Fingerless gloves: how to wear winter's most practical wool accessory

By Tiago Reis, co-founder of Ra-Ro · View profile

About a 4 minute read

Fingerless gloves keep your palms and wrists warm and leave your fingers free to type, use your phone, drive or pay for a coffee without taking them off. That is why they work outdoors, at home and at the office, on days when the cold does not call for full gloves. The ones at Ra‑Ro are hand-crocheted in wool by Alice Aranha in Caldas da Rainha and cost €50.40.

Fingerless gloves at a glance

• What they are for: warm hands without losing dexterity.
• When to wear them: autumn and winter, outdoors or indoors.
• What to wear them with: plain wool, long coats, scarves and hats.
• At Ra‑Ro: hand-crocheted wool by Alice Aranha, €50.40.

"Cold hands, warm heart." Anyone who grew up in Portugal heard it at their grandmother's house in winter. These gloves are for people who feel both at once: inside and out, warmth and freedom.

Who makes the gloves and how

Alice Aranha is the artist name of Alice Albergaria Borges, a crochet jeweller in Caldas da Rainha, in Portugal's Estremadura region. She discovered a love of textures as a child and learnt textile work very young. Each pair is crocheted by hand in wool, about 18 cm long and 10 cm wide, in Eucalyptus Green and in Green and Brown. They are made to order and shipped in about a week. Because they are handmade, no two pairs are the same.

See Alice Aranha's Fingerless Wool Gloves

How to wear fingerless gloves: three looks

The rule is simple: the gloves are the most textured piece, so keep the rest plain or in similar tones. Their greens work well with browns, greys, ecru and burnt orange.

In town, with a long coat

A wool coat on top, the gloves peeking out of the sleeves and a scarf in the same tone. The Light Melange Burel Coat by As Capuchinhas (€306.20) is made of burel, a pressed, biodegradable wool. Add the Mottled Scarf (€50.60), 100% wool woven in the Montemuro mountains.

At home or at the office

This is where fingerless gloves make most sense: warm hands at the keyboard or with a book, without losing dexterity. Pair them with a plain wool jumper such as the Men's Mottled Jumper (€145.40), woven on hand looms in Campo Benfeito.

A weekend out of town

Layers, colour and a hat. The Winter Scarf (€46.80), also by Alice Aranha, is dyed with pomegranate peel, red onion and logwood, and matches the gloves. For your head, the Regional Ear-flap Hat from Madeira (€66.20).

As a gift: gloves and scarf by the same artisan make a consistent Christmas present for under €100 (€97.20 for both).

How to care for wool gloves

Hand wash in cold water with a neutral detergent. Dry in the shade.

For more handmade pieces from all over the country, see our guide to Portuguese handicrafts by region.

Frequently asked questions

What are fingerless gloves for?

They keep your hands and wrists warm and leave your fingers free to type, use your phone or drive.

Are fingerless gloves and mittens the same?

No. Mittens cover the whole hand with one pocket for the fingers; fingerless gloves leave the fingers out. In French and Portuguese, mitaines and mitenes mean fingerless gloves.

What do you wear fingerless gloves with?

With plain wool coats and jumpers, a scarf in the same tone and, on colder days, a hat.

How do you wash wool gloves?

By hand, in cold water with a neutral detergent, and dry them in the shade.

Where are Ra-Ro's gloves made?

In Caldas da Rainha, Portugal, crocheted in wool by Alice Aranha. They are made to order and shipped in about a week.

Does Ra-Ro ship outside Portugal?

Yes. To Portugal, the rest of Europe, the USA, Canada and Brazil, with 30 days for free returns.