There are Democrats and Republicans. There are Yankees fans and Red Sox fans.

And there are glove wearers and mitten wearers.

The common saying, “To each his own.,” becomes completely invalid when it comes to winter hand apparel. In fact, the only logical way to dress for the cold is the innovative and sleek glove.

Gloves, you see, allow for maximum dexterity. True, mittens allow for greater insulation, but what’s more important? Feeling slightly warmer or sending that crucial text to your BF or even more importantly your BFFL?

If texting doesn’t matter to you, there’s another reason why gloves are a no brainer: Age.

Mittens are undoubtedly more juvenile. Just think back to those homely fleece mittens your mom used to forcefully shove on your hands right before you got on the bus. There’s a reason why those kids stared at you as you walked down the aisle. They sure are warm but, man, what a puerile look.

On the other hand (no pun intended), gloves just scream sophistication. When I think of the connotations associated with “gloves,” I think of fine Italian leather gloves on a tall woman, with an exotic accent, who resides in a New York City penthouse. Gloves are totally sophisticateder.

Yes, gloves and mittens definitely have two starkly different auras. But some people don’t consider the “aura” their outdoor apparel creates.

So there is another factor to take in to consideration: your dependency level.

If you are anything like me, you hate asking favors of people. Mittens make you extremely vulnerable when it comes to carrying out tactile tasks.

“Can you open this for me?”

“Can you unzip this jacket?”

“Can you itch my nose for me … a little to the left.”

That’s right. Mittens are extremely inhibiting and thus require you to ask favors of your friends or worse – the occasional ice skating rink stranger.

Gloves offer much more hand agility. You can open anything, unzip anything and scratch anything you please. What’s more, you never look dependent on other people’s hands.

So,  it’s pretty clear I’m a gloves girl. They’re practical, sophisticated and promote independence.

However, there is a catch.

The real winner in the gloves vs. mittens controversy is the convertible glove. The glitten, if you will. They are a glove/mitten hybrid and allow finger agility while also including an insulating mitten cap that can be pulled on or off.

Now that is what I call genius.