“Half gloves” is a term used to describe a pair of gloves that fit around the hand, but stop just short of the fingers, or a pair of gloves that fit over the fingers and stop short of the wrist -- also referred to as “scoop gloves.” Half gloves are primarily worn as a fashion statement, unlike fingerless gloves. Fingerless gloves can be worn both as a functional glove with an attached "hood" or as a fashion statement, such as those popularized by Madonna in the mid-80s. Celebrities such as Paris Hilton, Lindsay Lohan, Gwen Stefani, and Demi Lovato have all been spotted wearing half gloves in various colors, styles, and fabrics. Mesh or “fishnet” half gloves in an assortment of neon colors have become especially popular in punk music fashion, due to their retro 80s style.
Half gloves began appearing on European runways in 2006, and soon caught on as a trendy fashion accessory in Hollywood. The half glove look was also popularized by an episode of Sex and The City, in which Sarah Jessica Parker’s character, Carrie Bradshaw, is shown wearing half gloves while talking on a pay phone. Because this episode sparked such an interest in the accessory, the show’s costume designer, Patricia Field, began offering a line of half gloves that retailed for $48 US Dollars.
Half gloves can be fashioned at home from a pair ordinary gloves, by cutting either the fingers or lower wrist portion of the glove and hemming the edges. Long half gloves, which are fingerless and typically reach all the way up to the elbow, can also be fashioned at home out of a long-sleeve shirt or sweater. Half gloves that cover the fingers and stop just short of the wrist are most often made of genuine leather, and typically come in various jewel tones as well black and white. Half gloves that extend to the elbow are most often made from cotton or wool, usually with a striped pattern.