White cotton gloves

[Amish Country]

As a little girl mom insisted I ware white cotton gloves whenever I was forced to get dressed up, that included church and shopping. It was the proper thing to ware. It didn't take long before the gloves were anything but white.

I've read stories that even back in colonial America proper ladies, young and old, wore white cloth gloves. I never really thought about it until today and wonder if those gloves were prior generations answer to today's exam gloves and hand sanitizer? While they are porous they would keep hands from coming in direct contact with other people's skin by casual contact and can be sanitized in hot soapy water.

They will not take the place of proper hygiene, modern PPEs and hand sanitizer. If I can find some they might look better over top a pair of latex gloves. I will continue to wonder if historically white gloves were more than just a fashion trend. It is interesting that they fell out of fashion with the on come of modern antibiotics and vaccines.

 

[Rose]

Re: White cotton gloves

Gloves have an interesting history. From Google Books.
History of the Glove trade with customs connected with the glove. William Hull 1834.
http://books.google.com/books?id=mFpKAAAAYAAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq=history+of+gloves&hl=en&sa=X&ei=g5YsVKvoJNisyATC54LgAQ&ved=0CCUQuwUwAQ#v=onepage&q=history%20of%20gloves&f=false[/URL]

 

[Rose]

Re: White cotton gloves

Gloves have an interesting history. From Google Books.
History of the Glove trade with customs connected with the glove. William Hull 1834.

http://books.google.com/books?id=mFpKAAAAYAAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq=history+of+gloves&hl=en&sa=X&ei=g5YsVKvoJNisyATC54LgAQ&ved=0CCUQuwUwAQ#v=onepage&q=history%20of%20gloves&f=false[/URL]

 

[alforddm]

Re: White cotton gloves

Ladies of the past were expected to have very smooth hands. A callus or even a scratch was a undesirable. Given that, and the fact that disease spread was not well understood, and I think that it's more likely they were simply to protect the hands from things that might cause roughness. If any real "work" was to be done, such as riding or driving, heavy leather gloves were worn.

They may indeed have had the unintended side effect of preventing disease, at least in a small way. After all a "lady of quality" of would never want "get her hands dirty." However, men and lower class women were under no such restrictions so any real benefit would be limited at best.

 

[Amish Country]

Re: White cotton gloves

They may indeed have had the unintended side effect of preventing disease, at least in a small way. After all a "lady of quality" of would never want "get her hands dirty." However, men and lower class women were under no such restrictions so any real benefit would be limited at best.

Perhaps but as a young girl I was expected to ware them if going to church or dressed up and out in "public" shopping. With the growth of the middle class in the last century even lessees classes may have had there hands covered while in crowds. Poor Mom had her hands full trying to make a Lady out a of a confirmed tomboy.