Nellie
Glove Maker
Our youngest — and newest — glove maker, learning a craft that develops with every pair.
- Favourite glove
- The Morag, in Chocolate Cashmere.
- Season to wear gloves
- Autumn, always.
- Off duty
- "I love live music."
Meet the Makers
Our Story · Inside the Atelier
Meet the hands
behind the gloves
The oldest glovemaker by Royal Appointment in the world — where every pair is still cut, stitched and signed by hand in the Sussex countryside.
The Oldest Glovemaker by Royal Appointment in the World
Cornelia James has been handcrafting gloves for over 80 years. We are still a family-owned business, now in its third generation — and every glove is made to measure in Sussex, England.
This deep heritage and passion for bespoke tailoring makes us the trusted name in premium gloves — fit for Royalty, on stage and screen, and by anyone who knows the quiet luxury of something made entirely by hand.
Ripe, East Sussex
A workshop at the foot of the South Downs
Our atelier sits on a working farm in the Sussex countryside, framed by hedgerows and the rolling chalk of the Downs. It is a slow, quiet place — and that unhurried rhythm is stitched into everything we make. Nothing here is rushed; every glove is given the time the craft deserves.
Three generations · One Royal Warrant
Gloves fit for a Queen — quite literally
Founded in 1946, Cornelia James made gloves to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II in 1947, and in 1979 till her passing held the Royal Warrant as glovemaker. Inside the atelier, framed photographs of the Queen and Princess Anne still watch over the makers — a daily reminder of the standard every pair is held to, and the legacy that Andrew and Genevieve continue to carry forward.
Handcrafted at every stage
The making of a glove
One yard of fabric, one hand, and a single pair of gloves. Here is how it comes together.
01
The Pattern
Every style begins with card patterns, hand-drawn and kept in each size from 6 to 8½ — the templates the whole craft is built upon.
02
The Cut
Cloth and leather are cut by hand and by steel die on the chequered cutting-room floor — each piece keyed to the exact size ordered.
03
The Stitch
Each machinist has her own technique for the same glove — a personal style that only comes with experience, on machines decades old.
04
The Finish
Bows and buttons are added by hand — the Thalia alone carries eighteen individually made bows on a single pair.
Put a name to a face
Meet the Makers
Every glove we send out is handcrafted at every stage, then individually signed off by one of our makers — so you can truly put a name to a face. We're a small team, and we all help wherever we can. It's that shared care and craftsmanship that makes every pair so special.
Signed, sealed, sent
Every pair carries the name of its maker
Look inside your gloves and you'll find a small tag — Made by Nellie, Katie, Milena… Each order is signed off, hand-wrapped and sent with a handwritten note. Not made by a machine, but by someone. That is the whole point.
Shop the makers' favourites
The styles our makers love best — each one handmade to measure in Sussex.
The Morag
Nellie's favourite · Cashmere
The Angélique
Katie's favourite · Classic
The Regina
Milena's favourite · The Queen's glove
The Aimée
Katie's favourite · Merino Wool
The Ailsa
Lalee's favourite · Cashmere
The Georgina
Mohammed's favourite · Sueded Cotton
The Calypso
Catherine's favourite · Duchess Satin