Dramatic changes in coat and jacket sleeves demand equally dramatic accessories. The newest shapes in outerwear feature sleeves that end well before the wrist -- everything from bracelet-length to elbow-length and even higher have emerged as modern refinements on classic coats. And to make this look chic as can be, gloves are indispensable. "Gloves are very Audrey Hepburn -- very finished, very polished," says Cynthia Nellis, who writes on fashion at fashion.about.com. "There are so many different sleeves -- three-quarters, lantern, balloon -- and they all look good with long gloves." Catherine Loevner of Squirrel Hill needs no convincing. Her vast collection of gloves includes sophisticated vintage leather gloves as well as of-the-minute finds. Although she appreciates that many others are discovering the allure of a finely crafted, long glove because of its pairing with this season's coats, for her, they have never gone out of style. They are her signature fashion item. "I grew up in the '60s, and gloves were just a part of completing your ensemble," she says. She says she took note of Jackie Kennedy's fashionable gloves, as well as those of the women around her as she grew up in Morocco -- including her very fashionable French-Moroccan mother. Loevner collects antiques and finds many of her favorite gloves at estate sales and antique shows -- often unworn or with hang tags still attached. "I love gloves," she says. "Gloves are a statement." And there are many ways to make that statement, with gloves arriving in everything from soft knits to crinkly patent leather. Bonnie Levey, owner of Dress Circle in Shadyside, says her shop is "glove central," with classic styles and fashion-forward colors and fabrications including gold and gunmetal leathers and patents. And although she has been selling gloves for the past several seasons to go with bracelet-length sleeves, this year "it's reached a crescendo." "Gloves hearken back to a time when women were more elegant and had more of a sense of propriety in fashion," Levey says. Lois Joy Johnson, beauty and fashion director for More magazine, says the look is indeed elegant and classic -- but can be made modern through color choice or manner of wearing the glove. There are "long gloves you can scrunch, and it's fun to get into color if you're going to do this -- a sienna brown jacket with a green glove, for example, or a 'T-shirt-y' matte jersey glove, if you're going to be driving." For more formal events, gloves can pair with a dress -- a tonal match can give an ensemble a very tailored look, Johnson says, and conversely, a "bright shocking pink pair with a black, bracelet-sleeve coat on a rainy, snowy day" creates an unexpected pop in an ensemble. "They're going to be the new accent piece," she says. And women who buy a pair of gloves as a statement -- rather than or in addition to buying them as simply a way to keep warm -- might notice a change in their own body language. "You change the way you use your hands," Johnson says. "All your gestures become more apparent when you're wearing these extravagant gloves."

Glove tips Advice from Lois Joy Johnson, beauty and fashion director of More: &#149 Wear long gloves with shorter-sleeved coats and jackets, so that the top of the glove disappears under the hem of the sleeve. Use shorter gloves with long-sleeved coats and jackets. &#149 Avoid satin -- they have an overly theatrical look. &#149 Stay away from thick leather or shearling -- too difficult to move your fingers. &#149 Take stock of your collection of striking bangle bracelets -- they can look great layered over your long gloves. &#149 Avoid wearing a high-profile ring under a glove -- it will make an unattractive bump. &#149 Remove gloves when dining.

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