White Gloves

“Flag Bearer Gloves”

I constantly see pictures of cadets, Active Duty, Reserve and Guard, and first responder teams wearing gloves that look terrible. Whether its the “Flag Bearer Gloves” (at right) or the dress gloves with a snap or no snap, they all are either (loose) or a bad idea (look almost “industrial”). The picture at right is a bit misleading since you cannot see the back of the gloves. That’s taken care of in the picture that I created that is farther below.

Bad gloves

The image at left is another one of gloves that I absolutely will not recommend. These are the ones that get stretched out and floppy so that they will eventually just fall off. It’s difficult find pictures of white gloves with a darker background.

The issue is that any time you extend your arms (colors, pallbearers, and firing party), your wrists show. The standard for the service honor guards is to wear a short sleeve shirt or roll the long sleeves up twice and pin them.

The gloves that I’ve talked so much about on my Instagram account are either cotton or a stretchy material that comes in thin and lined. My favorite website for uniform and other items, paradestore.com, has these great gloves listed by the title, Honor Guard Gloves. All three have long wrists so they need to be folded for that finished, professional look. These gloves never fall down. The gloves that do fall are the tiny ones that flop around. Even the ones with snaps are really poor. If you get the ones with those big hook-and-pile straps, every time your arms are extended, everyone will be able to see those straps instead of a professional, finished look.

Which look do you really want?

In the image above, the picture at the top is of a pair of gloves that I wear. These are the Sure Grip Honor Guard Gloves that come in a summer weight and also a lined glove that can help with cooler temps. Both have stretchy material with a long wrist that requires a double fold. The cotton Honor Guard Gloves have a shorter wrist requiring one fold. These three are the ONLY gloves I can recommend. The others do not present a professional image. Note: Snap Military Gloves are good for dress occasions.

For information on first responder uniforms, click here.

Winter Gloves

Those in the northern region will need appropriate gloves for their ceremonial uniform for the winter months

Check with your uniform supplier or online for generic gloves without a label or a subdued label in either brown or black (you will want to coordinate with your shoes and ceremonial belt, if applicable).

DrillMaster

Author, drill designer, marching instructor, trainer for honor guard units, military drill teams, marching bands and drum and bugle corps.

View Comments

  • I am often the flag holder at military funerals. i need gloves that will stay on while i stuff the end of the flag into the pocket. need gloves that will stay on. Suggestions. thanks.

    • This is a quote from the article above:

      The cotton Honor Guard Gloves have a shorter wrist requiring one fold. These three are the ONLY gloves I can recommend. The others do not present a professional image.

      Honor Guard gloves are available at Glendale Parade Store

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