White gloves and the Beatles

[velotrain]

 

 

http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2013/03/19/reference/white-gloves/#.VadJh53D8dU

[bikkuri bahn]

I use white gloves (the gunte type), quite often- they provide more manipulation control than the heavy leather gloves found in US hardware stores, and as such are good for light household duties where some hand protection is needed.  In a pinch they provide some warmth in winter when riding a bicycle to the local supermarket etc..  They are washable and can be kept in a desk drawer or in your carry bag, for any incidental needs.  I think a pack of them would make a good, useful souvenir of a Japan trip, especially if you can find domestically made ones.

[Kiha_120]

I use white gloves (the gunte type), quite often- they provide more manipulation control than the heavy leather gloves found in US hardware stores, and as such are good for light household duties where some hand protection is needed.  In a pinch they provide some warmth in winter when riding a bicycle to the local supermarket etc..  They are washable and can be kept in a desk drawer or in your carry bag, for any incidental needs.  I think a pack of them would make a good, useful souvenir of a Japan trip, especially if you can find domestically made ones.

Related to this subject - has anyone noticed how the steering wheel of their car/van/trucks becomes nasty and sticky and FILTHY when the weather turns cold and damp ? The effect is to make steering wheels disgusting - people never notice this normally until the weather turns damp - it's the result of oil from the skin accumulating on the wheel surface along with dust and mould - if you don't believe me, just wipe your steering wheel over with a wet cloth and leave it for a few minutes, or use a detergent and wet cloth and see what comes off that steering wheel , no matter how 'posh' or clean your vehicle, no one cleans the steering wheels it seems.  I suspect this is the main reason these gloves are worn - especially when so many people handle the same vehicles controls i.e. trains, busses and commercial vehicles.    It's about hygiene.

[Matteo_IT]

Hi Kiha_120, you are absolutely right!

Recently (few years) I'm having problems when I go by public transport and also when I'm working on my trains... I have several times a light rash and itch on my hands, probably caused by the products used to clean and disinfectant.

For this reason I started some years ago to use leather gloves once possible when come the cold time (in summer is not the case!) but from early october to march / april i wear them anytime... it's aquestion of hygiene.

On trains many female train managers (or chief of train), for the same reason, wear lightweight leather gloves.

I have also a dear friend that she loves wear gloves and also, as she is bus driver, to have a better grip with steering wheel and to protect her hands from dust, she always wear leather gloves...

Personally I think leather gloves add a touch of style to any woman wearng an uniform.

Also my friend that she wear black leather gloves as her uniform is blue, asked me why in Japan wear gloves practically in any occasion, and why are worn only in white fabric instead in other appropriate colors and leather, definitely much more stylish, according the color of the uniform...

Edited July 16, 2015 by Matteo_IT

[Kiha_120]

Hi Kiha_120, you are absolutely right!

Recently (few years) I'm having problems when I go by public transport and also when I'm working on my trains... I have several times a light rash and itch on my hands, probably caused by the products used to clean and disinfectant.

For this reason I started some years ago to use leather gloves once possible when come the cold time (in summer is not the case!) but from early october to march / april i wear them anytime... it's aquestion of hygiene.

On trains many female train managers (or chief of train), for the same reason, wear lightweight leather gloves.

I have also a dear friend that she loves wear gloves and also, as she is bus driver, to have a better grip with steering wheel and to protect her hands from dust, she always wear leather gloves...

IMG_0025.1.jpg

Personally I think leather gloves add a touch of style to any woman wearng an uniform.

Also my friend that she wear black leather gloves as her uniform is blue, asked me why in Japan wear gloves practically in any occasion, and why are worn only in white fabric instead in other appropriate colors and leather, definitely much more stylish, according the color of the uniform...

Hello Matteo,    Thank you for responding to my comment. 

I agree also that gloves when driving are better - in fact, comfortable gloves give me the sense of being more able to grip and 'seem' to make more strength in the hands.

As for Japanese wearing white gloves ?  - perhaps the reasoning is,  white becomes dirty much quicker,  so there may be a subliminal message to employees to either change gloves regularly or wash them more often as dirty white gloves look very shabby, and give an impression of 'slovenliness'  perhaps ?

[velotrain]

 

As for Japanese wearing white gloves ?  - perhaps the reasoning is,  white becomes dirty much quicker,  so there may be a subliminal message to employees to either change gloves regularly or wash them more often as dirty white gloves look very shabby, and give an impression of 'slovenliness'  perhaps ?

 

I think it likely that it is more a message to customers - of whatever the service, that the driver (and the company) maintain a clean environment, so the driver can wear white gloves without worrying about getting them dirty.  The subliminal message is that everything about the company is so clean that customers need not be concerned.

 

Matteo - It's largely P.R., and usually mandated by the company, so has little to do with style - but then, you're in Italy, where style is everything ;-)  

 

The article quotes the delivery driver as indicating that he does it more for customer perception than himself.