Elbow mitts cover the hands and lower arms and can be worn as a fashion accessory or safety gear. They were once popular with formal wear and are still used in weddings and theatrical wardrobe. Protective elbow gloves are also used in research and manufacturing facilities.
Elbow mitts are coverings for the hands and lower arms. In addition to covering the hands and wrists, the gloves also cover the forearms up to the elbow and sometimes through. Elbow length gloves can be worn as a fashion accessory or as safety gear.
Wearing elbow gloves used to be common with formal evening wear for ladies. In the mid-20th century, a pair of white, elbow-length gloves was considered a necessary accessory for any type of formal event, such as a ball or cotillion. Formal gloves are sometimes referred to as prom gloves, since young ladies attending a junior or senior prom often include the gloves as an essential part of the formal dress.
The materials used for the fashion gloves ranged from cotton to satin. While white was considered essential in many settings, black or red gloves that came up or went over the elbow were also popular. Many female celebrities of the 1940s and 1950s routinely wore these longer gloves when making personal appearances.
For a brief period in the 1950s, elbow-length gloves for daywear also became popular. These gloves were often designed to match women’s tailored skirt and jacket sets. The jackets would feature a half-sleeve design, making it possible to include a set of elbow-length gloves that rose to the elbow into the overall look. Gloves were often available in colors to match the outfit, while white gloves of this type remained popular with formal wear.
As the designs and colors for women’s formal wear began to diversify, the elbow gloves created as part of the formal ensemble also underwent a change. In some designs, the gloves were made longer, with some designers in the 1960s promoting the use of gloves that extended to the middle of the upper arm. For a while, this was an especially attractive look with a strapless evening gown.
While the use of elbow gloves has declined since the mid-20th century, long gloves are still available for sale. They are often worn by the bride at a formal wedding, and are sometimes combined with dresses worn by the bride’s attendants and bridesmaid. From time to time, elbow gloves are included in fashion designs for a new season or as part of theatrical wardrobe. However, elbow gloves never regained their former level of popularity after the cultural changes of the 1960s.
Along with elbow gloves as a fashion accessory, there are also pairs designed as protective devices. These protective gloves are often used in research and manufacturing facilities where harsh chemicals are used on a regular basis. In most cases, gloves are produced using some type of strong material, such as neoprene, to resist the corrosive effect of chemicals and thus prevent damage to hands or arms in the workplace.
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