**Please note, this was a one-off collaboration and is no longer available**
French storied manufacturer Lavabre Cadet makes the finest gloves I’ve ever worn - but they don’t have many outlets, particularly not in their full range of skins and finishes.
As a step towards correcting that, we are launching a joint collaboration today between Permanent Style, Lavabre Cadet and Anderson & Sheppard.
A range of gloves I have selected will be available made-to-order (MTO) through the Permanent Style shop. And for those in London, Anderson & Sheppard will be offering them in Clifford Street, alongside samples of the leathers and sizes.
[Ordering online is done through emailing me at [email protected] to confirm details, and then payment on the Permanent Style shop page.]
The size is important, because one of Lavabre Cadet’s selling points is the fact it offers quarter sizes - where pretty much everyone else only has half sizes.
So those that order will be sent details on how to measure their hands, and may well find a quarter-size match, giving them a better fit.
We also encourage people to trace their hand and include it with their order, so the Lavabre atelier outside Paris has all possible information.
We’ve deliberately picked three leathers for this collaboration to cover a range of price points (all prices ex-VAT):
- Goatskin, black or brown: £160
- Lambskin, black or brown: £250
- Peccary, black, brown (pictured on me), cork or grey: £320
One of the things I immediately notice in the peccary from Lavabre Cadet is how much softer it is than the gloves I've had from other makers.
In fact, this peccary is so hard to get hold of that this MTO offer has to be limited to five pairs in each of the four colours.
That same quality of sourcing extends to the other leathers too - the goatskin and the lambskin. The lamb is slightly softer than the kid, but both feel nicer than similar hides from other makers.
Once you’ve picked your leather, there are few other options.
You can have them lined in black or white silk, or in black or beige cashmere. The peccary can also be unlined.
The construction can be with the seams turned inwards (neater and dressier) or outwards (thicker and more masculine). If outwards, they can be handstitched, for an extra £45.
And finally, you can add up to four initials, on the inside of the bottom of the glove, for £22 (per glove).
It’s quite a lot of options, but these are the pleasures of made-to-order.
Above you can see some basic examples of the colours (click to enlarge, or right click and open in a new tab) and below are three examples showing the three ways of finishing the edges.
I would particularly draw your attention to the close, cropped finish of the seams on the outside-stitching construction, which you can see most clearly on my gloves in the above pictures.
This is another characteristic of Lavabre Cadet and something that makes this finely crafted model much more elegant to wear.
If you would like to order online please email me at [email protected] to confirm your details and receive information on measuring. Payment will still be through the shop site.
Delivery for the gloves is three weeks from ordering, so plenty of time before Christmas. The cost of delivery is roughly the same as our polo shirts: EU £13, everywhere else £19.
Thanks
Photos of my gloves: Jamie Ferguson @jkf_man
Hi Simon,
This sounds like a fantastic collaboration and nicely timed for a “self” Christmas present.
I have a quick question in relation to the warmth of the gloves (as in how warm they will keep my hands). I currently have a pair of brown leather, silk lined, gloves by Merola, which I love but do not keep my hands warm in cold weather, for example the current weather we are experiencing in London. Do you think a cashmere lining and a different type of leather (e.g. Peccary) would be better at keeping my hands warm? Or would I be better off with a fur lined or a shearling pair of gloves? (I appreciate the question of warmth is necessarily subjective, but would be interested to hear your thoughts on how much the linings and type of leather influence this).
Kind regards
Ben
Cashmere lining will certainly help, and peccary will also a little bit.
Thank you Simon. Just to clarify, would a fur lined or a shearling pair of gloves be even warmer than a cashmere lining? (I appreciate this is not on offer in the collaboration, but again would appreciate your view).
Thanks
Ben
Yes, they would be
Hello Simon, these just look beautiful. Regards
You call the goatskin both ‘goat’ and ‘kid’ in the post. Can you say which it is?
Good spot, my mistake. It’s goat, not kid – important distinction. I’ll correct that now.
Given the request for an outline are they doing any customisation on the sizing? i.e. For those of us with shorter or longer than average fingers
When and in which store will A&S have the sample sizes? Do you know how broad the range of sizes will be?
