The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-08-21

Only the Old Fnshioned Wear Them h
summor-Gloves in tho Past.
Fashionable women who wear gloves In tn,
summer are now as rare as were the unglovet
women Of the same class a few years ago. It d
only q short time since q well-dressed woman
would as soon have gone without her hat as Il
appear or the street without gloves. The tenn,
perature had nothing to do with Il. Gloves IN
summer were as compulsory as ct any Other
season OF the year.
But now one may 60 days together In the
crowded streets. or other places where people
c~ongreRate. and never catch sight Of a gloYed
hand. One may observe. too. that In the rare
cases where gloves arc worn the wearer is OF
the conservative type rather than Of the fash
ionable kind. To the former gloves are mex
orable-the sign OF good breeding and good
dressing that cannot be omitted.
At a little forsakon looking hamlet on the
way TO Denver. during the recent meeting Of
the General Federation Of Women's Clubs. O
woman boarded the train and Joined the dele
gates. She looked like the place-little and
forsaken-but she was intelligent and refined
and had two bright babies with her. Dread
fully poor. with shabby clothing. a last winters
hat. and the two babies to take care Of. she yet
wore gloves-loose, old -fashioned black ones,
but gloves nevertheless. They were her creed
Of good form. and she wore them r~eligiously,
only taking them OF when she fed the children
and Immediately replacing them.
Th woman was an fastener. who. yeaFs
ago. married aud went West" They had not
succeeded. She was to meet her sister at the
Federation. who ia q prosperous Boston woman
and whom she had not seen for twenty years.
It was . pathetic little incident. emphasized by
the gloves.
At all OF the Federation meetings there was
scarcely q glove TO be seen. Even ct the even-
ing receptions they were dispensed with.
Originally the wearing OF gloves was con-
Quoted on the same sound principle that I'm
spires a miller to wear a white hat, but long
ago the custom departed from the primitive
idea Of usefulness. According to the encyclo-
pedias and other heavy literature Laertes was
the first to wear q glove. The farmer king was
/" Odyssey" that in his capacity Of farmer he
had to deal with certain brambly. bushes. and
he must also keep hls hands In . kingiy condi-
Since that time gloves have had many and
signiflcances, from aseal. Of the transfer
al Sn RfHHG esntar is i fatsaiedh lS s K sl4bs ssi GO so sake S SS
Seisp sdia66l 81 So5siiy that t. T tRs w MasR my e sl SSss
Tr he sfe ear dSei ESsfis e f { %asE W 81 ss1 sn4icd s SfRs
gloves on. and when the mSnYiaet1re Of gloves
ance. During the reign OF King Robert It'll. Of
the incorporation. Of the Gloyers OF
chartered md received armorial bearings.
But although gloves were started on their
career through the centurieA by men, It has
fallen. to the, women to bring them into uni
versa, popularity; After bringing about such
? fashion It Is TO be supposed that women have
cause. men have never become addicted 70 tho
glove habit after the manner OF women. A
man Ia bound to be comfortable. and when
are o discomfort he casts Them Of He
never loses siRh OF the utility idea, differing
from the RIB sex. which was created blind TO II.
With the introduction OF the shirt waist, the
short skirt. and the sailor and Fedora hats, Q
woman's costume has become. comparatively
simple ana sensible. and It H. this new freedom
i~ndependence in the matter OF gloves.
Merchants and dealers in gloves say that this |
new b~are-handed fad has affected the sale
enormously. june July, and August are dead
dull IN the glove trade, and this year not
even silk gloves ind the sale Of former years.