How to Care for Leather Gloves: Cleaning, Drying and Storing

Good leather gloves can last ten winters or more, and the difference between a pair that does and one that cracks after two seasons is almost entirely care. Knowing how to care for leather gloves takes a few minutes a season — the most important part is simply what you do when they get wet.

This guide covers everyday care, cleaning, conditioning, drying after rain and storage, with a note on suede. More in our European Style guides.

Let wet gloves dry naturally, flat and away from heat, then condition them. Store them flat in a breathable bag. Heat and neglect crack leather far faster than wear does.

Everyday Care

Take gloves off by pulling gently at each fingertip in turn, rather than tugging at the cuff, which stretches the wrist. Smooth them flat when you take them off so they do not dry in a crumpled shape.

Keep them away from hand cream and perfume until your hands are dry — oils and alcohol mark leather.

Cleaning

For everyday dirt, wipe the gloves with a soft, slightly damp cloth, then let them dry naturally. For marks, a small amount of leather cleaner on a cloth works on most smooth leathers; test it on the inside of the cuff first.

Some leather gloves are labelled washable. Follow the label exactly if so; if not, do not wash them.

Do not put leather gloves in the washing machine unless the label says they are washable. Water and agitation can shrink, stiffen and discolour them permanently.

Conditioning

Leather is a skin, and it dries out over time. Conditioning once or twice a season — and after any time the gloves get wet — keeps it soft and stops it cracking. Use a small amount of leather conditioner on a soft cloth, work it in gently, and wipe off any excess.

Condition gloves at the start of winter and again when you put them away in spring. It takes five minutes and doubles how long they last.

Drying After Rain

Blot off surface water gently with a towel.
Reshape the gloves by hand, fingers straight.
Lay them flat on a towel, away from radiators, fires and direct sun.
Let them dry completely, which can take a day.
Once dry, flex the fingers gently and apply conditioner.

Never dry leather gloves on a radiator or with a hairdryer. The leather shrinks and hardens, and that damage cannot be reversed.

Suede Gloves

Suede needs different care. Use a suede brush to lift the nap and remove dirt, and a suede eraser for marks. Avoid liquid conditioner, which flattens and darkens suede; use a protective spray made for suede instead. Keep suede out of heavy rain where you can.

Storage

Clean and condition before storing for the summer
Store flat, not rolled or folded tightly
Use a breathable cotton bag, never plastic
Keep them somewhere cool and dry, out of sunlight
Keep pairs together so they are not stretched by other items

Fit Matters for Care Too

A glove that is too tight strains the seams every time you put it on; one too loose creases badly. Leather also stretches slightly to the hand with wear, so a good pair should feel snug when new. The glove size calculator works from a hand measurement, and how a glove should fit explains the snug-at-first rule.

For the styles and how they are sized, see glove types and sizing. Leather gloves are one of the winter accessories worth investing in, and worn most days for years their cost per wear is very low — the cost per wear calculator shows it. The same care principles apply to shoes: see how French women buy shoes. And for a trip, what to wear in Europe in winter.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I clean leather gloves?

Wipe them with a soft, slightly damp cloth, and use a small amount of leather cleaner on marks, testing inside the cuff first. Do not machine-wash them unless the label says so.

How do I dry wet leather gloves?

Blot off the water, reshape them, and lay them flat to dry naturally away from heat. Condition them once dry.

How often should I condition leather gloves?

Once or twice a season, and after any time they get wet.

How do I store leather gloves?

Clean and condition them, then store them flat in a breathable cotton bag somewhere cool and dry.

How do I care for suede gloves?

Brush them with a suede brush, use a suede eraser for marks, and protect them with a suede spray. Avoid liquid conditioner.

For background on the material, see leather and suede.

How to Store and Care for a Felt Hat So It Keeps Its Shape

A good felt hat can last decades, and most that do not are ruined by the same two habits: picking the hat up by the crown, and storing it resting on its brim. Knowing how to store and care for a felt hat takes a few minutes to learn and is almost entirely about gentle handling.

This guide covers handling, brushing, dealing with rain and marks, reshaping and storage, for both wool and fur felt. More in our European Style guides.

Handle a felt hat by the brim, not the crown. Store it upside down on its crown or in a hat box, never resting on its brim. Brush it regularly, and let it dry naturally.

Wool Felt and Fur Felt

Most felt hats are made from one of two materials. Wool felt is more affordable and widely available; fur felt is denser, smoother and more water-resistant, and holds its shape longer. The care is the same for both, but fur felt is more forgiving.

