Welcome back to the Gentleman's Gazette. In today's video,
we'll try our hand at explaining why men stopped wearing colorful gloves.
♪ Gentleman's Gazette Theme Song ♪
While gloves worn for warmth are a common feature in menswear, especially in cold climates,
you'll probably notice that most of those gloves are pretty utilitarian with bulky, thick bodies
and bland colors like black or dark gray. These gloves are a far cry from the colorful,
fine gloves that were once worn in menswear. These colorful gloves were often called "day gloves"
because they were worn during the day as part of regular attire, and they were distinct from
formal evening gloves. You can learn more about gloves of all types in our definitive guide. Day
gloves could be worn in cold weather,
but they were also worn regularly throughout the year, regardless of
temperature with unlined, more breathable options proliferating in the warmer months.
Day gloves often came in a variety of unique and interesting colors because they are meant
to add visual interest to the entire ensemble. These day gloves were once so intrinsic a part
of a man's wardrobe that, in 1860, it was joked that, for a man to be fashionable,
he had to wear no less than six different pairs of gloves a day. By the Golden Age of Menswear,
six different pairs of gloves in a day would have been considered excessive, but colorful day
gloves remained an important menswear accessory for most of the first half of the 20th century,
before falling out of favor during the second half. Today's video will be all about determining
why colorful day gloves lost their popularity, which took us from gloves that were "fun and
fab" to "sad and drab." The Extinction of Class Distinction: Gloves as Class Marker. In
our video on the decline of hat-wearing, Preston noted that certain types of hats were associated
with certain social classes, and the same was true of gloves. Expensive gloves made from fine
materials and bright colors were associated with upper classes because they could be easily damaged
and were difficult to keep clean. The implication was that anyone wearing them did not have to do
anything that might get their hands dirty. In the 1897 play "Cyrano de Bergerac," the main
character is mocked for not wearing fine gloves that typify a nobleman, to which he replies,
"I wear no gloves, so what? I had an old pair once, but when they had grown worn, I slapped
some young upstart with them." While working men might wear heavy-duty gloves intended for labor,
gentlemen of leisure remained associated with colorful day gloves into the 20th century.
After World War I, however, the breakdown of traditional class structures meant that gloves
weren't as useful as class distinguishers and day gloves were sometimes intentionally rejected as
elitist. A great fictional example of this can be seen in Tommy Shelby in "Peaky Blinders,"
who is wealthy enough to afford colorful day gloves, but prefers wearing plain black, working
gloves as a projection of the values of the upper classes. Fine day gloves were once a distinguished
characteristic of a gentleman but, as the definition and behavior of a gentleman changed
into the 20th century, gloves were no longer "handatory." Oops,
I meant mandatory. Environmental Evolution:
How the World Around Gloves Changed. The 20th century saw massive changes in how
men kept warm and got around. If your main mode of transportation is riding horseback, in a carriage,
or on a bus, day gloves will be an essential accessory to help keep you warm and regulate
your temperature even during mild conditions. But, if you get around in a well-heated car,
gloves then become dispensable, especially if you want to enjoy that heated steering wheel. There's
also the fact that increasingly warm environments can make modern glove wearing uncomfortable,
a problem that can be exacerbated if you happen to sweat easily or profusely, we can expand these
changes to the larger environmental picture by noting that, during the heyday of day gloves
in the 19th and early 20th centuries, coal and dirty burning petroleum were the main energy
sources. That meant smog and grime were much more common, so day gloves were also worn to protect
the hands from pollutants that proliferated on many outdoor surfaces. Because the gloves are
brightly colored and the dirt can be quickly recognized, so the wearer would know to remove
his gloves before touching anything that would be permanently stained. And later on, the gloves
could be cleaned. As our overall environment has gotten cleaner and our methods for staying warm
while on-the-go have become more efficient, day gloves are no longer an essential for daily work
and that's for worn less often. From Fashion to Functionality: the Changing Role of Gloves in
Menswear. As the 20th century progressed, there's a widening gulf between functional gloves,
like those intended to only keep your hands warm, and day gloves that were increasingly
becoming decorative accessories. Functional gloves were dredged exclusively by how well
they did their job, with little attention paid to fine detailing or elegant styling,
while day gloves played an important part in outfit coordination. In addition to functionality
like warming the hands, during the Golden Age of Menswear, all clothing items were more expensive,
so man built wardrobes around curated items that coordinated well and were stylish and versatile.
