In the 19th century gloves were an indispensable accessory for women. They were worn for day and evening wear. Wealthy women owned many pairs suited to different occasions and carefully chosen to match particular outfits. Strict rules applied to the wearing of gloves. A woman would be considered undressed if she left the house ungloved and it was customary, for instance, to keep gloves on in church, at the theatre and at balls but to remove them before dining.

These cream-coloured kid gloves are typical of day gloves worn by women throughout the 19th century. The fashion for pale coloured soft kid leather was the subject of much discussion in etiquette manuals of the time. It was considered extremely bad form to wear discoloured or worn gloves, leading some to claim they 'can only be worn once'. The glove pattern is cut with 'quirks' (a piece which fitted at the base of the thumb) and 'fourchettes' (the side panels for the fingers). There is no fastening allowing for the glove to fit loosely around the top of the hand. The backs of the hands are decorated with extremely fine hand embroidery of coloured silk thread in a floral design. The short length of these gloves suggests they date from the first half of the century.