period]], can often be seen worn by various characters in ''Manga/VictorianRomanceEmma''.
* On ''LightNovel/DragonCrisis'', Maruga, Empress of the [[AnIcePerson white dragons]] often wears opera gloves.
* Hikari Yagami wears a [[FingerlessGloves fingerless]] variant as part of her Digital World outfit in ''Anime/DigimonAdventure02'', though they're worn in a decidedly informal non-opera context.
* ''Anime/HanaukyoMaidTai''. Ryuuka likes to wear these in both series.
* [[BadassAdorable Mai]] from ''VisualNovel/{{Kanon}}'' wears them during the dance scene and the [[BallroomBlitz ensuing action.]]
* Momose from ''Manga/BloodyCross'' wears opera gloves as part of her outfit in the first few chapters.
* The Mermaid Princesses of ''MermaidMelodyPichiPichiPitch'' have these in their [[MagicIdolSinger idol forms]].
* Sting wears them as part of his standard outfit in ''Manga/FairyTail''.
* Misty wears a pair with her Goldeen-inspired LovelyAssistant costume in the ''Anime/{{Pokemon}}'' episode "The March of the Exeggutor Squad".
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Comics]]
* With all the variety of outfits for heroines in comics, many have opera gloves.
* Amora, the Asgardian Enchantress from ''ComicBook/TheMightyThor'' wears these, or variations on these, as part of her iconic costume, usually in green. All part of her aristocratic/FemmeFatale persona.
* The Hellfire Club queen outfits in ''ComicBook/XMen''.
** ComicBook/EmmaFrost is particularly fond of them (logically enough considering her socialite background), with or without complete fingers, and has worn them as a standard part of her outfit from the beginning.
** [[ComicBook/JeanGrey Jean]]'s wedding dress had opera gloves.
** ComicBook/{{X 23}} frequently uses this look as part of her uniform, though the appearance tends to vary between this and detached sleeves, DependingOnTheArtist. Also justified: Laura is a [[SelfHarm cutter]], and she often uses them to hide the wounds.
* Sue Richards of the ''ComicBook/FantasticFour'' has worn Opera Gloves from time to time as her costume has changed over the years.
* The ''[[ComicBook/TheSandman Sandman]]'' spinoff ''Death: The High Cost Of Living'' features a girl who wears them to conceal the scars from a suicide attempt. With a [[ThereIsNoKillLikeOverkill buck-knife]].
* ComicBook/LadyDeath wears {{Fingerless|Gloves}} opera gloves, although sometimes the middle finger is left intact.
* The ComicBook/BlackCat wears opera gloves while out for dinner with {{Wolverine}} in ''Claws II''.
* ComicBook/AnnaMercury wears red, studded Opera Gloves as part of her standard outfit.
* Cartoonist Bill Ward is famous for his "Glamour Girls" and "Telephone Girls", a great many of whom wear opera-length gloves.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Fan Fiction]]
* In ''Fanfic/KyonBigDamnHero'', Yuki's new Elegant Gothic Lolita costume has elbow gloves.
* All five Pretty Cures each wear a pair that reaches almost halfway up their biceps with their Cure costumes in ''FanFic/RhythmicPrettyCure''.
* Maury and O'Bannon from ''Fanfic/PacificWorldWarIIUsNavyShipgirls'' wears white ones as part of their costumes.
* Lydia's [[PimpedOutDress prom ensemble]] in ''Fanfic/{{Cinderjuice}}'' includes matching gloves that go past her elbows.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Films -- Animation]]
* Three of the Franchise/{{Disney Princess}}es - Disney/{{Cinderella}}, [[Disney/BeautyAndTheBeast Belle]] and [[ThePrincessAndTheFrog Tiana]].
* Jessica Rabbit in ''Film/WhoFramedRogerRabbit''.
* The title character in ''WesternAnimation/{{Anastasia}}''.
* In ''WesternAnimation/BarbieInAChristmasCarol'', Eden wears some white gloves with her {{Happy Holidays Dress}}es, and in a BadFuture, Catherine wears [[GracefulLadiesLikePurple purple gloves]] as part of her EvilCostumeSwitch.
* Rare male example, The Once-ler in ''WesternAnimation/TheLorax''.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]
* Creator/RitaHayworth in ''Film/{{Gilda}}'', possibly the most iconic Opera Gloves scene in cinematic history.
** This sequence was [[AffectionateParody spoofed]] by Sophia Loren (also see below) in her 1970's film ''Get Rita''.
* MarilynMonroe and Jane Russell in ''Film/GentlemenPreferBlondes''. Marilyn's "Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend" number matches ''Film/{{Gilda}}'' in iconic status for this trope, and {{Music/Madonna}} [[AffectionateParody spoofed]] it in her video for "Material Girl".
