Figure 1.--Here we see an American boy, probably in the late 1930s. He wears mittens, but I am not sure of what they are made. These don't look like wool mittens.

Another important item for winterwear is course protective garments for the hands. Boys wore both mittens and gloves. Modest income families families might buy woolen mittens for the children. We are not sure when mittens first appeared. Generally younger children also wore mittens. Sometimes they came with strings to keep children from using them. We have seen mittens in bright colors and patterns, but early images show more plain colors. While mittens were worn as specifically cold weather wear, gloves could be worn all year round. Generally speaking wealthy people wore leather gloves. Gloves were in part cold weather garments, but in the 19th and early 20 centuries they were essential dresswear regardless of the wearher. This was less true for children, but one sees children in formal portraits wearing gloves. White gloves were worn for some special occassions such as First Communion.

Mittens

Modest income families families might buy woolen mittens for the children. Mittens are generally seen as being knitted in wool. Not all mittens were woolen. I'm not sure, for example, what kind of mittens the boy here is wearing. We are not sure when mittens first appeared. Generally younger children also wore mittens. Sometimes they came with strings to keep children from losing them. We have seen mittens in bright colors and patterns, but early images show more plain colors.

Gloves

While mittens were worn as specifically cold weather wear, gloves could be worn all year round. Generally speaking wealthy people wore leather gloves. Gloves were in part cold weather garments, but in the 19th and early 20 centuries they were essential dresswear regardless of the wearher. This was less true for children, but one sees children in formal portraits wearing gloves. White gloves were worn for some special occassions such as First Communion.

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Created: 2:37 AM 2/20/2005
Last updated: 7:39 PM 2/20/2005