We are not offering bespoke – which would mean those alterations of finger length in relation to palm etc. – sorry.
The sample sizes are in the A&S haberdashery now, so do pop down and have a look.
I had bespoke unlined pecari gloves from LC before, but these were about €580 some years ago, so this MTO deal sound like good value. These gloves are a true luxury. Take them lined for winter though.
At the recent trunk show at G&G I ordered a pair of bespoke peccary gloves from LC (lined with cashmere) and they were 825 Euros including tax and shipping. They are wonderful but clearly expensive. I’ll probably get a MTO pair as a result of this deal and it will be interesting to see what the difference is.
Simon, how much is VAT & shipping? I also wonder if you are going to do a post about the new colours of the wispy scarf and how to wear them?
VAT is always 20% on top. Shipping is a good point – I forgot to include this. It is the same prices as the polo shirts.
Will the wispy scarf be sold through the Permanent Style shop, or only directly through Begg and Co.?
Through Begg & Co again
Interesting that there are still “sizes”..
On the articles of clothing that I have had made, there are no numerical references….And as someone else pointed out, with all the differing finger lengths would it not be better to simply pattern everything directly from the customers hand?
Another question, part of the benefit of going bespoke for something like a suit, beyond the fit, is how it looks, hangs, etc…how does this relate on such precisely (and small) fitted items like a glove?
Bespoke is certainly a great option with gloves, but it usually costs twice as much or so, as standard patterns can’t be used. It is also often best done face-to-face with an artisan, which is why we decided not to offer it.
There aren’t the bespoke benefits you mention with gloves, no. It’s about fit and fit only. You can get all other aspects of hand work and personalisation with MTO – another reason we liked this as something to offer readers.
Hi Simon, super collaboration. I will try sizing at the A&S store. One question I always wondered – is there something which could be done on the fingertips of the gloves to be able to use touchscreen smartphones while
outside? Always find it impractical with my gloves to keep taking them on and off when I use my phone outside. Perhaps something with bespoke but was wondering if LC had an experience with doing something like that.
Cheers
M
There are various things in the market, but no LC doesn’t do something like that at present
I’ve been in the market for some new gloves, so this collaboration is very timely! I’m a little disappointed that, aside from the peccary, there are only black and brown colour options, and that alpaca isn’t a lining option, but recognize that this is likely a needed limitation to make success of this collaboration more likely.
Could you elaborate on the merits of the different options? Namely,
– merits of choosing goatskin v. lambskin v. peccary
– merits of choosing silk v. cashmere
– merits of the hand stitching option
These will help guide my decision.
Thanks for this exciting collaboration!
Hi,
Generally, lambskin is softer than goatskin, and yes less of a texture to it. Peccary is softer still, stretchy, and also the toughest of materials.
Silk lining provides a decent amount of warmth, as it is highly wind-resistant, but not as warm as cashmere obviously. Generally unlined is nice when you want to feel the skin more than the lining.
The hand stitching is a purely aesthetic decision – as you can see on the images, it adds a delicate touch to the points along the back of the hand and the edges of the fingers.
Thanks Simon. Very helpful.
One follow-up: do you mean that silk lining is more wind-resistant than cashmere lining (if not as warm)?
For its weight, silk is yes. But with these gloves no, the cashmere will also provide some good wind resistance
Simon, would you say that black peccary does not look as dressy as the other leathers in the same colour given its texture?
Cheers
M
Yes, and good point
Hi Simon,
Long time follower, first time commenting.
Given that i live in a very cold winter weather – Boston, USA – would the cashmere lining be warm enough? if not, will they ever offer a shearling lining?
thanks in advance,
HB
You can buy shearling gloves from them, in fact I believe Anderson & Sheppard are stocking some soon.
I am planning on buying the brown lambskin gloves with a silk lining; this would be a spring/fall glove for me. However, I’m torn between getting inside stitching (I think the clean look is much more attractive) versus outside stitching (which, I wonder, may fit better and be more comfortable).
I’d appreciate hearing the experiences of others on this matter. Thanks!
For me, I like the outside stitching for style but don’t find the inside stitching noticeably less comfortable
Simon, what would you say is the most versatile combination of material/colour – i.e. something that could be worn formally with a business or lounge suit, and casually as well?
