Moreover, these days the most common color of gloves is black or brown. And in those days, black gloves were most often worn by a gentleman with a mourning suit.
I have already said that in the 19th century men's suit lost all its pretentious decorativeness and became more concise in design and color. And as always happens in such cases, the more modest the style, the higher the quality of the product.
Kruger. D.P.Volk
This principle is still promoted today. And then the position of a man in society was betrayed not only by his suit, but also by accessories, including gloves: the way they sit, what kind of leather they are made of, how impeccable they are in cleanliness. Today, we usually evaluate men's shoes according to these criteria.
Eugene Francois Marie-Joseph Deverian. Portrait of Antoine Julien Meffre-Rouzan 1833
Men's gloves of the 19th century were sewn from the finest leather - huskies and made very narrow. They kept the gloves in special boxes, along with a strap to help put them on.
The "fingers" of the gloves were straightened with a rasp, and then, carefully, so as not to tear, they were put on the hand.
The color was well defined. For evening wear, plain white kid or suede cream gloves with black stripes were worn.
Wearing white gloves was tantamount to the pale white skin of the hands, that is, their owner showed others that he was rich and did not do dirty, hard work.
But colored gloves could be worn during the day.
Belmiro de Almeida - Arrufos. 1887
Further distinctions were made between town and country.
Cabanel Alexandre. Portrait De John William Mackay
Dark yellow or tan colored gloves were considered appropriate for country dress.
Portrait of Hon. John Hume (Egerton) Cust, Viscount Alford 
Black, brown, blue, grey, dark green colors since the middle of the 19th century were considered the most respectable glove colors for the city.
Vladimir Sherwood. Portrait of B.N. Chicherina
Couldn't resist pasting a photo film set movie "Dracula", I just really like the gray scale of this suit, including gloves.
At balls and receptions, women wore white or very light silk or kid gloves, men in civilian clothes wore white or cream kid gloves,
James Tissot. The reception. 1885 
James Tissot. The Woman of Fashion. 1883-1885
and men in uniform are light (more often white) suede.
Nikolay Tomilov. Petr Zabolotskiy. 1837
Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres. Portrait of Ferdinand-Philippe, Duke of Orleans. Collection du Comte de Paris, Louveciennes, France
"Rules secular life and etiquette” in 1889 recommended: “Do not take off your gloves during the ball, even if your gloves burst; in view of forethought, going to a ball, it is not bad to put a spare pair of gloves in your pocket. You have to take off your gloves at dinner and playing cards.”
The recognized dandy of the 19th century, Count Alfred d'Orsay was also known for wearing six pairs of gloves a day: first he put on buckskin gloves for the morning trip, then suede gloves for hunting, then kid gloves for a trip to London. There were also kid gloves for shopping in the afternoon, and yellow husky gloves for the dinner party, and then also from husky, but white, embroidered with silk - for the evening ball.
Portrait of the Count d'Orsay.
Another dandy, the cleanliness maniac D. Brummell, made sure to come home during the day to completely change his suit and shoes, and always carried spare gloves with him so that they were spotlessly clean and fresh. A speck on gloves was considered blatantly unacceptable. Moreover, Brummell ordered gloves of a special, comfortable cut. They were sewn by three tailors: one - the palm, the other - the thumb, the third - the rest of the fingers. However, this may be a legend composed by him.
The main materials for the manufacture of gloves were leather of various dressings: husky, suede, Swedish or Danish leather.
Portrait of "Willy" The Writer Henri Gauthier-Villarscirca 1905
““Danish” or “Swedish” gloves differ from others in that they have the meaty side of the skin on the outside, and not the one that faces the wool,” tells us “ encyclopedic Dictionary Brockhaus and Efron.
An old proverb says: "It takes three kingdoms to make one glove: Spain will provide the husky, France will cut, and England will sew." The cut was the most important part, because gloves needed exact measurements of the wearer's hand.
Despite the invention of the glove machine in the 19th century, many did not encourage the mass production of luxury goods. The glove had to fit the palm perfectly, like a second skin. No wonder there is such an expression: "Sits like a glove", although this has nothing to do with today's wide-legged gloves.
Boldini Giovanni. Le Comte Robert de Montesquiou 1897
Limerick gloves were very popular in the 18th and early 19th centuries. Although it is believed that they were produced only in County Limerick (Ireland), in fact, they were later made in other cities in Ireland and England.