** Another famous Marilyn Opera Gloves scene is her "That Old Black Magic" production number from ''Film/BusStop''. As Cherie, Marilyn wears a distinctly down-at-the-heels showgirl outfit, including very cheap-looking black opera gloves.
** Famous Marilyn Opera Gloves scene number 3: MM wears glittery black Opera Gloves with a strapless tiger-stripe gown as she [[TheVamp vamps]] Tom Ewell in ''Film/TheSevenYearItch'' (in an ImagineSpot of his).
* Creator/AudreyHepburn in ''WarAndPeace'', ''Film/FunnyFace'', ''Film/MyFairLady'' and several other movies.
** Her iconic LittleBlackDress in ''Film/BreakfastAtTiffanys'' is paired with a pearl choker, cigarette holder and elbow length black opera gloves.
* NatalieWood in ''{{Gypsy}}'', ''Sex and the Single Girl'' and ''Film/TheGreatRace''.
* Creator/Deborah Kerr in ''Film/TheKingAndI'' (Opera Gloves were not worn in the 1860's; wrist-length gloves would have been worn with the outfit in question).
* Virtually every filmed version of ''ThePrisonerOfZenda'' features that movie's lead actress(es) in Opera Gloves as part of their [[TheGayNineties 1890's]] GorgeousPeriodDress / PimpedOutDress during the scenes depicting Rudolf's/Rudolph's coronation and/or the ensuing grand ball.
* Sylvia Kristel in ''Literature/LadyChatterleysLover'' and as UsefulNotes/MataHari in ''Film/MataHari''.
* Creator/HelenMirren in ''Film/TheCookTheThiefHisWifeAndHerLover''.
* Gina Lollobrigida in ''La Donna Piu Bella Del Mondo'' ''(Beautiful But Dangerous)'' and many other movies.
* Sophia Loren in ''Madame'', ''A Breath of Scandal'' and ''Lady L''.
* Ava Gardner in ''The Great Sinner'', ''Film/FiftyFiveDaysAtPeking'', ''OneTouchOfVenus'', ''My Forbidden Past'', etc. Oddly enough, she does '''not''' wear black Opera Gloves in the actual scene in the movie that made her a star, ''The Killers'', though many photographs exist of her wearing gloves with that outfit.
** The original Broadway production of ''Film/OneTouchOfVenus'' also had Mary Martin wearing opera gloves with the sleekest gown in her Mainbocher wardrobe.
* Creator/BrigitteBardot and Jeanne Moreau in ''Film/VivaMaria!''
** BB also wears Opera Gloves in ''Mademoiselle Striptease'', ''That Naughty Girl'', ''A Woman Like Satan'', ''Les Grandes Manoeuvres'' and other films.
* Jane Russell in ''Son of Pale face'', ''The French Line'', ''The Las Vegas Story'', etc.
* Danielle Darrieux in ''The Earrings of Madame De'', ''Rich Young and Pretty'', etc.
* Martine Carol in ''Film/{{Nana}}'' (wrong for the time period, the Second Empire), ''Madame Du Barry'', ''Foxiest Girl in Paris'', etc.
* Barbara Stanwyck in ''Film/TheLadyEve'', ''The Bride Wore Boots'', ''All I Desire'', ''Remember the Night'', ''Illicit'', ''Forbidden'', etc.
* Kim Novak in ''Pal Joey'' (with Rita Hayworth), ''Just a Gigolo'', ''The Legend of Lylahclare'', etc.
* Creator/JeanHarlow in ''Film/DinnerAtEight'' and ''PublicEnemy''.
* Sean Young in the AffectionateParody ''Film/FatalInstinct'', and the 1980's thriller ''Film/NoWayOut''.
* Barbara Carrera in the 1980's comedy ''Love at Stake''.
* Anne Archer in ''Love at Large''.
* Creator/EvaGreen in ''Film/TheDreamers''. It should be noted [[FetishFuel she's wearing ONLY these in said scene.]]
* Creator/NicoleKidman in ''MoulinRouge!'', ''The Portrait of a Lady'', ''Film/BatmanForever'', and ''Film/TheGoldenCompass''.
* Zsa Zsa Gabor in the 1950's dramatic version of ''MoulinRouge''.
* Creator/KateWinslet in ''Film/{{Titanic|1997}}''.
* Lana Turner in ''The Merry Widow'' (1952).
* Creator/ScarlettJohansson in ''A Good Woman''.
* Ashley Judd in ''[=DeLovely=]''.
* Marlene Dietrich in ''Destry Rides Again'' and many other films.
* Jane Powell in ''Two Weeks with Love'' (where she combines this trope with OfCorsetsSexy).
* Mitzi Gaynor, Kay Kendall and Taina Elg in ''Les Girls''.
* Gloria Grahame in ''Macao'' (a very unusual pair that looks sewn, sleeve-fashion, to her blouse).
* Jeanette [=MacDonald=] in many of her 1930s musicals, with and without Nelson Eddy, e.g., ''Film/TheLoveParade'' (her debut), ''Film/LoveMeTonight,'' ''[[Film/{{The Merry Widow 1934}} The Merry Widow]]'' (her version), ''Bitter Sweet,'' etc.
* Creator/GraceKelly in ''Film/ToCatchAThief'' and ''The Swan''.
