Biker Girls, Gloves and a Tear Drop

posted on 29 December 2011 | posted in Fashion

It was September 2007 I was in Bristol, England, at University. Not one that was ever very organized to really make the most out of the opportunity provided, I spent the 3 years since having left Sri Lanka at the age of 17 trying to find myself and just keeping my head above water. I had also just met my friend’s new girl friend – Tosh – a gorgeous Persian girl as tough nails, sporting an edgy look to go with it, the biker gloves I wasn’t ready for, but her strange fashion choices of the hair accessories she wore as well as black lace gloves intrigued me. She wore them to “toughen up” her look, but growing up whilst absorbing all the likes of My Fair Lady I could find, lace gloves represented something very different to me, a Breakfast at Tiffany’s. Having come across a flyer in the post that advertised of a traveling vintage cloths sale, I decided for once, to go out and explore. Needless to say I waited till the last day of the show, went out too late, and got lost. By the time I got there most sellers were packing up, I browsed through what was left out and came upon a shift dress, I decided to try it on in the make shift changing area littered with boxes and cloths. I have trouble finding my spectacles on a relatively uncluttered table let alone in a pile of cloths, so I kept them outside on a table whilst I changed. It looked nice, I happened to have had the flapper like bob with a fringe and was wearing pearl earrings and white pumps, but I couldn’t see well enough to judge whether the fit was good. So I came outside to look for my spectacles and as per the usual I can’t find them. Whilst looking through the clutter left on the table I came across them – a pair of beautiful white fingerless lace gloves, made even more exquisite by the trim – It looked like what a doll of mine had. I didn’t get my hopes up, I’ve been blessed with skinny hands with straw like fingers – let’s just say that I can be the hand double of the Wicked Witch of the West – nothing meant for a person’s hands ever fit me. The seller comes up to hand me my spectacles, I’ve left them on the table on the other side, and she sees the gloves. They’ll look perfect on you she says, so I slip them on and turn around. The lady says “ You look like a picture love “ , and three others come around to compliment me – yes it’s true that I still wasn’t wearing my spectacles and that everything was slightly hazy – but I looked pretty good, the gloves did something magical, it pulled the outfit together. I come home and Tosh immediately falls in love with the gloves, we become best friends over the years and the little white lace gloves became a staple in my wardrobe. With Tosh’s influence I was even bold enough to add a leather pair of my own, but those little white gloves were my favorite, it added a different air to whatever I was wearing, something whimsical about it. I left to Sri Lanka in November 2009, Tosh cried at the airport saying she won’t see me again, I promised her she would. 16th of December 2010, a friend calls to tell me that Tosh has passed away due to Swine Flu. Having not wanted to go anywhere in the days that followed, I was coaxed to a house party for New Years Eve. I dusted off my box containing my gloves, which hadn’t seen day light since coming to Sri Lanka- on this tear drop of the Indian Ocean, gloves are not the norm, they aren’t even the exception- and as Tosh would say, I lacked the guts ( replace with a certain word I shouldn’t be typing here). I thought I’ll wear them in remembrance of Tosh. I enjoyed my night, and some complimented me, and to those who asked about them -I was rather out of place at a house pool party - I told about Tosh. It didn’t take long to hear about the girl with the Michael Jackson gloves at person X’s party, and just like that it was the last time I wore them. It’s the 16th of December today, maybe they will come out, and maybe they should, because the pair are my favorite item in the closet. They made dressing up fun and every time I added them to a new outfit I was surprised by the effect it had. I remember being one half of the glove girls, and Tosh was right fashion is a statement, not for those afraid to make it, but till that time comes for me, they will be in their satin lined box, representing all the possibilities.