There are few better ways to accessorize in the wintertime than with a smart pair of gloves. They not only keep your digits intact, they also add a point of interest. Get two pairs in black and brown to match your footwear (the shades don’t have to be exact). Smooth leathers such as lambskins are good for wear with suits and dressy attire, while subtly textured materials can be used for anything semi-sporty (think: tweeds, corduroys, and moleskins).
Basic lambskin gloves aren’t hard to find. You can get a pair at your local department store for less than a hundred bucks. If you want something nicer, however, be prepared to pay considerably more. Merola, Dents, Hestra, and Thomas Riemer make some of the best gloves in the world, but for rarer leathers such as peccary or carpincho, you can spend as much as $400. They can be a nice way to treat yourself if you have the money, but also a bit scary if you’re prone to leaving things behind in cabs and at restaurants.
One great alternative: Aaron Cheung, a new glove company founded by an Australian menswear enthusiast who goes by the same name.
Aaron Cheung offers both ready-made and custom gloves, with the second being available in both standard sizes and made-to-measure (I recommend standard sizing, as less can go wrong and few people need made-to-measure gloves anyway). With the strong USD to AUD exchange rate, his basic lambskin gloves cost $118, while higher-end peccary and carpincho gloves start at $180 (note, the prices on his site are listed in Australian dollars, so US customers can expect a ~30% discount from paying in their currency).
That’s about half the price of Aaron’s competitors, but his gloves give up little in terms of quality. Although they’re machine stitched, the materials he uses are excellent and his gloves are all finished with subtle, hand-stitched details. The default unlined construction also allows these to fit closer to the hand, but if you’re looking to use these on truly cold days, consider ordering a custom pair with cashmere lining. I’ve been wearing a pair of his dark brown peccary leather gloves lately, which are perfect for the Bay Area’s chilly winters.
