Multicolored paint pattern suede velvet gloves

Printed back, plain black palm

The print runs all the way to the fingertips on the back of the hand, then stops along the edge of each finger. Held out flat, the back of the glove reads as a small abstract canvas; with the palm turned towards you, it drops back into plain black. That is worth knowing, because for most of the day what other people see is the back of your hand rather than the front. A small black tab is stitched at the side of the wrist, and a narrow black trim outlines the fingers and the opening.

Suede velvet gloves with a painterly print

Up close it is all brushstroke blocks set side by side, overlapping the way paint does before it dries. Deep greys and blacks hold the background, beige and dusky pink lift it, and the occasional ochre mark stops the whole thing settling into neutral. Because no single colour shouts, the pair sits happily beside a camel coat or a charcoal one. If you would rather have something quieter on your hands, the rest of our glove line-up is worth a look.

Fit and stretch

One size is the row that usually raises a question, so it is worth explaining. The elastane in the blend lets the fabric follow the hand instead of fixing its shape, which is why the same pair settles on a narrow hand and on a broader one.

Looking after the print

Printed velvet has two enemies: a hard spin, which flattens the pile, and dry heat, which dulls the colours. Dry them flat and away from a radiator and they keep the surface they arrived with. Repeated rubbing against a zip or a stiff bag handle will polish the velvet over time, so store the gloves flat rather than crushed into a coat pocket.

Wearing them through the week

Plain outerwear does the most for this print, and the same goes for whatever you put on your head: our winter beanies keep the attention where it belongs. The black palm helps here as well, since the pair reads as plain from the palm side when the rest of the outfit is already busy. And because the print holds warm and cool tones at once, it never forces a choice between a grey coat and a camel one.