Historical Facts
- The oldest gloves in existence are a pair of linen gloves found in the tomb of Egyptian King Tutankhamen who died in 1350 BC.
- Homer described Laertes in his vineyards as wearing gloves to protect his hands from brambles.
- During the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, gloves became very fashionable. The fingers sometimes being 11 inches longer than the hand which resulted in them having to be filled with paper.
- The Victorians wore tight fitting gloves and it could take as long as 20 minutes to put on one glove.
- Pagan priests wore gloves when making sacrifices and Pharaohs on ceremonial occasions.
- The association of gloves with history and custom has symbolised them with Royal power, a challenge to combat or a gift of friendship.
- A man in a particular part of Hindustani could buy a wife with a pair of yellow gloves.
- A maiden in Sicily wishing to be married customarily would wear red gloves.
- Eskimos in certain regions of Greenland make gloves from their dead wife's hair as a symbol of respect.
- Mary Queen of Scots removed her gloves (then considered a Royal symbol) when she went to the scaffold to prevent them from rudely being stripped from her.
- During the French Revolution, anyone wearing gloves was suspected of being an aristocrat.
- Flinging down the gauntlet is known to be an historical custom. The Plaintiff would appear in Court and demand single combat by flinging down his glove which was immediately taken up by his opponent at the point of a sword and the day of combat arranged.
- As a token of love a knight would ask for his lady's glove to wear in his helmet during tournaments or in battle.
- King Charles IV was so fond of gloves that he wore over 200 pairs in one single year.
- The patron saint of glovers is Saint Anne, the presumptive mother of the Virgin Mary who made her livelihood by sewing gloves for the men of the day. A statue in her honour once stood in the public Square of Grenoble. "Saint Anne's Day" was celebrated in all the glove centres of the world during the month of June, particularly in France.
- Napoleon (1769 - 1821) encouraged Josephine and all the ladies of his Court to wear gloves. In 1806 he was said to have owned 240 pairs and placed an order for 40 pairs of winter gloves, many lined with Ermine.