* Myrna Loy in ''Film/TheBachelorAndTheBobbysoxer''; note that in RealLife, she didn't like to wear gloves because they hid her (quite attractive) hands.
* Joan Collins in ''The Stud'', ''Film/AnnieARoyalAdventure'' (a children's movie), ''The Girl in the Red Velvet Swing'', ''Theatre/JosephAndTheAmazingTechnicolorDreamcoat'', ''Seven Thieves'', etc.
* Loni Anderson wears dominatrix-style black leather Opera Gloves in the kids' movie ''Film/{{3 Ninjas}} High Noon at Mega Mountain''.
* Lesley Anne Down in ''The Secret Agent Club''.
* Almost any filmed version of ''AnnaKarenina'' (e.g., the ones starring Vivien Leigh, Creator/GretaGarbo and Sophie Marceau) will feature the lead actress wearing Opera Gloves in at least one scene. The 1985 version starring JacquelineBisset and the [[AnnaKarenina most recent (2012) version]] starring Creator/KeiraKnightley both [[SubvertedTrope subvert this trope]], however, as neither featured actress wears long evening gloves in those versions.
* Almost any UsefulNotes/TheGoldenAgeOfHollywood musical will have at least one big "production number" with either the lead actress/singer and/or her backup singers/dancers wearing Opera Gloves as part of their PimpedOutDress.
* Virtually any filmed adaptation of one of Creator/JaneAusten's novels:
** Rosamund Pike in the 2005 ''PrideAndPrejudice''.
*** She wears one black leather Opera Glove in the climactic fight scene in ''Film/DieAnotherDay''.
** Gwyneth Paltrow and Greta Scacchi in ''Film/{{Emma}}''.
** Kate Beckinsale in another version of ''Emma''. Beckinsale also wears Opera Gloves in ''TheAviator'' (playing Ava Gardner) and ''Film/VanHelsing''.
* Doris Day in ''PillowTalk'', ''April in Paris'', ''Romance on the High Seas'', etc.
* Ann-Margret (Flavia Geste) wears over-the-elbow gloves, as befits a fashionable 1890's lady, in most of her scenes in ''Film/TheLastRemakeOfBeauGeste''.
* Most versions of ''ThePrisonerOfZenda'':
** 1937 (Madeleine Carroll)
** 1952 (Creator/DeborahKerr)
** 1979 (Elke Sommer, Lynne Frederick)
* Creator/SalmaHayek and Creator/PenelopeCruz in ''Film/{{Bandidas}}''.
** Salma Hayek also wears Opera Gloves in ''Film/WildWildWest'' (the Creator/WillSmith movie, not the TV series).
* Creator/JenniferConnelly in ''Film/TheRocketeer''.
* Sonia Braga in ''Moon Over Parador''.
* Jane Seymour in ''Film/SomewhereInTime''.
* Romy Schneider in the ''Sissi'' trilogy (though, again, wrong for the time period).
* The great Spanish singer/actress Sara (Sarita) Montiel in many of her late-1950's and early-1960's films.
* Maria Felix in ''Film/FrenchCancan''.
* Creator/IngridBergman in ''Anastasia'', ''Elena and Her Men'', ''Film/UnderCapricorn''.
* Cybill Shepherd in ''Film/TheLadyVanishes'', ''Literature/DaisyMiller''.
* Anne Hathaway and JulieAndrews in ''Film/ThePrincessDiaries'' movies.
* Creator/EvaMendes in ''Film/TheSpirit''.
* Creator/AngelinaJolie in ''Film/{{Gia}}'' and her new movie, ''Film/TheTourist''.
* Lee Remick in the 1974 BBC miniseries ''Jennie'' (playing Lady Jennie Jerome Churchill, mother of WinstonChurchill).
* Played for horror in ''Film/HellraiserIIIHellOnEarth'', as one of the female Cenobites has opera gloves made of her own flayed skin, pulled back onto her arms. It's possible to tell because the skin's rolled up a little.
* Though he never actually wears them, Dr. Claw could count as a rare male example in ''Film/InspectorGadget'' when Kramer shows him some more normal hands he could use when in public. One hand is based on this trope.
* Chase Masterson in ''Film/YesterdayWasALie''.
* Diane Kruger in ''Film/InglouriousBasterds''.
* Creator/LorettaYoung in ''Film/TheDevilToPay'', as explained by Creator/MissManners: "The reason for the gloves is immodesty, a principle that young people, brought up to run about half-naked, do not understand. The idea is, the lower the dress, the higher the gloves. Miss Young very properly did not want to put on an extremely low-cut dress only to have people stare at her bare elbows."
* Rogue/Marie wears them several times in ''Film/XMen'' though unlike most examples she doesn't use them for fashion. It's to keep her from accidentally killing people.
* Creator/ClaireDanes in the [[TheFilmOfTheBook film version]] of ''Literature/{{Shopgirl}}''. She works at a department store glove counter, and meets Creator/SteveMartin when he buys her a pair. Later, she wears just the gloves.

