You come home with your gloves wet from rain or snow, and the instinctive move is to set them on the radiator. This is the moment when leather glove care is decided, and the answer is to stop: leather asks for time, not heat.
Leather glove care starts with drying
When gloves get wet, they should be left to dry naturally, away from heat sources such as radiators and heaters. Artificial drying risks altering the leather, making it dry and more prone to breaking. Natural drying preserves softness, elasticity and durability over time.
Nourishing the leather when it loses softness
Leather should be nourished when you notice that it has lost its natural softness. This often happens after gloves have got wet: once they have dried in the air, they feel dry. In that case, let them dry in the air and then apply a cream.
A good solution is a quality emollient hand cream. Test it first on a hidden part of the glove, to assess the result, and only then work it over the whole surface, spreading it evenly. While you apply the cream, give the glove back its original shape, stretching and pulling the leather a little. With a good product, the marks left by water disappear as well. Leather must not dry out: dry leather becomes fragile and wears more easily.
Water, suede and washing
No leather is waterproof by nature. Some, in particular those used for ski gloves, are treated specifically: peccary, for example, is made water-repellent by us, as in art. 269/PO, where it is paired with an opossum lining. Suede deserves extra attention, because in contact with rain it is more delicate than other leathers. The exception is art. 330, the first Restelli glove in water-repellent suede.
Washing is not done at home: if it is necessary, rely on a dry cleaner specialised in treating leather.
Storing gloves in the months they are not in use
At the end of the season, gloves should be cleaned and nourished, then placed in Restelli dustbags. The important thing is not to leave them exposed to light and air without protection.
Gloves that last for decades
With the right care, a glove made from selected leathers can last many years, even decades, because leather tends to improve with use instead of deteriorating. We see it in the stories of those who wear them.
One customer came to the company with a pair of Restelli ski gloves, used for skiing and motorcycle rides, still beautiful and fully functional after 15 years. Another sent us a photograph of their peccary gloves after 30 years of use. It is not unusual for gloves 40 years old to be brought back to us to be restored: family gifts passed from one generation to the next.
Leather glove care is a simple gesture, but it asks for consistency: slow drying, nourishing when needed, sheltered storage. It is what allows a glove to stay with you for years.