Colorful day gloves were a favorite accessory because they could effortlessly change the
look of any outfit. In fact colorful day gloves even inspired a Robert Burns poem:
"O, my glove is like a red, red rose that's newly sprung in June. My glove
is like the melody that's sweetly played in tune."
At least, I think that's how I remember that poem going. As fast fashion began to take over
around the 1970s, clothes became cheaper and easier to acquire. Men no longer had to rely
on cleverly-employed accessories like day gloves to effectively expand their wardrobes. They could
just buy a larger, albeit cheaper quality collections of clothes. Access to cheaper
clothing changed how men interacted with their accessories because the range and diversity of
clothing with which accessories had to match increased dramatically. One approach was to buy
accessories on gloves in every color imaginable to simplify matching and to cultivate monochromatic
looks. But, this could be expensive and could result in ownership of an inordinate number
of gloves. Therefore, most men decided it would be easier to buy gloves that would go
with everything and colors that were already associated with colorful work gloves - black,
dark gray, and dark brown. Changes in clothing production and an increasing
emphasis on practicality turned gloves from a fashion concern to a function concern,
and the role that colorful, unique gloves had once played in menswear was supplanted
by more utilitarian gloves in bland colors. Day Gloves Become Formal and Superfluous.
As the stylistic distinction between day gloves and functional gloves began
to collapse during the second half of the 20th century, many men began to
reject day gloves entirely as an unnecessary accessory that didn't serve a real function,
especially as a common tenant at modern menswear is disturbing away of unnecessary
accessories to create a clean, minimalistic look. Functional gloves are worn as a matter,
of course. If your hands are chilly, it's worth carrying around a warm pair of gloves but day
gloves were increasingly viewed as superfluous. After all, most of us just can't hand our gloves
over to our butlers when we weren't wearing them. When day gloves were seen, they were
primarily and increasingly formal and decorative settings. James Bond wears a pair in the 1985 film
"A View to a Kill," but only as part of a morning Ensemble at the Royal Ascot Horse Races. Because
day gloves are viewed as a formal accessory that should only be worn during special occasions,
their regular wear declined all the more quickly following another marked decline in popularity.
Cost and Quality Concerns: Modern Glove Production. As the former functionality of gloves
changed drastically during the second half of the 20th century, production methods changed as well.
Manufacturers were happy to turn up boring gloves and plain colors. They could be mass produced
cheaply and having to design fewer variations cut costs and reduce the need for additional overhead.
This made gloves like these easy and affordable to acquire. On the other hand, colorful gloves
were caught between a rock and a hard place. To compete with mass-produced gloves and more
boring colors, some glove manufacturers decided to fight fire with fire, turning out colorful gloves
at extremely low prices, but with similarly very low-quality standards. This contributed to the
assumption that colorful gloves were cheap or tacky. Conversely, because colorful day gloves
remained a favorite accessory of devotees of the classic style, a small but dedicated market sprung
up to provide well-made colorful day gloves. Because these gloves were hard to find and catered
to a relatively small clientele, they're produced on a small artisanal scale with increased costs.
This ironically led to the assumption that colorful gloves were overpriced and unaffordable.
Although, as Raphael notes in our video comparing $30 and $300 gloves, you certainly
get what you pay for. Therefore, two different market approaches have given rise to different
assumptions about colorful day gloves: that they're too cheap and that they're too expensive,
and both of these assumptions contributed to their decline in menswear. Cartoons and Caricature:
Popular Perception of Gloves. As day gloves became increasingly rare in menswear,
occasions when they did appear would have greater individual impact on how gloves
were perceived, and many of those occasions were not very flattering.