Felt: a fabric made by matting and pressing fibres together rather than weaving them. Because it is not woven, felt can be steamed and shaped into a hat — and can lose that shape with careless handling.

Handling

Pick the hat up by the brim, front and back, with both hands. Pinching the crown to lift it — the most natural movement — gradually weakens the felt there, and eventually it cracks or loses its shape.

Handle it with clean, dry hands. Oils from the fingers mark light-coloured felt over time.

Do not pick a felt hat up by pinching the crown. It is the most common way hats are damaged, and a cracked crown cannot be repaired invisibly.

Brushing

Brush the hat regularly with a soft, natural-bristle brush to remove dust before it works into the felt. Brush in the direction of the nap — usually anticlockwise around the crown, looking from above — using light strokes.

A lint roller helps with fluff on dark felt, but a brush is better for routine care because it keeps the surface even.

Rain and Marks

If It Gets Wet

Shake off the water, then turn the inner sweatband outwards so it can dry. Rest the hat on its crown, or on something round such as a bowl, away from direct heat. Let it dry completely before wearing or storing it.

Marks and Stains

Treat marks gently. Brush first; a soft dry sponge or a felt eraser lifts many surface marks. Avoid water on stains, which can leave a ring, and avoid household cleaning products entirely.

Never dry a felt hat on a radiator, with a hairdryer on high heat, or in direct sun. Heat can shrink the felt and warp the shape permanently.

Reshaping

Felt responds to steam. Holding a dented crown or a drooping brim over the steam from a kettle for a few seconds softens it enough to reshape gently by hand. Let it cool and set in the new shape before wearing.

Keep the steam brief and your hands clear of it. A few seconds is enough — too much steam can soften the felt further than you want. For a valuable hat, a milliner can reshape it properly.

Storage

Store upside down on the crown, or on a hat stand, never resting on the brim
For long storage, use a hat box with tissue in the crown
Keep it somewhere dry and away from direct sunlight
Do not stack other things on top of it
Brush it before storing so dust does not settle into the felt
Use cedar or lavender to discourage moths in wool felt

Resting a hat on its brim flattens it over time, and the curve is very hard to restore. Upside down on the crown lets the brim keep its shape.

Travelling With a Felt Hat

Wear it rather than pack it when you can. If it has to go in a case, fill the crown with soft clothing, place it crown-down, and pack clothes around the brim so nothing presses on it. A hat takes up space and some weight — the luggage weight calculator helps plan the rest. For what else to take in cold months, see what to wear in Europe in winter.

Buying a Hat That Lasts

Care starts with fit. A hat that is too tight strains the felt every time you put it on. Measure properly with the hat size calculator, and read how a hat should fit, hat types and sizing, and the best hats for your face shape.

A good felt hat is one of the winter accessories worth investing in — worn often for many years, its cost per wear is low. The cost per wear calculator shows how low.

Frequently Asked Questions

How should I store a felt hat?

Upside down on its crown, on a hat stand, or in a hat box with tissue in the crown. Never rest it on its brim.

How do I clean a felt hat?

Brush it regularly with a soft natural-bristle brush in the direction of the nap. Lift marks with a dry sponge or felt eraser; avoid water and cleaning products.

What do I do if my felt hat gets wet?

Shake off the water, turn the sweatband out, and let it dry naturally resting on its crown, away from heat.

How do I reshape a felt hat?

Hold the area briefly over steam to soften it, reshape gently by hand, and let it cool. A milliner can reshape a valuable hat properly.

How should I pick up a felt hat?

By the brim, with both hands. Pinching the crown weakens the felt and can eventually crack it.

For background on the material, see felt and the craft of the hatmaker.

How to Choose a Trench Coat, Wear It and Make It Last

A trench coat is one of the few pieces that genuinely justifies spending more, because a good one lasts ten years or longer and is worn most days of spring and autumn. That same fact makes a bad one an expensive mistake. And the single most common mistake is not the colour or the brand. It is the shoulder.

This guide covers how to choose a trench coat that fits, the details that separate a good one from an adequate one, how to wear and belt it, and how to look after it so the investment holds. It is part of our European Style series.

Choose a trench coat by the shoulder first and the length second. The shoulder cannot be altered well; almost everything else can.

How to Choose a Trench Coat That Fits

The Shoulder

The shoulder seam should sit at the edge of your shoulder bone. Too narrow and the coat pulls across the back; too wide and the whole coat looks borrowed. This is the one measurement to get right in the shop, because it is the one a tailor struggles to change.

Room Underneath

Try it on over a knit, since that is how it will be worn for half the year. If it only closes comfortably over a t-shirt, it is too small.

