Gloves provide the ultimate warmth and protection for hands in winter. People living in colder climates wear fleece or cashmere gloves from an early age. Besides keeping you warm, gloves can also be fashionable.
Gloves have a long history. Members of the clergy and the aristocracy used them to protect their hands and the valuable objects they touched. In Victorian and even Edwardian times, it was considered impolite for a lady to offer an un-gloved hand in greeting, and no well dressed lady would be seen in church without her matching hat and gloves. A slap across the face with a man’s glove was once considered the ultimate insult and throwing down the gauntlet (a type of glove) used to be an invitation to a duel.
Gloves have certainly kept up with the times and now come in a variety of materials each adapted to their specific purpose: latex gloves for doctors and surgeons, rubber gloves and cotton gloves for cleaning purposes, heavy duty cotton gloves for gardening, rubber backed gloves for brushing a dog or cat, fur-lined gloves for keeping your hands warm and leather gloves for driving or riding. Your gloves can still speak volumes about your dress sense. You can choose between long, elbow length or cuff length varieties depending on preference.
Even in warmer climates, in strictly Islamic communities, it is still traditional for women to wear black gloves to conceal their hands when out in public. They can be considered functional, elegant and even sensual. Whatever your individual preference, there is bound to be a pair to suit you.
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