Why do some cartoon characters wear white gloves?

I cheated and peeked at other people's answers. First, I was convinced that it could be the fashion of the time. Second, because the real hands of these characters wouldn't be so cartoony if the real ones were drawn.

I think maybe because it is easier to draw gloves than it is to draw hands. They are white gloves, because white goes with everything and is more attractive against the other colors. That is my theory. :o)

Hey, First of all very good observation . Secondly i guess they all are from cold countries so they wear a gloves and white color suits their skin color . Cheers, Tutul

yeah! why do they wear white gloves?sounds interesting huh! i am a fun of these cartoon characters that you had mentioned...

the reason some toons wear gloves is because of the color. If they didn't wear gloves, You would not be able to see the hands.

The reason toons wear gloves is because of the color. If they didn't wear gloves, you would not be able to see the hands.

I never thought about that before how strange, do you reckon their hands don't match their bodies or that Mickey and Co. just really like white gloves 0:)

Because it looks nice on them? LOL! I wish I know the answer but heck, it does look good on them. Can't just imagine Mickey Mouse without his gloves. Har har har!

I am not quite sure why they wear gloves. It could have something to do with early society or maybe just something to be different, unique or even funny. I think we'd have to first figure out when the cartoon character first appeared with gloves, and look at the era as well, maybe even the era that the writer and drawer's were living in.

I guess like spoiledbrat802 mentioned above, I think it's the fashion & tradition back in those days & they got stuck to it? HahaPlus I guess drawing gloves is easier compared to the detailed fingers?

Wow Mod. What an insightful observation. I really have no clue. But that is an interesting thing you thought of. I'll bet someone could write a college paper on the ramifications of white gloves in popular culture and cartoons. Hmmmm, you know people count certain words that are repeated say in James Joyce's, "Ulysses." By the way, I got a headache and had to put the unedited version down. Way too confusing and deep. I guess I didn't get the symbolism. Is it because maybe if we say Mickey with bony mouse fingers, we wouldn't think of him as being friendly or loveable? Hmmm.

When some of these cartoon characters (Bugs Bunny, Mickey Mouse, etc) were first introduced, it was normal and proper to wear gloves in public, especially for the 'uppercrust' people who could afford to take their children to the theaters to see these cartoons. Had they not worn gloves they may have been deemed 'improper' and not attended to heavily. (Also, cartoons themselves were introduced during the change over from live-performance vaudville to motion pictures. In vaudville, while gloves were worn simply so that the stage lights would shine on the hands to make them more visible to the audience.) Then the gloves became part of their character. For Mario, being a working class person, workgloves would be considered part of his uniform.

I think it doesnt have something to do with its history. I think it's with the cartoonist who made them. Lol.

To give more details to the cartoon character. Ask the cartoonist LOLZ... Why does some wear undergarment as their last clothes to put on. Like superman. ^_^. The cartoonist is the one who knows the answer to our questions

Could it be so the hands stand out against a dark colour, Mickey Mouse is a black colour so his hands are more noticeable being white or could it be that drawing gloves on a character is easier than hands? Uhmmm... I don't have a clue!