Because they were once so common, day gloves are now hallmarks of a bygone
age. Think of the association between gloves and the antiquated convention of dueling.
[scene from "The Simpsons"] Homer: "I demand satisfaction!"
Homer: "I challenge you to a duel!" Moe: "Hey, a duel?"
Essentially, because men in the past often wore gloves, the assumption is that modern men who wear
gloves are either stuck in the past or trying to dress like it. Therefore, wearing gloves can come
off as affected or costume-y. You can also ask any child about gloves and they'll immediately
go to talking about cartoons. In the early days of animation, cartoon characters are often drawn with
gloves because it made their hands appear larger, emphasizing the actions of the characters. Gloves
also allow for more rounded shapes, typical of cartoons, and they were generally easier
to draw. When gloves first appeared in cartoons, day gloves were still often worn by men, but as
day glove-use declined, gloves became increasingly associated with cartoons - a juvenile association
that doesn't help elevate day gloves as a refined, elegant accessory. Gloves were also increasingly
associated with fictional characters - villains like Batman's The Joker or Patrick Bateman in
"American Psycho" are often depicted wearing gloves. This is because gloves are associated
with those who have something to hide, like their fingerprints. While caricatures of rich or snobby
characters like Mr. Peanut or fops are shown on gloves to hearken back to their association with
the aristocrats and the elite. Suffice it to say, none of these associations are very flattering, so
you can see how popular perceptions around gloves can partly explain why they aren't very popular.
Gendered Gloves. Building upon the assumption that day gloves are cartoonish or snobby,
we can also note that day gloves are commonly viewed as either effeminate or fussy. This is
because women regularly wore day gloves into the 1980s and many still wear them today. This
contributes to the belief that day gloves are a woman's accessory that men shouldn't wear.
This is also exacerbated by the belief that day gloves are dainty and overprotective of
the hands with the gendered stereotype that men shouldn't care about their hands or be concerned
about getting their hands dirty. Obviously, this gendered stereotype is short-sighted and wrong,
but this way of thinking dissuades many men from wearing day gloves for fear of being
labeled "feminine" or "unmasculine." The Decline in Overall Glove-wearing. We'll briefly conclude
that the decline and use of day gloves also parallels a decline in the use of non-utilitarian
men's gloves. Driving gloves were once a mandatory accessory for any motorist. But, a reduced number
of wooden steering wheels led to a reduction in the use of driving gloves. Likewise, formal
evening gloves have also largely disappeared. As the White Tie dress code has fallen out of favor,
it's not surprising as individual factors have led to the decline of these individual glove types. A
more general trend away from wearing gloves also occurred, and we have no intention of leaving you
at a sad note as we conclude our examination of why men stopped wearing colorful day gloves. So,
to brighten the mood and add some color, we'll say that just because colorful day gloves have
fallen out of favor, doesn't mean you shouldn't have them. Not only can modern day gloves keep
your hands warm, they remain the perfect accessory for adding unexpected visual interest and a dash
of color to any outfit. I show you how to wear and pair gloves with overcoats and scarves in
this video. Though gloves that are well made and properly-sized are a great accessory year-round,
day gloves are also unique and fun and can serve as a personal statement piece to define your
look. Trust us, you'll make a lasting, positive impression when people see you wearing colorful
day gloves, and you'll be one of the only gentlemen sporting this timeless look. Day
gloves are also remarkably versatile and, while most closely associated with the classic style,
they can also be seamlessly integrated into the contemporary looks as well. We also think you'll
be pleasantly surprised at how a pair of colorful day gloves can change the overall look of your
wardrobe, helping your suits and outerwear go further and be more easily adapted to
various situations. So, while we've just finished explaining why men stopped wearing colorful day
gloves, let's reverse that trend together. Today, I'm wearing a brown and white striped shirt with a
pair of khaki pants and brown chukka boots. I'm also wearing a pair of Fort Belvedere socks and
brown with blue accent stripes. Check out the Fort Belvedere shop here for socks like these.
♪ Gentleman's Gazette Theme Song ♪