Miss Manners: When and where should a lady wear white gloves?

DEAR MISS MANNERS: When and where should a lady wear white gloves?

GENTLE READER: Nowadays, probably when she is handling valuable antiques, serving on the staff of a very fancy restaurant, or dressing up as Minnie Mouse.

But Miss Manners remembers a time when it was considered ladylike to wear short white cotton gloves in summertime. It was simply a finishing touch before going out in public. This was before people started going out in public in their pajamas, workout clothes and unadorned underwear.

It was also before those innocent little gloves became symbolic of all the disadvantages of being a lady, and were spoken of as if they were handcuffs.

Perhaps you are referring to over-the-elbow kid gloves, worn with full formal dress. These are also rare nowadays, as “white tie” is seld