[[/folder]]

[[folder:Literature]]

* The main character of ''Literature/{{Shopgirl}}, written by Creator/SteveMartin, works at a department store glove counter. She [[MeetCute meets]] one of her [[LoveTriangle love interests]] when he buys her a pair of the gloves. Later, she wears just the gloves to bed.

[[/folder]]

[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
* The {{Femme Fatale}}s who interact with Napoleon Solo and Illya Kuryakin wear Opera Gloves in many episodes of ''Series/TheManFromUncle''.
* Joan Collins wears opera gloves in numerous scenes of her 1980's miniseries ''Sins'' and ''MonteCarlo''.
* Jacqueline Bisset in her 1987 miniseries ''Napoleon and Josephine: A Love Story''.
* Kelly Rutherford, as showgirl/FemmeFatale/LoveInterest Dixie Cousins, wore Opera Gloves in many episodes of ''Series/TheAdventuresOfBriscoCountyJr'', opposite Bruce Campbell.
* Actresses in the FemmeFatale role wore Opera Gloves in several episodes of ''Series/ANeroWolfeMystery''.
* Anne Francis wore Opera Gloves in at least one episode of ''Series/HoneyWest''.
* Very much in evidence in the old {{ITV}} miniseries ''Series/EdwardTheSeventh'' (aka ''Edward the King'').
* Francesca Annis, playing Lillie Langtry, wore Opera Gloves in almost every episode of the BBC miniseries ''Lillie''.
* Phoebe Cates and many other actresses in the ''Lace'' and ''Lace II'' miniseries.
* Morgan Fairchild as Irene Adler in the TV movie ''Sherlock Holmes and the Leading Lady''.
* Catherine Zeta Jones in the TV-movie version of ''Series/{{Titanic|1996}}''.
* On ''Series/TheDickVanDykeShow'', Rob (Creator/DickVanDyke) and Laura (Mary Tyler Moore) were going to a formal dinner party in Alan Brady's place, to accept an award for [something]. The group presenting the award was Black. That day they both managed to dye their hands black while making a stormcloud costume for Richie of a school play. They both wore Opera Gloves to cover their hands (Rob stuffed the gloves up his sleeves) in order to cover up their hands lest their black hands be misconstrued; but Rob revealed the truth to the group, and a good laugh was had by all.
* Catherine Deneuve in the French 2003 miniseries of ''Literature/DangerousLiaisons'', which transplanted the story to a late 1950's/early 1960's setting.
* Isabella Rosellini in the A&E miniseries ''Napoleon''.
* The female cast of ''Series/PrettyGuardianSailorMoon'', when in Sailor Scout mode.
* Italian actress Anna Valle in the 2003 miniseries ''Soraya'', paired with 1950's-era GorgeousPeriodDress.
* Centuries-old vampire and nightclub owner Janette in ''Series/ForeverKnight'' has been known to wear them as part of her classy, old-fashioned dress--though in fact they're rather new-fangled compared to [[TheMiddleAges the period she came from]].
* Mexican actress and singer Aracely Arambula in the telenovela ''CorazonSalvaje'' and the current stage production ''Perfume de Gardenia''.
* Elizabeth [=McGovern=], MichelleDockery and other actresses in ''Series/DowntonAbbey''.
* In ''Series/{{Scrubs}}'' JD has an ImagineSpot of Elliott as a burlesque dancer complete with pink opera gloves. As part of her dance she peels one off and throws it to the Todd.
* The three lead actresses of ''{{Series/Dracula}}'' - Katie [=McGrath=], Jessica De Gouw, and Victoria Smurfit. [=McGrath=] (Lucy Westenra) and De Gouw (Mina Murray), in keeping with their RedOniBlueOni characterization, wear contrasting glove colors to match their outfits.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Music]]
* Stevie Nicks.
** She has always been fond of gloves of various kinds, particularly lace gloves; as of 2011, she's taken to wearing long black leather gloves with cut-off fingers with almost all her outfits.
* Maria Callas.
* Paloma Faith.
* Roisin Murphy.
* Music/LadyGaga.
* Music/KatyPerry (most notably for a photoshoot in a recent issue of ''Vanity Fair'').
* Hildegarde (1940's and 1950's "cafe society" singer who later became a nun).
* Shania Twain wears a pair under a shirt and a coat with a minidress/miniskirt strapless top in the videoclip for Man, I feel like a woman, also on numerous occasions in live appearances
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Professional Wrestling]]