These gloves were sewn from leather so thin that a pair was folded and placed inside a walnut shell.
They were also called "chicken skin gloves" to hide the unpleasant fact that they were actually made from the skins of unborn calves.
There was even a “ring” test: if you could easily slip gloves through a lady's ring, then they were really high quality. They were so thin that they were only worn once.
Limerick gloves typically came in various shades of cream and yellow and were worn throughout the day.
Giovanni Boldini, Portrait of Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec
Actually, husky gloves were also thin and often torn. Therefore, they usually ordered a lot of gloves, dozens, or even hundreds. Rich gentlemen threw away dirty and torn gloves, while poorer ones tried to clean and sew them up. On antique sites you can find a special darn for gloves.
Since it was not easy to put on a glove on the hand for the first time, they put them on at home before going out.
Inganni Angelo. Ritratto di giovane uomo che si toglie un guanto
At home, arranging morning and evening receptions, the hostess always met guests with gloves. The owner put them on only for the evening reception.
During the visit, if the man took off his glove, then only with one hand. If he had to take off both gloves, then he had to put them on before leaving.
"IN the highest degree it is not permissible to leave a house without gloves that one enters with gloves” (“Life in the Light, at Home and at Court”, 1890)
There were a lot of rules, it was not easy to understand them. But one thing is clear - men were reverent about this accessory in the 19th century. It would be nice if elegance is back in fashion today...
TechnoTextile LLC produces cotton with PVC, which are used in various fields human activities. But, probably, it is interesting to know where the gloves came from.
The first gloves looked quite exotic: small hand pouches that were tied around the wrist. Such gloves first appeared several millennia (!!!) BC, in Ancient Egypt. Later, a special protrusion was made in the bags for thumb. It is believed that it was in these gloves that the Egyptians ate and worked so as not to get their hands dirty. One of the oldest gloves was found by archaeologists during excavations of the tomb of Tutankhamen. In the glove of the pharaoh, unlike its predecessors, all fingers were separated.
The ancient Greeks disapproved of people wearing gloves, considering them sissies. Basically, the Greeks wore gloves only for work. There is a passage in Homer where Odysseus finds his father in gloves weeding.
But in Ancient Rome almost everyone wore gloves. The Romans protected their hands not only from cold and dirt, but also from hot food. It was much more convenient to take pieces of scalding food in thick gloves than with bare hands, and they did not have cutlery.
In the Middle Ages, gloves began to be in great demand. Rich and noble citizens wore gloves with all fingers, and the gloves of warriors made of iron plates or leather gloves of hunters strongly resembled mittens. The most beautiful and expensive were the gloves of kings and high clergy, embroidered with silver, gold and precious stones.
The cult of gloves, when they turned from a useful thing into a fashionable addition to clothing, arose in the late Middle Ages. And, first of all, the glove became a symbol of power. Bishops received it upon entering the dignity. Knights with her swore allegiance and received another "promotion". And representatives of the urban class were given a glove as a sign that they were given special privileges (for example, permission to trade, collect taxes and mint coins was issued by handing the royal glove). Even judges got down to work only by putting on gloves.
And, of course, gloves played a very special role in the life of medieval knights. A glove thrown in the face meant a terrible insult, followed by a duel. The glove received from the lady was a sign of special favor. Having received such a gift, the knight did not part with it even at night. Usually such a glove was worn in a special pouch around the neck or behind the belt.
This is a small part of what we wanted to tell you about the history of gloves. In the next article we will try to please you with new interesting stories.
TekhnoTekstil LLC produces cotton and cotton work gloves with and without PVC. Our managers are always ready to answer all your questions, and a wide range of gloves is always available in stock.
The first gloves looked quite exotic: small hand pouches that were tied around the wrist.
Such gloves first appeared several millennia BC in ancient Egypt, scientists say. Later, a special protrusion for the thumb was made in the bags.
It is believed that it was in these gloves that the Egyptians ate and worked so as not to get their hands dirty. One of the oldest gloves was found by archaeologists during excavations of the tomb of Tutankhamen. In the glove of the pharaoh, unlike its predecessors, all fingers were separated.
