r/transplace

For as long as I can remember, gloves are what gave me the most gender euphoria and sense of femininity. My girlfriend wearing a pair of elbow-length gloves to a concert are what got me to come out as trans to her because I expressed wanting a pair for myself and she bought me a pair for me so we could wear them together.

It’s not just the look, either. I have an inherent need to be “covered”, meaning I prefer to show minimal amounts of skin. The compression effect of long opera gloves or tight latex gloves does exactly that from both of them in their own ways. It’s easy to wear long pants or boots, but I feel like gloves might look out of place no matter how good/pretty I feel in them.

I also struggle with the idea of my hands being “contaminated” and have a lot of sensory issues when it comes to touching certain things, and gloves also help a TON with navigating public spaces. My hands and arms have extremely bad eczema that’s exacerbated by my allergies (most notably dust and a deadly peanut allergy), so it’s good to have the added benefit of a barrier between my skin and what I’m making contact with. They give me a sense of calm when it comes to avoiding contamination.

I love wearing gloves. I wear them every day. Depending on the occasion (minus work), it’s either black satin opera gloves or black disposable latex gloves.

The main deciding factors in the length and material of gloves I wear are how formal the event is, what the weather conditions are looking like and how feminine I’m feeling that day. Generally, the longer the glove, the more feminine I feel in them.

The satin opera gloves I wear the most are shoulder-length and I prefer to wear them *under* long sleeves or at the very least mid-length sleeves. Occasionally, I wear them with my arms exposed or under a lace shirt.

That being said, I know they can be a little “much” when it comes to how they’re perceived since gloves aren’t exactly mainstream in fashion (besides wearing them for warmth).

Is it socially acceptable to wear them out everywhere? I’m worried people will judge me for it. I’ve been feeling hesitant to wear them but they make me feel both safe and pretty it’s hard to think of what I’d do without them.