* [[Wrestling/RandySavage Randy "Macho Man" Savage]]'s long-time manager, Wrestling/MissElizabeth, frequently wore them.
** One of Savage's Wrestling/{{WCW}} girls, [[Wrestling/MollyHolly Miss Madness]], used to wear them as well.
** Wrestling/{{TNA}}'s So Cal Val wore them as an homage to Elizabeth when she was the valet for [[AffectionateParody "Black Machismo"]] Wrestling/JayLethal.
* The first graduate of the Wrestling/{{SHIMMER}} academy to wrestle for the promotion, Rayna Von Tash, wears them to go along with her burlesque pin-up girl gimmick and yes she does peel them off as part of her entrance.
* As a fan of all things old school, it is little surprise Thunderkitty took to wearing them.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Puppet Shows]]
* ''Franchise/TheMuppets'': Miss Piggy wears lavender opera gloves most of the time, and is very, very rarely seen without any gloves at all.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Tabletop Games]]
* ''TabletopGame/MagicTheGathering'': Liliana Vess sported a set on her card during Innistrad block. With the horror movie stylings of Innistrad and Liliana's own status as a very elegant, albeit evil, sorceress, they were probably a natural fit.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Toys]]
* {{Franchise/Barbie}} has Opera Gloves as an accessory for many of her outfits, but due to the difficulty in modeling fashion dolls' hands to the required level of detail, they're more like pointy arm socks.
** Mel Odom's "Gene Marshall" fashion doll series boasts many outfits accessorized with Opera Gloves.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Video Games]]
* ''VideoGame/ArcRiseFantasia'': Adelle has red gloves to match her dress, and they also have [[PrettyInMink white fur trim on the wrists]] (making it almost seem like two sets of gloves).
* ''VideoGame/{{Battletoads}}'': The Dark Queen.
* ''VideoGame/CityOfHeroes'': It's pretty easy to create these using the costume editor.
* ''VideoGame/DissidiaFinalFantasy'': Terra wears them. Like the Garnet example, they cover the back of her hand, but not the fingers.
* ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyIX'': Garnet's Princess dress, although the gloves are not totally covering the hands. If you mean the type where the fingers are bare and there's a ring around the middle finger holding the glove sleeve in place, yes. Some purists hold that these aren't really gloves at all, since they don't sheathe the fingers.
* ''Franchise/FireEmblem'': A militaristic variant is seen in many of these games. Many female characters wear short sleeves or no sleeves with pauldrons and opera-length gauntlets, such as [[http://images3.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20081030171309/fireemblem/images/thumb/f/f1/Eda.jpg/340px-Eda.jpg Eda]] from ''[[FireEmblemJugdral Thracia 776]]'' or [[http://images2.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20121118115505/fireemblem/images/thumb/1/17/Lucia_Artwork_%28FE10%29.png/373px-Lucia_Artwork_%28FE10%29.png Lucia]] in ''[[VideoGame/FireEmblemTellius Radiant Dawn]]''.
* ''{{Growlanser}}'': Some of the outfits in these games.
* ''VideoGame/GuildWars'': Female player characters of several professions (Mesmer, Elementalist, Paragon, Necromancer) can wear Opera Gloves (or gloves resembling them in style) as part of their outfits. Judging from some screenshots, female characters of certain professions can select Opera Gloves for their outfits in ''GuildWars2'' as well.
* ''VideoGame/{{Hitman}}'': Female (civilian) bystanders in several installments of this series wear evening gowns and Opera Gloves.
* ''VideoGame/{{TheLegendaryStarfy}}'' has Snips, for lack of a better example.
* ''Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda'': Princess Zelda, except in the first three games, always wears Opera Gloves to along with her PimpedOutDress. However, in ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaSkywardSword Skyward Sword]]'', [[TheHeavy Ghirahim]] has similar gloves, while Zelda doesn't wear them at all.
* ''VideoGame/{{Parodius}}'': [[RocketRide Rocket riding]] [[PlayboyBunny bunny girls]] Hikaru and Akane from this series.
* ''VideoGame/PokemonDiamondAndPearl'': Gym Leader Fantina sports a pair.
