Among the many treasures found in the tomb of Tutankhamun were numerous linen gloves, possibly used for riding – proof that the wearing of gloves stretches back to antiquity. References to gloves also exist in the literature of the Ancient Greeks and the Romans.

In England, it was seemingly not until the Middle Ages that gloves began to make an appearance. Liturgical gloves were in use by the beginning of the 10th century, and leather gauntlets were worn by soldiers during combat until the development of firearms rendered them unnecessary. By the 12th century, lavishly decorated leather gloves became fashionable among royalty and the aristocracy, and the increasing demand saw the rise of a new industry, one that would flourish for the next 700 years.