Cornelia James

EST 1946

Gloves of Timeless Style

Occasion Bridal Daytime

Occasion Gloves

Leather Gloves

Cotton Gloves

Pashminas

EST 1946

Our Story

When Cornelia James arrived in England in 1939 as a refugee from Nazi occupied Vienna, she brought with her nothing but a suitcase and a steely determination to succeed. In 1947 the couturier Norman Hartnell asked her to make gloves to accessorise the Princess's going away outfit and in 1979 she became glovemaker ‘by appointment’ to Her Majesty the Queen. Three generations later, the family business is still making gloves by hand in Sussex, England. Experience is measured in years, but success is marked in moments made special by great gloves.

A Personalised Service

We put a lot into a pair of our gloves. Not least, 96 inches of stitching, each one executed with care and precision to make a glove fit to stand the test of time. One glovemaker fashions the glove from start to finish and - when it's done - they put their name to it. It's personal.

As seen in...

Brides & Bridesmaids

Wedding Gloves

Collection

Stories from

The Journal

'Make way for Her Majesty's gloves!' | Country Life

Royal Family

Her Majesty the Queen - a moment remembered by Genevieve James

The 20 Best Wedding Gloves for the Timeless Bride

YOU SHALL GO TO THE BALL

Debutante Gloves

Collection

Subheading

Timeline

Company is born

“Design student flees Nazi scourge, arrives in England with suitcase full of fabrics, finds fame and fortune as glove maker to the Queen”.

Cornelia had studied art and design in Vienna and arrived in England as a refugee in 1939. After the war, in a world made drab by rationing, the leather gloves that she made in a huge range of colours became fashion essentials. Vogue magazine profiled her as “the colour Queen of England” and Cornelia quickly established a thriving business supplying gloves to couturiers and leading stores.