Courtois Paris: authentic glover in Paris, for men and women
Maison Courtois Paris was born of an unconditional love for beautiful things, designed in tune with the times and crafted with respect for savoir-faire. Because glove-making is an art in itself, we share here a few secrets of a craft made in France...
The meticulous making process by the master glover
Once the skin has been chosen, a long sequence of meticulous, technical gestures begins, which together create the beauty and excellence of the glove. Each of these steps is precisely defined and shapes the glove… They are what make its History!
It all begins with dampening: the skins are moistened to make them more supple, then dried. Once dry, the glover stretches them lengthwise to enhance the suppleness of the glove and refine the grain. This step demands great strength and discipline, as the skin must never tear. The glover can then “place” them, setting aside any potential flaws in the leather, and determine the exact position of the glove. The artisan stretches the skin lengthwise once more to widen it and ensure the glove will keep its elasticity throughout its life. This essential step, known as étavillonage, gives Maison Courtois Paris gloves their impeccable quality. The leather is finally ready and can be carefully cut with a traditional, purpose-made die, giving birth to the glove that will dress your hands.
Cutting, marking, slitting, trimming and fitting are all delicate, exacting steps that the glover carries out with skill and precision. The finishing must be perfect. To achieve this, the master glover trims the glove, removing by hand with a pair of scissors every tiny piece of excess skin.
The glover’s creation
This savoir-faire, handed down from generation to generation, continues with the sewing of the glove: all the decorative details, points, topstitching and patterns are sewn by hand onto the leather before assembly. The assembly itself can be done with different seams – English piqué stitching (on the outside of the glove), inseams or hand-sewn seams… each changing the style of the glove!
Finally, the master glover may add a silk or cashmere lining, then inspects the glove with great care and attention. He stretches it with a small machine that spreads the fingers apart, pulling on the seams to check they are perfect. Then he dresses it: the glove is placed on heated hand forms so that it regains its shape and is pressed.
All that remains is to wear it!
Our glove boutiques in Paris
Because it is important to see, touch and feel – but also to understand – Maison Courtois welcomes you to its boutiques in the very heart of the capital. In the Marais district, in the 4th arrondissement of Paris, at 17 rue de Sévigné 75004, and a stone’s throw from Le Bon Marché in the 7th arrondissement at 8 rue de Babylone, our expert and attentive teams will be delighted to advise you!
In our boutiques, they will explain the differences between leathers – lambskin, peccary, deerskin… – and linings – cashmere, silk, wool… – and help you find the style of gloves that suits you. Do come and visit us!
Courtois Paris glove collections
View all
Un gantier, c'est une personne qui vous accompagne chaque jour...
L'art gantier est un art vieux comme le monde, que la Maison Courtois Paris a à coeur de préserver. Il a même donné naissance aux parfumeurs, qui développaient des parfums pour masquer l'odeur des peaux en cuir ! Nous veillons à ce que ce savoir-faire unique et précieux continue de se transmettre. C'est un art qui s'apprend avec du temps et qui s'en apprécie d'autant plus...