The ancient Greeks disapproved of people wearing gloves, considering them sissies. The weather in the Balkans, as now, was warm, so there was no need to additionally protect the hands.
Titian Vecellio da Cadore. Man with a glove, 1520-1522
Basically, the Greeks wore gloves only for work. There is a passage in Homer where Odysseus finds his father in gloves weeding. But in ancient Rome, almost everyone wore gloves. The Romans protected their hands not only from cold and dirt, but also from hot food. It was much more convenient to take pieces of scalding food in thick gloves than with bare hands, and they did not have cutlery.
Lucas Cranach the Elder. "Joachim II - Prince Elect". 1520 year. Iron gloves are an indispensable attribute of a knight's costume.
Hans Holbein the Younger. "Charles de Solier, Sieur de Morette, french ambassador in London". 1534. In the Renaissance, noble people were depicted in ceremonial portraits with gloves. This custom survived until the 19th century.
In the Middle Ages, gloves began to be in great demand. It's funny that some of them strongly resembled mittens, such as the gloves of warriors made of iron plates or the leather gloves of hunters. However, rich and noble citizens wore gloves with all fingers. The most beautiful and expensive were the gloves of kings and high clergy, embroidered with silver, gold and precious stones.
Historians suggest that the cult of gloves first arose in the late Middle Ages, when they turned from a useful item into a fashionable addition to clothing.
And first of all, the glove became a symbol of power. Bishops received it upon entering the dignity, knights swore allegiance with it and received another "promotion", and representatives of the urban class were given a glove as a sign that they were given special privileges.
1873 - 1930. White glove. Lambert, George
For example, permission to trade, collect taxes and mint coins was issued by handing the royal glove. Even judges got down to work only by putting on gloves.
And, of course, gloves played a very special role in the life of medieval knights. A glove thrown in the face meant a terrible insult, followed by a duel.
Edgar Degas (1878).
The glove received from the lady was a sign of her special favor. Having received such a gift, the knight did not part with it even at night. Usually such a glove was worn in a special pouch around the neck or behind the belt.
TO XII century In Europe, a special profession appeared - the glover, which was incredibly honorable.
After all, how much skill is needed to sew a glove exactly in the shape of a hand, and even decorate it with embroidery or precious stones! Not everyone could afford such a work of art now.
And gloves finally passed into the category of luxury goods: the more elegant the glove, the richer and more influential its owner.
The advent of the Renaissance changed nothing. Gloves have been, and remain, an extremely fashionable and expensive accessory. They were made of linen, silk and, of course, leather, embroidered with gold, silver and pearls. And at the end of the 15th century, it was considered a special chic to sprinkle gloves with perfume.
Legend has it that the insidious Catherine de Medici took advantage of this by presenting the wife of the Navarre king with gloves soaked in a potent poison. The unfortunate woman died in terrible agony...
Leonardo da Vinci himself did not stay away from fashion and came up with useful gloves designed for swimming and looking like flippers. In the 16th century, etiquette became more complicated in many countries, and men had to take off their tight gloves and put them on again several times a day.
The representatives of the stronger sex were not allowed to wear gloves: to shake hands, to be at funerals, festivities and in church.
It was also prescribed to remove gloves in the presence of the king. And although, going towards the consumer, gloves began to be made freer, some men stopped wearing them on their hands, but attached them to their belts.
Nicola-Sebastian Froste. Portrait of A.V. Suvorov with a field marshal's baton
Fortunately, such restrictions did not apply to women's gloves, so the glove makers shifted their attention to them. Satin, lace, delicately dressed leather, buttons and monograms, gilded embroideries and appliqués...
However real sensation in the world of gloves, there has been a dramatic change in their length. With the advent of dresses with short sleeves, piquantly baring hands, women's gloves lengthened sharply in the ladies' wardrobe.
Edouard Manet. Spring Jeanne. 1881
The principle was simple: the shorter the sleeve, the higher the glove. Everyone calls the English Queen Elizabeth I the founder of the new fashion, who, back in 1566, at an official ceremony in Oxford, appeared in gloves that reached almost to the elbow.
However, only by the end of the 18th century did long gloves manage to gain popularity among demanding fashionistas.
Meanwhile, men's gloves experienced not better times. The reason for this was the fashion that appeared during the Baroque and Rococo for long lace cuffs that almost covered the wrist.
