HOW DORIS DELEVINGNE GOT CALLED "THE GIRL WITH THE GLOVES" and OWNED SEVERAL HUNDRED PAIRS OF SHOES

 

As Doris Delevingne climbed socially to mingle with high society of the 1920's, she went about London town with her best friend and co-conspirator, an actress named Gertrude Lawrence and established a second hand evening gown business that catered to the needs of actresses and showgirls. There's a rumor that for a short time she tried out being a chorus girl herself, however it is thought that she was working more as a Hostess. There were underground clubs in London in those days and one of them was in Grafton Galleries, an art gallery by day and nightclub after dark. While partying there, Doris was always seen wearing opera gloves. These are the classic gloves that come up past one's elbow and are usually worn with sleeveless dresses. She wore white opera gloves. Or she wore black ones. (Many other colors were available.) And so when people saw her across the room they would identify her as "the girl who wore gloves." Gloves were required of the women who danced there, not on stage, but on the floor with patrons of the club.

Gertie's friends were considered to be "Cafe Society, ' a rarified social group composed of international socialites and aristocrats who were known to one another personally, or by reputation. She also wanted to rise in society.

Want to know more about the history of gloves? This VINTAGEDANCER.COM GLOVES site has an impressive story and pictures.

According to the book The Mistress of Mayfair, Mayfair being a part of London known to be posh, by Lyndsy Spence, Doris' first serious affair was with Stephen "Laddie" Sanford, a polo player worth 40 million pounds.  She went shopping with his largesse and bought 200 pairs of custom Italian shoes, wearing each pair no more than four times.  She bought silk stockings by the dozen and wore them only once. What did she do with all those "worn" shoes and stockings? She gave them to chorus girls who could not afford them.

Laddie was educated at Cambridge and was an American who had become famous for winning the 1923 Grand National, which is a National Hunt horse race held in Liverpool where horses leap over 30 fences.  he set up a house in London and Doris moved in, only to find that Edwina, Lady Mountbatten was competing to get Laddie. When Edwina won that bout, Doris moved on to Sir Edward MacKay Edgar, closer to 50 than her 20-something, he was also rich enough to buy anything he wanted, including his title.

It was after these temporary Mistress gigs that Doris met the man she would marry,

As for her jewelry collection that would eventually come from exclusive jewelers such as Cartier and Schiaparelli. Those she didn't give away like shoes and stockings.

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