Gloves, running the ‘gauntlet’ of history
Whether for fashion, health, or work, hand coverings can tell us a lot about the past.
The ads for pink women’s “errand gloves” started popping up on my Internet feed in April. They sounded like a throwback accessory from the Mad Men era, when women slipped on white, wrist-length pairs to head to tea or, presumably, to perform tasks outside the home, like hat-shopping or secretarial work.
But it turns out, errand gloves are the 2020 invention of Echo Design, a New York City scarf and glove company that’s been around since 1923. “After the coronavirus hit, I kept seeing trash cans full of plastic gloves at the supermarket,” says Echo’s CEO and president, Steven Roberts. “I thought, ‘How do we respond to this anxiety? Can we make a lightweight, washable glove?’”
He had