Wearing both gloves and cuffs at the same time was stupid. I had to leave one thing, and without thinking twice, the men refused gloves. Tellingly, in the equipment of the French musketeers, the glove was still preserved, but only one ... for the hand that holds the sword.
Men's interest in gloves was revived by Napoleon Bonaparte. A great admirer of this addition to the costume, the great French commander believed that gloves give a man a courageous and warlike look. According to contemporaries, by 1806 he had more than 240 pairs of gloves in his collection.
François Gerard, Napoleon in his coronation suit, 1804
Napoleon wore them almost around the clock and urged like-minded people to do the same. Everyone liked the quirk of the nation's favorite, and soon men's gloves came back into fashion.
Napoleon's wife, Josephine, did not share her husband's passion for gloves, but still wore them. Most often, she went out in very long gloves, and no one even guessed that the emperor's wife just wanted to hide her ugly hands.
answering fashion trends XIX century, new men's gloves completely lost their decorations, became strict and ascetic. The main emphasis in them was on the cut and quality of the material.
Rich dudes from time to time ordered gloves from several masters at the same time: one cut, the other sewed wrists, the third - fingers, and the skin was generally brought from abroad. There were more and more people wishing to acquire gloves, the excitement increased, and gloves remained piece goods.
Kramskoy I. Unknown. 1883
The hard work of glovemakers was facilitated in 1807 by the Englishman James Winter. His leather sewing machine quickly completed all the orders, and noble gentlemen were finally able to change gloves depending on the weather, clothes and mood.
Ekimov V. Yu. Still life with thrown gloves
The women had their pleasures. Extravagant fingerless gloves came into fashion. Following fishnet stockings, fishnet gloves appeared.
And then from wild Russia they brought incredibly soft and elastic kid gloves, which were sewn from the skin of newborn kids and lambs.
By the way, the Russian Emperor Nicholas I, a great zealot of order, once saw an officer without gloves at a ball - unthinkable insolence! To the king's remark, the officer replied that he had lost his gloves. Then Nicholas gave him his.
Portrait by Vladimir Sverchkov. Nicholas I
The 20th century put everything in its place. Goat gloves became the most fashionable for women, pork for men, and dog skin was used for sports gloves.
Jewelry for gloves ceased to be particularly popular, but concessions were made to fastidious customers and offered samples with embroidery, feathers and fake diamonds.
The last surge of interest in gloves ended around the middle of the century. Beautiful actresses of the past Sarah Bernhardt, Vivien Leigh, Audrey Hepburn and Marilyn Monroe wore breathtaking gloves, and their fans and fans, wanting to be like idols, besieged haberdashery stores.
Audrey Hepburn
It may seem to many that modernity has lost that romance that has shrouded the history of gloves for so many centuries. But this is only at first glance. Those who follow the latest fashion trends will not lie: no haute couture or pret-a-porter collection is complete without such an important accessory as gloves.
Many fashion designers and designers often give gloves a key role in the show - after all, this accessory allows you to competently and profitably emphasize the uniqueness of the image they have created. So for those who value gloves only for warmth, it's high time to look at them in a new way.
From the rules of etiquette:
Gloves. The man pulls off his glove for a handshake. A woman does not take off her right glove when shaking hands.
A man takes off his gloves as he enters a private residence. A woman does not take off her gloves when she enters a private residence. The rules require a woman not to wear gloves at the dinner table in her home or restaurant.
She keeps her gloves on her lap, puts them in her wallet, or leaves them anywhere she likes. Both men and women remove at least one glove when smoking indoors.
Glove tongue
Moral principles Victorian era were not allowed to express their feelings freely. The lady could not openly approach her chosen one and let everyone know what was on her mind.
For secret communication, various romantic sign languages were invented, which allowed partners to convey news to each other and even make an appointment. Many secret languages were firmly attached to all kinds of social events and functioned as a special kind of game and a generally accepted form of flirting.
The most common were the language of flowers, the language of the fan. There were others, the fantasy of lovers was inexhaustible.
There was also a language of gloves, quite natural at a time when gloves were an integral part of the women's toilet. With the help of gloves, a lady could signal her lover, show her interest in someone, or ask him to stay away. The man had only to carefully observe what she was doing with her gloves.