* ''VideoGame/ResidentEvilCodeVeronica'': Alexia Ashford.
* ''VideoGame/ReVOLUTION'': Juana, a member of the Resistance, wears these.
* ''VideoGame/RivalSchools'': Yurika Kirishima wears arm-length gloves as part of her AwesomeAnachronisticApparel.
* ''VideoGame/ShiningInTheDarkness'': The princess.
* ''Franchise/ShinMegamiTensei'': Pixies in the series tend to be depicted with these to help accentuate the FairySexy look.
* ''Franchise/SonicTheHedgehog'': Rouge the Bat.
* ''VideoGame/SoulSeries'': Shows up in this series, due to all the varied outfits. Cassandra's first outfit is one.
* ''Franchise/SuperMarioBros'' Princess Peach, except for the sports spin-offs. But despite her outfit practically being a recolor, ''not'' Princess Daisy.
* ''[[VideoGame/SuperSmashBros Super Smash Bros. Brawl]]'': [[VideoGame/StarFox Wolf O'Donnell]]'s long fingerless gloves in his outfit of this game come awfully close, and are a rare male example.
* ''VideoGame/{{Touhou}}'':
** Kana Anaberal wears these.
** Also Yukari Yakumo, probably more notably. Yukari seemingly wants to project a ProperLady image, complete with ParasolOfPrettiness, although given the other characters' reaction to her such an image is doomed to fail.
* In ''VideoGame/YandereSimulator'', Yandere-chan can wear opera gloves to keep her fingerprints off of murder weapons, making them very useful in setting up another student to take the fall for your crimes (just as long as you dispose of them afterwards, since they have your DNA inside them).
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Webcomics]]
* Red Opera Gloves are part of superheroine Webcomic/{{Dasien}}'s costume, along with LeotardOfPower.
* In ''Webcomic/{{Garanos}}'', Geilen wears a pair to cover up the marks of her illness.
* Ivy in ''Webcomic/{{Lackadaisy}}'' wears a pair with her evening dress. Good example of ShownTheirWork - while flappers in photographs from the 1920's are rarely shown wearing Opera Gloves, those were indeed worn with formalwear throughout the decade.
* The super heroine costumes of the M9 Girls in the eponymous [[Webcomic/M9Girls comic]] feature this.
* The gloves Heather wears as part of her uniform in ''Webcomic/{{Spinnerette}}'' are long enough to be this (and have cuffs at the top!), even if she doesn't refer to them by that name. [[MultiArmedAndDangerous And she wears six of them]].
* The school of [[KickChick Kung-Shoe]] in ''{{Webcomic/Footloose}}'' (a martial art that essentially weaponizes femininity) wears opera gloves as part of their uniform.
* ''Webcomic/FeliciaSorceressOfKatara'' frequently wears long purple gloves as part of her VainSorceress outfit. And the fur on the area they usually cover is black, being a fox.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Web Original]]
* Almost half the gloves in ''GaiaOnline'' are like this. One example [[http://www.tektek.org/avatar/36583893 here]].
* [[http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Opera-tan Opera-tan]] (the AnthropomorphicPersonification of the Opera web browser) wears these at all times. Duh.
* Valerie wears them in ''[[WebVideo/TheCartoonMan Return of the Cartoon Man]]'' [[spoiler:after she is cartoonified.]]
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Western Animation]]
* Creator/TexAvery's RedHotRidingHood sometimes wore them.
* June of ''WesternAnimation/KaBlam'' wears them as part of her musical number in the episode "Won't Stick to Most Dental Work".
** She wears them again at the beginning of "E Puribus [=KaBlam=]" with the same dress, though recolored purple instead of its' original aquamarine.
* ''WesternAnimation/CodeLyoko'': Odd's original Lyoko form have something like this, though ending in cat paws. From Season 4, in their new virtual avatars, Aelita, William and Yumi ([[FashionableAsymmetry on one side]]) have them as part of their costumes, though ending in FingerlessGloves.
* Miranda the Ecaflip in ''WesternAnimation/{{Wakfu}}''. Evangelyne also wears a pair while disguised as a princess in episode 4 ("Miss Ugly") or in the DreamSequence in episode 22 ("Rubilax").
* In ''GIJoeSigma6'', the Baroness wears fingerless Opera Gloves that expose cybernetic fingers.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Real Life]]
