A perfect glove match
March 2025
This month brings a fascinating Pinkham find to the collection thanks to Natalie Ross a vintage clothing collector. .
Discovered near Woodbridge in Suffolk, on first glance it looks just like a couple of pairs of matching gloves and a clutch bag. However, although the company did diversify in the 1960s and made blouses, there is no record the company making accessories.
The gloves date from the 1950s and are made from embroidered Rayon with sewn-in Pinkham labels and are in mint condition. The fabric would have been bought in already embroidered, although some gloves had their embroidery added by outworkers after they had been made up in the factory.
Looking closely at the clutch bag this has been beautifully machine sewn and hand finished to a very high standard exemplified by the button hole which has been taped rather than just stitched.
Most notable is the absence of a Pinkham label sewn into the inside. This strongly suggests that the bag was not a production item made as part of a season's collection.
Natalie said “I collect mainly vintage vanity items; bags, hats, compacts, scarves, gloves and anything else that catches my eye!! I love things that have a past, that have stood the test of time, come from a more elegant age and were made in a time when people cared about their craft”.
The whole ensemble was probably put together for a special occasion and it may be that someone working in the factory was allowed to have some of the matching fabric and was able to make the bag in the factory for that special occasion.
As Natalie said “We'll never know but, they were clearly treasured and saved, so they meant a lot to the owner and for me, that is all part of the items charm. I’m delighted the gloves have gone ‘home’ ”.
If you know what that special occasion was or who the gloves belonged to and how they found their way fifty miles away from the Witham factory please get in touch. nickpinkham@pinkhamgloves.com
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