A brown lambskin or brown goatskin
Simon,
I ordered a pair of black lamb gloves with inside stitching from the A&S shop, which I am very much looking forward to receive. I thought that would be a perfect pair to carry everyday to work (business formal for me) and although that is far from being a rule I have a preference for matching formal black shoes with smooth black gloves (rather than a brown peccary for instance).
Anyhow, before digressing too much, the A&S guys told me that the brown peccary leather was so successful that it sold out super quickly and that alternate sources will probably make the gloves cost 700-800 next time if LC does not find other less expensive sources of leather without compromising on quality. Too bad as brown peccary was the next I had in mind… one suggestion if I may: I find that carpincho makes for beautiful beautiful gloves. Not as rare as peccary but it has something to it that gives it character. I think it could make a very good ‘exotic’ leather option at the level where you were pricing peccary in this collaboration. Thoughts?
Cheers,
M
NB: thanks again for advising me the Bennett Winch commuter bag as a go-to bag to use for the gym and ‘lightly packed’ weekends. Used it a few times (including this weekend for travel) and it works beautifully, I love it.
I do like carpincho too, but I think we’re going to offer deerskin in the short term perhaps – similar price to the other cheaper skins and more casual texture like peccary. Hopefully more peccary next year too
Cheers
A bit off-topic: any good value brand(s) you’d advise me for exotic skin belts (I am looking for a dark brown alligator, I think I recall you have a nice one from one of the posts).
Cheers,
M
My order of the machine sewed black peccary gloves with a cashmere lining turned up today. They had survived passing through Swiss Customs as they opened it up and had a good look. I have to say these are very warm and probably the best pair of gloves I’ve ever bought. I hadn’t realised how bad my previous pair were! Thank you Simon for this collaboration: i’ve already emailed Lavabre Cadet to express my appreciation too.
Hi,
I was wondering whether you (or other loyal readers) could help me Simon. I am after a pair of RTW good quality gloves, from any manufacturer (ie Merola, Dent etc) and I was wondering whether you know of any shops in London that have a good range/stock of such items? I recently made the mistake of trying Harrods/Selfridges etc, only to find that they only seemed to stock overpriced fashion labels. Would I be better of trying somewhere like Drakes or A&S?
Many thanks, and merry xmas
Joe
Yes, drakes and A&S both have good options. Also places like Exquisite Trimmings
I am currently looking for a new pair of gloves. I have a pair of carpincho from Mazzoleni but I would like to try Lavabre Cadet for my next pair. What would you say the main differences are between Mazzoleni and Lavabre Cadet? Is Lavabre Cadet the same quality as Mazzoleni?
Also, do you stock Lavabre Cadet brown peccary in the pop-up store?
There is some stock available just for today now, as their trunk show ends today. I’m not sure about brown peccary, but can check.
And LC is generally a higher quality – see my piece on them for details
Simon, when it comes to gloves do you have a preference on the wrist, ie a simple open vent, a button closure, a strap?
Generally a button closure, just because it’s clean and simple (and I need something to hold the wrist there as I have very narrow wrists)
Interesting. I’ve always liked the look of a button closure but figured it would be too fiddly to deal with – especially when trying to button when one glove is already on. I’m assuming you don’t find this to be an issue?
No, not really
Agree on having a button closure. The biggest negative of the gloves from this LC collaboration was that they had an open vent and no button to close.
Might seem a silly question but do you then have to un-button a glove before being able to remove it? Seems cumbersome and slightly awkward.
yes
Any prospect of this collaboration being repeated?!
No, sorry. It was based on having access to a particular run of leather, particularly peccary, which we no longer have
Recently had some gloves made by someone that turned out quite well so am about to commission a new pair. Whereas my first pair were peccary with an outward seam, I was thinking that for the next pair I might go for a look that is slightly neater however I don’t want to go with an inward seam which too me often appears a little too “dandy” – rather I was hoping for an outward that isn’t quite as “chunky”. Having consulted with the maker, they’ve advised that what I’m after can only really be achieved if they use machine stitching rather than the hand stitching they employed with my first pair. To my eye, the machine stitch can produce a more refined look however I’ve always been lead to believe hand-stitching is always preferable as it denotes greater craft. Where does one draw the line however if craft doesn’t produce as refined a look? Your thoughts would be greatly appreciated Simon.
