Amy Vanderbilt when do southern women wear white gloves?

It is appropriate to wear formal white gloves to a formal or semi-formal event, such as weddings, proms, ballroom dances, teas, fashion shows, and last but not least, for the King of all Kings on Sunday morning. It is not appropriate to wear formal white gloves to a casual or sporting event, unless it is the Kentucky Derby. Just because you are an 80 year old Southern lady, you should not wear gloves to reflect this idea; you will instead appear to be an 80 year old senile lady living in the past. Wear gloves for the occasion, not for the pretense!