Here Is Why Cartoon Characters Wear White Gloves

Of course, we’ve all seen the aesthetic of iconic characters like Homer Simpson and Bugs Bunny develop over time — but we don’t always understand the driving forces that cause these visual changes. So why is it that characters such as Mickey Mouse and Felix the Cat wear recognizable white gloves? Similar to why Dave Fleischer’s Superman was given the power of flight, it was actually a decision that was made to shorten the tedious animation process. However, the main reason for their necessity was to differentiate the color of the hands against the body of the characters, which was only an issue in the era of black and white animation. Sure it started out as a quick solution to a simple problem, but these gloves have gone on to play a large part in the subculture of streetwear. Appearing as far back as 2008 in graphic T-shirts made by the likes of Triumvir, Dissizit and Crooks & Castles, the gloves can also be seen on the other end of the spectrum in the works of fine artists like D*Face and KAWS. To see the full history, check out the Vox video above.