Here are the most common meanings of this language:
Yes - the glove should have been dropped as if by accident.
No - just fiddling with gloves with your hand.
Do not leave - lightly, as if jokingly hit on the left shoulder.
I hate you - turn gloves inside out.
I love you - drop both gloves at once.
Forgive me - put the glove of your right hand to your heart.
HARRISON FISHER
Annoyance or displeasure was expressed by a strong blow to the hand with gloves.
They are watching us - wrap gloves around your finger.
I want to meet - hold the gloves with your fingers down.
HARRISON FISHER
I want to be with you, I want to talk - to gently stroke my gloves.
Be careful - freely keep gloves in right hand.
I'm happy to be able to hold the gloves freely in my left hand.
I'm busy tossing the gloves up a little.
I love another - pat on the chin with a glove
Lempicka Tamara. Girl in gloves.
Behind centuries of history they mastered many functions. In addition to the main purpose of being part of clothing, gloves have become an element of etiquette, a means of flirting, a way to challenge to a duel.
Spanish gloves. 1800
The oldest gloves were found in 1922 in a tomb Egyptian pharaoh Tutankhamen.
Linen shirt with a cross and a glove in which Tutankhamun was buried.
Among the ancient Assyrians and Egyptians, gloves were a symbol of nobility, and they were given great importance. Their ladies applied honey and oils to their hands, putting on silk gloves over them.
The Persian king Cyrus II, who lived in the 6th century BC, executed his subjects only because they dared to come to him without gloves.
IN Ancient Greece gloves were performed mainly by workers and protective functions. Thus, Homer's Odysseus returns home and sees his father weeding with gloves.
Odysseus
Shepherds and farmers wore them in Everyday life, among the nobility, this was not accepted.
Antique Amphora (Proche du Peintre de Kleophrades Amphore Attique a Figures rouges 0 43 m Vienne, Kunsthistotisches Museum)
This is what an ancient Roman meal looked like. The Romans ate exclusively reclining.
There were no cutlery in those days, and it was easy to get dirty, burn and even get hurt at the table, so they didn’t eat without gloves.
Gladiators and athletes during fisticuffs protected their hands by winding long belts of untanned leather around them, while leaving their fingers free.
Ancient Roman mosaic. gladiators.
In Rus', mittens have long been worn. In the North, the Urals and Siberia, they sometimes wore two pairs of mittens at once: tops and bottoms. Mittens here were usually called upper leather or cloth mittens, and lower knitted ones were called vargas, mittens.
In the royal wardrobe there were “iridescent” mittens, the wrist was sewn with gold on worm-like (crimson) satin with pearls, gold and silver fringe. The honor guard, according to the inventory of 1674, wore gloves with large bells on their hands. The officers of the archery regiments also wore gloves with bells.
Falcon hunting. The bird sits down on the catcher's hand in a suede glove (with a bare hand one could be left without fingers).
"Tsar Alexei chooses his bride." Sedov G.S.
In the royal life, women hid their hands in a sleeve or muff in winter: gloves and mittens were almost never used here. Such a sleeve was made of velvet or satin, trimmed with sable ponytails, sometimes decorated with gold tassels, pearls, and stones. 
Ryabushkin A.P. "Moscow girl XVII century"
But the gloves were in Rus'. Along with mittens, work gloves were worn during work in which fingers had to be free.
A. G. Venetsianov "Barn" (detail)
In the Vologda province, women's gloves were cut from black cloth and covered with embroideries from spun gold, in the Voronezh province they were knitted from various colored threads. Women's long gloves to the elbow, worn with festive costume- a shirt, a sundress, a shower warmer, - they were knitted from white linen, cotton threads. Women of the northern provinces sewed elegant gloves from cloth or morocco, embroidered them on top with gold or silver thread; such gloves were worn on major holidays, such as Easter; they went to ring the bell tower. Beautiful, expensive gloves were carefully kept, passed down from generation to generation.
Gloves with gold embroidery. Arhangelsk region.
Since the 6th century, gloves have become an indispensable attribute of church ceremonies. During the consecration of a clergyman to the rank of bishop, the Pope, along with other items, handed him a pair of gloves.