* [[http://www.operagloves.com/glovmain.html This site]] contains a huge archive of photographs and other images of every imaginable type of Opera Gloves wearer.
* Because the delicate leathers and fine fabrics needed to make gloves were so hard to come by for so many years, gloves became closely associated with aristocracy and authority. Logically, therefore, the first women recorded as wearing gloves in the 16th Century were noblewomen (chief among them Queen Elizabeth I and Catherine [=DeMedici=]). One of the first women pictured wearing what we today would think of as ladies' long gloves was England's Queen Anne, at the beginning of the 18th Century.
* As noted above, Opera Gloves of the ''mousquetaire'' style were popularized in Europe and America in the early 1870's by the legendary actress Sarah Bernhardt, who reportedly wore long gloves to make her arms (which she considered to be too thin) look more attractive.
** By the way, if you see a ''mousquetaire''-style pair of Opera Gloves in a Regency film (such as one based on a Creator/JaneAusten novel), it's a mistake. Long gloves in that period were tailored to fit loosely on the arm, and were often held up by drawstrings or garterlike straps (this was [[ShownTheirWork portrayed correctly]] in the 2005 ''PrideAndPrejudice'' movie). It was during the Victorian Era that it became fashionable to wear tight gloves -- so tight, in fact, that ladies had to use talcum powder to be able to put them on.
* [[UsefulNotes/NapoleonBonaparte The Empress Josephine]] is said to have worn long gloves for the same reason, and also did much to make the style popular in post-revolutionary France.
* The famous [[TheGayNineties Gay Nineties]] American musical-theater star Lillian Russell is said to have caused a sensation by cycling down New York's Fifth Avenue, riding a white-and-gold bicycle given to her by "Diamond Jim" Brady and wearing a [[PimpedOutDress spectacular cycling outfit accessorized with shoulder-length white Opera Gloves]].
* During the late 1940's and early 1950's, [[UsefulNotes/HMTheQueen Queen Elizabeth II]] and her younger sister, [[UsefulNotes/TheHouseOfWindsor Princess Margaret]], were almost never seen ''not'' wearing Opera Gloves at any public event. To this day, the Queen is still known as a great white-glove wearer, though she doesn't really wear true Opera Gloves that much anymore.
* MarilynMonroe appears to have loved Opera Gloves: she wore them (and other styles of gloves) on many, many occasions during the glory days of her career.
* Creator/GraceKelly was famous for wearing white gloves (Opera Gloves as well as other styles of gloves) both onscreen and offscreen.
* AudreyHepburn is another renowned glove-wearer of the past century, though she's best known for wearing the so-called "coat-length" style (about 3/4 of the way up the forearm), rather than Opera Gloves as such.
* Due to a childhood injury, Natalie Wood often wore clunky bracelets and Opera Gloves to disguise what she considered to be a disfigured wrist.
* Vivien Leigh, being vain about her hands, often wore long gloves.
* Another trope subversion: Myrna Loy, who was also vain about her attractive hands, rarely wore gloves offscreen (though she often wore them in her film roles).
* Gypsy Rose Lee, probably the most famous burlesque performer of all, was famous for her practice, during her routines, of slowly removing her Opera Gloves and tossing them to audience members; if she didn't originate this particular shtick, she certainly popularized it and identified it indelibly with classic striptease artists.
* The legendary 1950's pinup model Creator/BettiePage frequently wore Opera Gloves (usually black leather) in her FetishFuel photo shoots.
* Creator/DitaVonTeese, with her retro style of fashion, often wears Opera Gloves with both daytime and evening wear as well as for her professional engagements. Many of the other modern-day "Burlesque Revival" performers and so-called "retro-pinup models" also wear long gloves.
* To this day, debutantes attending the famous Vienna (Austria) Opera Ball, as well as its imitators, are still required to wear all-white outfits, including white Opera Gloves.
[[/folder]]

