Gloves are among the oldest pieces of clothing. They were described by Homer in the "Odyssey" as a kind of hand protection against injury. Over the centuries gloves have served people as a part of knights armor or protection from the cold. Women began to use them as a fashion accessory as early as in the 13th-century Europe. They have become a mandatory accessory of every highborn woman since the 16th century. Today it is worn mainly to protect hands from cold, nevertheless silk or lace gloves are still considered to be a very elegant and refined element of a visiting or evening dress.
