Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-08-28
WOMEN co GLovELEss NOWADAYS.
Only the Old Fashioned Wear Them
In Summer-G1Oves I'm the Past,
Now York Sun l

CNew York SUM
Fashionable women who wear gloves in
the summer are now as rare as were tho
ungloved women Of the same class a few
years ago. It is only a short time since
a well-dressed woman would as soon have
gone without her hat as to appear on the
street without gloves. The temperature
had nothing TO do with it. Gloves in
summer were as compulsory as at any
other season Of tho year.
But now one may go days together in
the crowded streets. or other places where
people congregate, and never catch sight
Of gloyed hand. One may observe, too
that in the rare cases where gloves are
worn the wearer is Of the conservative
type rather than of the fashionable kind
To the former gloves are inexorable-the
sign Of good breeding and good dressing
that cannot be omitted.
At little forsaken-looking hamlet on
the way TO Denver, during the recent
meeting Of the General Federation OF
Women's Clubs, a woman boarded the
train and Joined the delegates She look
ed Ike the place-little and forsaken-but
she was intelligent and refined and haC
two bright babies with her. Dreadfully
poor, with shabby clothing, a last winters
hat, ana the two babies 10 take care of,
she yet wore gloves-lOOse. old-fashioned
black ones, but gloves nevertheless. They
We're her creed Of good form, and she
wore them rcigiOusly, only taking them
off when she fed the children, and imme-
uidteIy replacing them.
The woman was an easterner. who.
years ago, married and went West"
They had not succeeded. She was 70
meet her sister at the Federation, who
is a prosperous Boston woman, and whom
was pathetic little incident, emphasized
by the gloves.
At all OF the Federation meetings there
was scarcely glove 10 be seen. Even
pensed with.
Originally the wearing Of gloves was
conducted on the same sound principle
that inspires miller 10 wear a
white hat, but long ago the custom de-
parted from the primitive idea of useful
ness. According 10 the encyclopedias
and other heavy literature, Laertes was
the first 70 wear glove The farmer
king was not fashionable, but IL Is set
forth in the odyssey that IN his capa-
city OF farmer he had 10 deal with Ger
tain brambly bushes, and be must also
keep his hands in q kingly condition,
hence the introduction Of gloves
since that time gloves have had many
anu EnanBt ElEilllitdiItt rum q STU
OF the transfer OF property 20 chal-
lenge 20 single combat. Not until CEN
turtles later did they begin 70 take on
class significance. IL was when they
were adopted by royalty that the wearing
OF gloves was first regarded as mark
of station. Some Of the early English
kings We're buried with gloves on, ana
when the manufacture or gloves was m
troduced IN Great Britain, IL was con-
sidered as a craft OF great dignity and
importance. During the reign OF King
Robert III. Of Scotland, the incOrpora-
tion OF the Glovers Of Perth, a wealthy
guild which still exists, was chartered
and received armoral bearings.
But although gloves were started on
their career through the centuries by
men. IL has fallen 20 the women 10 bring
them into universal popularity. After
bringing about such a fashion, IL Is 20
be supposed that women have felt they
must stand by Il, for, whatever tho
cause, men have never become addicted
to the glove habit after the manner or
women. A man is bound to be comfort
able and when gloves are a discomfort
he casts them Off. he never loses sight
of the utility idea, differing from the lib
sex, which was created blind TO IL.
With the introduction of the shirt
waist, the short skirt, and the sailor and
Fedora hats, a woman's costume has
become comparatively simple and sensi-
BILE. and It is this new freedom and COM
fort In dressing that accounts for her
i'm the matter of gloves.
Merchants and dealers in gloves say
that this new bare-handed fad has affect
ed the sale enormously. June, July, and
August are deadly dull in the glove trade.
and this year not even silk gloves find
the sale OF former years.