Winter Warmers to Keep you Cosy

Winter Warmers to Keep you

Introduction
It is the chilly end of the year and therefore time
to wrap up warm. Of course, in regions of Russia,
Alaska and the North and South Poles, it is cold all
year round.
The invention of the scarf, gloves and hat are not
often championed amongst that of the light bulb,
automobile, or sliced bread – but nonetheless
they are an essential ingredient of our comfort
and in many circumstances survival.
The glove enables scuba divers to stay warm by
trapping water heated by the body close to the
skin. They enable tree surgeons and builders to
carry out manual labour without cutting and
grazing the skin. They enable performers to hold
and release large birds of prey. They prevent Artic
explorers from suffering from debilitating frost
bite and protect scientists from direct exposure to
harmful chemicals.
The humble glove is a truly versatile invention that
we often take for granted. We intend to delve
further into the origins of our Winter warmers and
browse our own collection that will keep you snug
and looking fashionable this Christmas.
1

The Glove
Gloves date back to ancient societies. They have been
discovered in the tombs of Royalty and Bishops and are
also pictured on manuscripts dating right back to the 10 th
century. Of course, it is highly likely that they featured in
society well before these recordings.
Fingerless gloves are thought to have been found in the
Egyptian Pyramids and in 1922 archaeologists found
remains of gloves in the tomb of Tutankhamen. This puts
gloves in known existence during his reign 1332 BC –
1323 BC.
There is no way of knowing is primitive gloves were
around before these dates because so little material
evidence survives from ancient times.
What do we use gloves for This is astonishing really
when you stop to think about it:
• Boxing Gloves
• Oven Gloves
• Rubber Gloves
• Gardening Gloves
• Heavy Duty Manual Labour Gloves
• Surgical Gloves
• Winter Gloves
• Weight Lifting Gloves
• Driving Gloves
• Biking & Cycling Gloves
• Ornamental Gloves
• Ski Gloves
• Heated Gloves
• Mime Gloves
• Falconry Gloves
• Mittens
2

Our Glove Range
3

The Scarf: A Timeline
Egyptian Queen
Nefertiti wears a
finely women scarf
1350 BC
Romans wear a sweat
cloth knotted around
the waist or neck
10 AB
Croatian Mercenaries
wear scarves to signify
rank
1600
Queen Victoria comes to the
throne and makes elegant
accessories including scarves
fashionable
1837
Isadora Duncan who was considered by many to be
the mother of modern dance lived a characterful
life and popularised long flowing scarves.
Unfortunately, she dies when her long neck scarf
wrapped around the wheel of the automobile she
was travelling in and broke her neck.
1900
230 BC
Warriors of Chinese
Emperor Cheng don
scarves made of cloth
1150
Eleanor of Aquitaine
starts a Middle Ages trend
by draping a scarf from the
tip of a tall pointed hat.
1783
The knit scarf is
said to invented in
this year
1914
The knitting of scarves
was a patriotic
war-time duty in the
United States.
1930
Fur scarves were
at the height
of fashion in
France.
1700
The French wear
Colourful scarves
Which they call
cravats.
1856
The maker of iconic
plaid scarves, Burberry,
is founded.
4

The Hat
It will not surprise you to know that hats are one of our
oldest methods for keeping us warm in cold climates.
They have most likely been around since prehistoric
times in the form of animal skin head wraps.
One of the first hats to be recorded is seen in a tomb
painting at Thebes and depicts a man wearing a coolie
straw hat. That was in 3200 BC. It was not until 70 BC
that an unfortunate young Danish chieftain falls into a
bog. One of the earliest physical representations of hats
was found in the form of his preserved near perfect
condition pieced leather and fur cap.
Since then there have been various versions of the item
of clothing that keeps our heads warm. Of course, there
are also a fair share of ornamental and decorative hat
examples:
• Top Hat
• Bowler
• Event Hat
• The Fascinator
• The Cloche
• The Boater
• The Pork Pie
• The Fedora
• The Flat Cap
• The Newsboy
• The Panama
• The Milan Straw
• The Western Hat (Cowboy Hat)
• The Gambler
• The Gaucho
• The Beret
• Baseball Cap
• The Hard Hat
• Crash Helmet
• Sun Hat
• Beanie
• Sombrero
• Bobble Hat
• Deer Stalker
• Chef’s Hat
• Fez
• Military Hats (various)
• Schoolboy’s Cap
6

Keep cosy this Winter
And enjoy the festivities!
Sources:
http://www.fashionintime.org/history-gloves-significance/
http://www.scarves.net/blog/the-history-of-scarves-a-timeline/
http://www.hatsuk.com/hatsuk/hatsukhtml/bible/history.htm
http://hatbox.com/hat-history.cfm