Keeping their grip

Most of us don’t really need driving gloves, but their enduring presence proves we want them just the same.

Driving gloves may signal style and sophistication today, but the origin story of this sporty accessory is hardly a glamorous one. They were born out of function over fashion at the turn of the last century, when drivers wore bulky leather gauntlets designed to keep their fingertips from going numb in buggies that often didn’t even have rooves, let alone heating. Today, people wear driving gloves for one of three reasons: comfort, precision steering or just to look cool. “I really can’t think of any practical reason for the regular commuter in a modern car to wear gloves,” said Phil Downe, founder of the Yorkville Exotic Car Show. “Steering wheels are commonly heated these days. There’s no need for the additional grip because wheels are typically covered in leather or some other non-slip kind of polymer. You really don’t need gloves for day-to-day driving.”
And yet the driving glove remains a final flourish for some drivers just the same. They are both popular brand extenders for companies such as Porsche, BMW and Ferrari. They are also an inspiration for artists on Etsy, who stitch their own creations inspired by retro designs. Dorothy Gaspar, who designed the bareknuckle brown leather glove worn by Ryan Gosling’s stunt driver in the 2011 crime drama “Drive,” says she’s sold thousands through her brand, Gaspar Gloves, since the film was released.

“I have hundreds and hundreds of customers each year,” she said. “We sell it for Father’s Day, we have parents buying it for their sons’ birthdays. It’s still the No. 1 seller on our website.” Her driving gloves have also been worn by Lady Gaga, Madonna and Rihanna – not while driving, but to complete an ensemble. Downe wears driving gloves at the track, where he can frequently be found as a high-performance driving instructor for The Porsche Clubs of America and for The BMW Trillium Club. “As soon as you get significantly above highway speeds, every student turns into a white-knuckle driver,” he said. “You have to have a light touch with the steering wheel, just like a pilot does on a yoke or a stick. In order to have the confidence of that light grip, it helps to wear a driving glove.” He also wears a driving glove when he takes his 1930 Chrysler out for a spin. “The steering mechanisms of the time were very rudimentary,” he said. “There was no power steering, there was no hydraulic-assisted steering, steer by wire. It was all unassisted and you really had to grip the crap out of that wheel.” Jeff Stork, an auto writer whose book “Glamour Road: Colour, Fashion, Style, and the Midcentury Automobile” will be published in March, agrees that he wouldn’t slip into a pair of driving gloves unless the car called for it. “I’ll take gloves on a driving tour, and I tend to use them on an older car with a wooden steering wheel,” he said. “I don’t use them on my modern cars because I don’t really like the feel of the leather glove on the leather steering wheel.”
But in much the same way nostalgia inspires our affection for vintage-style driving gloves, you never know when a passe automobile design feature will come roaring back into style. “A lot of the high-end cars today are back to having a wood steering wheel,” Stork said. “And that’s where leather gloves give you a perfect grip.”

Why is it called a glove box?

Our passenger-side compartment may forever be known as the glove box, but the name really commemorates a piece of automobile culture that was already in decline when the storage bin was christened. The glove box was first introduced in the early 20th century but didn’t really become standard until the 1930s. By then, the use of gloves was already in decline as cars adopted heating and better insulated designs. “It really just became for storage,” auto writer Jeff Stork said. “I don’t think it was ever really very much about gloves. The glove box is really for the registration.”

Three gloves to love

• Gaspar Gloves’ The Drive: These classic, 1980s-inspired gloves have been a perennial bestseller since Dorothy Gaspar designed them for the cult Ryan Gosling movie “Drive.” $175 (U.S.), gaspargloves.com • Riparo reverse-stitched driving gloves: Stitching on the outside improves the grip, and as the seams fray, it creates a uniquely personalized look. $38.97 (U.S.), riparomoto.com
• Karla Hanson deluxe leather fingerless driving gloves: The Vancouver-based accessories label’s design is available across Canada at The Bay. $49.99, karlahanson.com

Keyword: Keeping their grip