Gloves, part of a bishop's vestments. Spain 1530
Scientists believe that the cult of gloves fell on the era late Middle Ages. For men, this accessory became an expression of power: the knights swore allegiance to it and threw it, challenging it to a duel, they handed it to the townspeople, giving special privileges, judges started working only with gloves on.
Lucas Cranach the Elder. "Joachim II - Prince Elect". 1520 year. Iron gloves - an indispensable attribute of a knight's costume.
The handing over of the glove meant that the knight became a vassal of the one to whom he handed over the “pledge”. If the glove was thrown under the feet to the ground, this was followed by a challenge to the match. Getting the same gloves from beautiful lady was considered a gesture of her highest favor. The knight did not part with this symbol of allegiance day or night, he wore a precious gift in a special bag around his neck. In some knightly orders, even the brides at the marriage ceremony were handed the chosen one with a sword and a glove.
Glove for the right hand, part of the knightly armor of Don Alonso Perez de Guzman el Bueno.1580.
The permission to collect taxes, trade, coinage was the royal glove.
Gloves of Elizabeth I, 1566.
Gloves with a compartment for each finger were worn only by representatives of the upper classes and wealthy citizens.
Hans Holbein the Younger. "Charles de Solier, Sieur de Morette, French Ambassador in London". 1534. During the Renaissance, noble people were depicted in ceremonial portraits wearing gloves. This custom continued until the 19th century.
During the Renaissance, gloves were still a fashionable and expensive item of clothing. From the 15th century important place in life secular society took up etiquette. Men were forbidden to wear gloves in front of the king, in church, at funerals, and to shake hands.
England. 1690-1710
Men had to take off their tight gloves several times a day and put them on again, so there was a fashion not to wear them at all, but simply to wear them behind a belt.
Diego de Silva Velazquez. "Lady with a fan". 1646. These gloves were worn spanish women in the middle of the 17th century.
TO early XVIII centuries in men's fashion, lace and buttons are considered signs of sophistication and wealth. Due to the lush and long cuffs, gloves are practically invisible and therefore gradually lose their relevance. They are worn, but they do not attach any importance to them .. The French musketeers began to use only one glove, which was used to hold a sword.
17th century musketeer outfit The cuffs and collar of the shirt are richly decorated with lace..
England. 17th century
In Europe, at the very end of the 18th century, imitation of antiquity became fashionable. Young ladies, wanting to look like nymphs, ordered sleeveless dresses made of light transparent fabrics, and to them - gloves above the elbow.
Gloves above the elbow, as in the painting by Jean-Baptiste Isabey "Christian Boyer" first quarter XIX century, came into use in late XVIII - early XIX century.
Andrea Appiani. "Napoleon I Bonaparte"
Napoleon reintroduced the fashion for gloves: he believed that they give a courageous and warlike look. All his associates were supposed to enter his office only in them. By 1806, the commander's collection included over 240 pairs.
George Brummel - the first Dandy
In England, the founder of dandyism, George Brummel, introduced rules recommending different situations your color, material and style of gloves. In this regard, English gentlemen happened to change gloves six times a day! The expression “Change like gloves” is connected with this.
They were cherished, kept in special caskets, at the yards. So much attention was paid to gloves that Balzac dedicated a short essay to them, "Studying the manners of society by gloves."
La venitienne au bal masque. Joseph Desire Court. 1837.
In women, it becomes fashionable to wear gloves with fingers during the day, and in the evening - without fingers.
In 1807, the Englishman James Winter invented a machine for sewing leather gloves. Since then, production has become streaming, and the price of gloves has decreased accordingly. At the same time, the first rubber models appeared. The invented mechanism pressed the edges of the product so that they held well and the joints were barely visible.
The first person who carried out the mechanical cutting of gloves was the employee of the Grenoble hospital, the Frenchman Xavier Juvin. Studying the hands of dead people, Juvin managed to identify 32 standard sizes, and in the 1830s. he proposed to cut gloves from a single material, including the thumb.
Until the 1930s, gloves were a symbol good manners in secular society.
Evening gloves 1930. France. silk.
Thanks to Hollywood, the fashion for gloves did not go away until the middle of the century.
Sarah Bernhardt Vivien Leigh and Laurence Olivier
By the way, according to the new international system glove size equal to the circumference of the palm (in centimeters) at its widest part, without the thumb. 
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