The Sleeve

Ending at the base of the thumb, with room to move the arm forward without the back pulling tight.

The Length

Knee length is the most versatile; it works with trousers, skirts and dresses. Longer reads more dramatic, shorter more casual. Choose by the outfits you wear most, not by the one you picture.

Raise both arms forward as if reaching for something. If the coat pulls tight across the back, it is too small in the shoulder, whatever the label says.

European coat sizes rarely match UK or US labels. Convert by measurement with the clothing size converter before ordering online.

What Separates a Good Trench Coat From an Adequate One

Detail	What to look for	Why it matters
Fabric	Tightly woven cotton gabardine	Sheds light rain and holds its shape
Lining	Full or half, in a smooth fabric	Slides over knitwear and adds warmth
Buttons	Sewn with a shank, reinforced	Take daily strain without loosening
Seams	Straight, flat, finished inside	Where cheaper coats fail first
Belt	Its own loops and a proper buckle	Holds its shape when tied
Storm flap	Present and properly attached	Functional as well as traditional

The trench coat takes its name from the First World War, when officers wore it in the trenches. Its epaulettes, storm flap and belt rings all began as practical details rather than decoration.

Single or Double-Breasted

Double-breasted is the classic form, with two rows of buttons and a wider overlap at the front. It reads slightly more formal and looks best belted or fully buttoned.

Single-breasted is cleaner and easier to wear open, which is how most people wear a trench most of the time. Neither is more correct; choose by whether you usually wear coats open or closed.

Double-breasted: the classic shape, warmer overlap, strongest look belted
Single-breasted: cleaner lines, easier to wear open, simpler over tailoring

How to Wear a Trench Coat

Open, Belt Tied Behind

The easiest everyday version. Knot the belt at the back so it does not swing, and wear the coat open over whatever is underneath.

Closed and Belted

Defines the waist. Tie the belt in a loose knot rather than buckling it, which reads less stiff and more relaxed.

Over What

Tailoring for work, denim and a knit for weekends, a dress in spring. The coat does not change; what is underneath does. See the pieces it is usually worn with.

Trench Coat Care

Everyday

Brush it after wear, hang it on a wide shoulder hanger, and let it dry naturally away from direct heat.

Cleaning

Follow the care label; most gabardine trenches are dry clean only. Spot-clean marks as they happen rather than cleaning the whole coat often, which wears the fabric and its finish.

Waterproofing

The water resistance fades with cleaning. A reproofing treatment restores it, but check it is suitable for your fabric before using one.

Storage

A breathable cover, never plastic, with room around it so the collar and shoulders keep their shape.

Do not machine-wash a gabardine trench unless the label says you can. It can shrink, lose its shape and lose its water resistance in a single wash.

Is a Trench Coat Worth the Money?

Usually, if it fits. A coat worn several times a week across spring and autumn, for ten years, is worn hundreds of times. Even an expensive one works out at very little per wear — and a cheaper one that goes shapeless in two seasons often costs more per wear in the end.

Put in the price and a realistic number of wears. A coat worn most days of spring and autumn tends to come out cheaper than it looks.

For the other pieces worth investing in, read which pieces are worth spending on, and for the colder half of the year, winter accessories worth investing in.

Choosing the Colour

Stone and camel are the classic trench colours because they sit with almost everything, but they are not right for everyone. Navy and olive work better on some colourings, and black is the most formal of all. If you are unsure, the personal colour palette generator shows which neutrals suit your season, and the best whites and neutrals for each undertone explains why.

A trench is one of the anchor pieces of a capsule wardrobe, and one of the clearest examples of how European women dress. For the season-by-season picture, see what to wear in Europe month by month and the Copenhagen alternative to it.

Frequently Asked Questions

How should a trench coat fit?

The shoulder seam at the edge of your shoulder, room for a knit underneath, and sleeves ending at the base of the thumb. Get the shoulder right in the shop; the rest can be altered.

What length trench coat is best?

Knee length is the most versatile, working with trousers, skirts and dresses. Longer reads more dramatic, shorter more casual.

How do you tie a trench coat belt?

A loose knot at the front looks less stiff than buckling it. Worn open, tie the belt behind you so it does not swing.

Can you wash a trench coat?

Most gabardine trench coats are dry clean only. Check the care label, and spot-clean between cleans rather than cleaning the whole coat often.

Is a trench coat worth buying?

Usually, if it fits. Worn most days across two seasons for a decade, its cost per wear is low even at a higher price.

For background, read the history of the trench coat and of gabardine, the fabric most trench coats are made from.