----

* Martine Carol in ''{{Nana}}'' (wrong for the time period, the Second Empire), ''Madame Du Barry'', ''Foxiest Girl in Paris'', etc.

* Lana Turner in ''The Merry Widow''.

* ''SorcererHunters'': Tira and Chocolat as dominatrixes.

* ''SuperSmashBros Brawl'': [[VideoGame/StarFox Wolf O'Donnell]]'s long fingerless gloves in his outfit of this game come awfully close, and are a rare male example.

* Princess Kaguya of ''{{Yaiba}}''.

* Izumi, Mitsuki and Anna boost the FetishFuel quotient of their {{Meido}} outfits in ''HeIsMyMaster'' by wearing white Opera Gloves with black cuffs around the tops. (A great many variants of the FrenchMaid or {{Meido}} outfit will include fancy gloves of some kind, though said gloves are more often than not wrist-length.)

* ''SonicTheHedgehog'': Rouge the Bat.
* ''SoulSeries'': Shows up in this series, due to all the varied outfits. Cassandra's first outfit is one.

There seems to be a recent trend in Regency and Victorian period dramas in which every woman ''except for'' the heroine wears gloves, even in the obligatory ballroom scene. This is purely directorial license, probably meant to symbolize an 'open' or 'unconcealed' nature. In fact, in a Regency or Victorian ballroom setting the wearing of gloves would be considered almost a mandatory prerequisite to participate- people did not want to directly touch the (often quite sweaty) hands of their dance partners.

* Rita Hayworth in ''Film/{{Gilda}}'', possibly the most iconic Opera Gloves scene in cinematic history.

It should be noted that there seems to be a recent trend in Regency and Victorian period dramas in which every woman ''except for'' the heroine wears gloves, even in the obligatory ballroom scene. This is purely directorial license, probably meant to symbolize an 'open' or 'unconcealed' nature. In fact, in a Regency or Victorian ballroom setting the wearing of gloves would be considered almost a mandatory prerequisite to participate- people did not want to directly touch the (often quite sweaty) hands of numerous partners.

* In ''{{Scrubs}}'' JD has an ImagineSpot of Elliott as a burlesque dancer complete with pink opera gloves. As part of her dance she peels one off and throws it to the Todd.

* ScarlettJohansson in ''A Good Woman''.

* [[BadassAdorable Mai]] from ''{{Kanon}}'' wears them during the dance scene and the [[BallroomBlitz ensuing action.]]