It’s an interesting point. Craft is great, but in the end if it’s not producing the look you want, there’s no point to it. You have to balance the look of finer finishing with hand finishing – which do you value more highly?
Thanks Simon. In order to properly weigh things I suppose another factor is – where is the handcrafting adding to the piece’s strength, durability and longevity? In my case, would machine stitching produce less durable gloves? Lastly, when assessing gloves, are hand stitched seams one of the prime indicators that they’re finely crafted?
Hand stitching doesn’t make it stronger – it just looks nice.
It’s certainly a sign of craft, alongside hand cutting and fineness of finishing elsewhere.
Hey Simon,
What is your take on Chamois gloves for suit and black shoes kind of look ? I love how they look in the old Apparel Arts illustrations, but I am afraid they might look a bit anachronistic, rather than cool. Personally, I’m not a huge fan of the overdone dandy style but rather of the more subtle, well put together, “Permanent Style” style :).
Thank you!
I think your instinct is correct – a bit anachronistic. Get a beautiful peccary instead. Just as unusual, but much more subtle
Awesome – thank you! Do you happen to know how can I get hold of the Lavabre Cadet guys to order a pair? Do they have a shop in Paris or any presence in London?
Shop in Paris, yes, part of Camille Fournet
Simon, Lavabre Cadet gloves have gotten much more expensive since you did this piece. The Hanger Project currently has RTW versions at $795, which is almost double the price of this collab (I appreciate this was 2 years ago, but it is still a very significant jump). More importantly, the current price also doubles that of other makers such as Hestra, Merola, etc. In your experience, does the quality justify the price?
I am all for getting the best you can afford, and I could make an effort and go for the Lavabre, but I am hesitant because of how much more expensive they are relative to how much better. You help would, as always, be much appreciated.
Hi Juan,
The collab we did was with some peccary we sourced that was rather cheaper than normal, hence why it was a one-off.
So regular gloves from Lavabre will be a big chunk, perhaps 50%, more expensive.
Having said that, today I would probably go with someone like Merola, unless I had a lot of money to spare and really cared about fine handwork (which Lavabre undoubtedly has)
Thanks very much, Simon, this is very useful. A bit of a follow up: do you have experience/thoughts on the peccary gloves that Drake’s is offering this season? Are they on Merola level? (I can’t find Merola on my size in the US). Thanks again!
I haven’t tried them, sorry Juan
Hello Simon,
May I ask what exact colour the gloves you are wearing in the pictures here are ?
(Or more specifically, what colour would Lavabre Cadet call it? Is it their “marron foncé” ?)
They look great.
Kind regards,
LS
Thanks, and yes that’s the colour I believe
Thanks a lot for the the prompt response. A dark brown then.
Again, a truly stunning pair of gloves.
All the best, thanks !
Hi Simon, I have a pair of gloves that need to be re-lined. Do you know anyone in London who does this?
No, sorry
Simon – Any plans for another glove collaboration?
No, sorry. This was driven by particular access to some peccary, so it was dependent on that
For anyone interested, the Hanger Project seems to do regular MTO runs with Lavabre Cadet. I haven’t tried an order through the Hanger Project, but the process seems similar to the Permanent Style collaboration from 3 years ago.
@Chancellor Thanks. Can’t find any reference to them on the site at the moment but will keep an eye out.
Simon, which would you recommend between lined and unlined peccary?
It depends how cold your hands get and where you live. Are you usually ok in the winter with unlined gloves?
I usually only wear gloves when it’s quite cold, so that would point towards having them lined. But I recently tried on a pair of unlined ones from Scabal that felt so soft and velvety inside that I’m not so sure now. It seemed to me the nap made them fairly warm (as with flannel) and the feeling of the leather against the skin is so nice it might be a shame to miss out on it. What’s your take? Are yours lined or unlined?
