Another strange uniform question

Why do officers wear brown gloves. It's not just the RN, it almost everyone, the army, the crabs, even the police. Any ideas?

 

Mmm I thought RN officers wore black ones - and Pussers Issue to JRs was always gloves, woollen, navy blue. Standard issue gloves for Prison Officers are black, and I've never seen the Plod in other than black gloves - not that we have coppers around here anyway.

 

The Army wear brown gloves, but I've only seen RAF officers wearing black gloves.

 

Seen crabs wearing white ones or is that just ceremonial?

 

White cotton gloves for some ceremonial duties.
White leather ones for standards/banners.

 

To keep our hands warm?

 

Seriously this time- is there any connection with tha fact that Army Officers wore/wear brown boots and ranks black?

 

Cos black leather looks naff unless polished to a high shine.

 

Defintiely brown for Officers. I recall that it was because Officers gloves were 'rei-service' so brown was chosen. Don't know why RAF Officers wear black then. They're actually quite nice (leather) gloves.

 

Police officers with pips wear brown ones, sgts and below seem to wear black here.

 

I Believe it is something to do with, when they give so much Sh*t to the lower deck it doesn't show so much on their gloves. :lol: :lol: :lol:

 

To quote one of the instructors on my POLC a few years ago, in answer to a question from one of the female course members about gloves and when a begloved RM Colour Sgt was approaching:

 

I knew you lot would know the answer!

Sheesh, I thought HH would be the font of all knowledge.

Crabs do wear brown ones

Found this
http://www.northwestsupplies.co.uk/product.php?id=BNIMRN

Best I could find, for now

 

All officers wear brown gloves - senior Police, Army, RM and RAF included - I have noticed this at various tri-service parades I've been to. As to why they are brown and not black I do not know, but it certainly makes the Army look smart as at least their shoes, Sam Browne and gloves all match ! RAF wear white cotton for ceremonial guard duties. I thought that in the RN female SR's were issued with black leather gloves - don't know if that still happens today or not.

 

So I am not the only one distracted by this whilst fallen in, bored out my tiny little mind

 

Indeed you are not, so it would seem....

 

Royal Marines wear gloves?? I remember when I first wore NI gloves in training on a night excercise. One of the training team ripped into me in front of the whole troop "Oh does Mrs (Mums name) little boy nedd warm hands? "Get your f**king hands out in the open...you think it's cold now? Wait till you get to Norway".

 

To be honest, the question has never occurred to me simply because black gloves just seem wrong. Leather is naturally brown - the only time it should be black is if it is intended to be regularly blackened with polish/blacking (e.g. shoes, sword-belts), if they are hard and permanently covered in lacquer (scabbards), or if it is made of patent leather (e.g. peaks & chinstraps). Clearly neither of these is appropriate for gloves.

 

Gentlemen wear brown gloves. So Officers wear them(in all three services and the police). WRNS Officers used to wear brown too in winter, ratings black, but they went with blue lace, badges and eye liner! The only time an officer wears white gloves is when he is colour officer. A Guard wear white gloves in winter the Guard Officers brown. Guard Officers used to wear brown gloves all year round but that seems to have gone the way of black leather gaiters. This is a pain because sweaty hands play havoc with the sharkskin hilt of the sword.
Finally I think I can provide an answer your question. As stated earlier, leather is naturaly brown. If one wore black gloves holding a white sword hilt the results could be disasterous!

 

One thing I found out while being in a tri-service Guard of Honour at a wedding, RAF aren't allowed to touch their swords with bear hands, so have to wear gloves.

Their sword is also virtually identical to the naval one - main differences being no 'catch' for the hilt to connect to the scabbard, albatross head instead of lion head, and snake skin rather than shark skin for the grip (though it looks the same).