By the way, I tried to post the same comment several times a few weeks ago on the article about the tucked-in T-shirt, but it never got published. My IP (not the one I’m using right now) might have been blacklisted because I included images. Would you mind checking? Thanks!
I have both, and wear lined ones when it’s a lot colder, unlined ones more often. But you’re right, feeling the leather against the skin is really nice.
Comments shouldn’t be blocked because they include images, though it is usually easier to link to things than to try and copy and paste them in.
I haven’t seen any comments come through I’m afraid
Thanks, that’s very helpful, Simon.
Regarding my previous comments, I think the problem was that I used tinyurl to link the images. I tried posting again earlier today from my computer and it didn’t seem to have gone through.
Thanks. You do realise I need to publish comments before they appear, yes? A message should come up telling you that. So there will be a delay from an hour or two to a full day before you see it
Of course, Simon. I did wait a couple of days before reposting that comment back in October, as you can see.
By the way I saw you just bought a pair of gloves from Mazzoleni. How would you say they compare with the Lavabre? Thank you.
Lavabre is still the finest. Mazzoleni is lovely, but more on a par with Merola and others
Hi Simon,
Would you wear a fine leather glove in the rain?
Yes. Leather gloves are usually fine. Just dry them naturally when you get home – away from a radiator or other sources of heat. They may take a while to dry off is all
Hi Simon,
I have a few glove questions. First, just how formal can a glove in peccary be (put differently, how formal can the other clothing worn with peccary gloves be without looking mismatched)? I assume color makes a difference, as does lined versus unlined material (unlined being a bit sleeker)? I have an unlined pair in cork that I like wearing casually with denim and an M-65, but I also wear it with suits/topcoats. The color may be too light for the most formal of outfits, but otherwise seems fine. Second, do you match the color of your shoe leather with your glove leather?
Thanks in advance. I always appreciate your insights.
Sure.
Peccary can be fine with almost anything I think, if the colour is dark enough – dark brown or black. Unlined also a little smarter, but again I don’t think it’s a big point. I would try one of those colours in peccary if you like it and find the cork a little too light.
And no, I don’t match my gloves to other leathers, but I do want them to sit nicely together, in the same way as I want to with the clothes. Think about what you think works nicely together, rather than matching
Many thanks. Conversely, how casual can a peccary glove be? Also, do you occasionally use leather conditioner on your gloves, or otherwise clean or take special care to keep them soft?
No I don’t. Peccary can be very casual in a colour like tan etc
Hi Simon. I ordered some bespoke Lavabre Cadet gloves from the Paris Camille Fournet atelier several years ago. Unfortunately I’ve now lost them… so I want to commission a new pair of bespoke or m2m gloves.
Are Lavabre Cadet still the best option? Or should I consider something else?
Lavabre Cadet are certainly among if not the best. I haven’t had any interaction with them for a while, but there’s certainly no one else I would recommend more highly
Simon, at your suggestion I got bespoke gloves from Chester Jeffries. They were wonderful and lasted me for years. Sadly, I’ve just managed to lose one of them, and Chester Jeffries is no longer selling direct to the public. Do you have someone else you could recommend?
Oh dear, what a shame.
I don’t unfortunately. Lavabre Cadet in Paris were always wonderful, but not sure if you have to visit the store. And I assume Dent’s aren’t around either?
I had a very nice pair of gloves made in Paris by Lavabre Cadet a few years back (based on this post), which I unfortunately lost this spring. Looks like that company is no longer around (and I checked when I was in Paris), and I had no success trying to track down the fellow I had worked with there; so I was wondering if anyone can recommend somewhere in London (or in the US) that can make nice gloves. Any recommendations appreciated!
Hi Michael,
So you mean somewhere that can make bespoke? I haven’t used anyone like that in London or the US, but I wouldn’t be surprised if a reader has a recommendation.
Hi Simon — thanks. Setting aside bespoke for the time being, any recommendations for off-the-shelf mens gloves in London? I asked at my usual tailor (Richard Anderson) and they suggested “Turnbull & Asser or maybe Loakes.”
Yes there are lots of nice ones around – usually in other stores, rather than glove specialists. Budd are great, so are Anderson & Sheppard, and Trunk have some good ones too.