Shopping for gloves is absolute HELL for me

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
1

And it’s not because of the size of my hands, or because I have an extra finger or something. It’s because I (for as long as I can remember) cannot wear anything made of that synthetic-micro-fleece material. When I say cannot, I really do mean cannot - the sensation makes it impossible for me to focus my mind on anything else. It makes me shiver; not a good kind of shiver, either. I really can’t put into words how unpleasant it is for me. It’s not unpleasant the way an itchy wool garment is. The physical sensation of that synthetic fleece stuff penetrates way deeper, going beyond just the skin, causing a feeling of dread all over my body.

This is especially problematic with clothes for outdoors and hunting, and cold weather gear. It seems like all cold-weather clothing nowadays has some of that fake-fleece-micro-fiber stuff on it. There are several different kinds of the fabric I’m referring to. I’m not talking so much about the fake-sheepskin type stuff with the high-pile, curly texture, although I hate that too (though I love real sheepskin.) I mean like the stuff North Face jackets are made of. The stuff that nearly ALL motherfucking gloves seem to be lined with.

You have no idea how excruciating it is for me to have to wear a GLOVE lined with that shit, resulting in my entire hand being totally enveloped in it. So I naturally have to check every pair of gloves in the glove section to make sure it’s not lined with that stuff. This means having to touch the insides of the gloves, and coming into contact with the hell-fleece almost every single time - endlessly frustrating.

Some gloves will be nearly perfect - perfect fit, perfect amount of grip on the front, look good, etc - and thankfully be free of the hell-fleece, at least on the inside - but then the CUFF of the glove will be made out of hell-fleece. Yes, even the cuff, I cannot tolerate - this part is wrapped around my wrist; I need to grab it to put the gloves on and take them off; this cannot be tolerated.

It turns up in other things too. Let’s say I find a camo hunting jacket that I absolutely love; it fits well, it’s warm, it’s well-made, etc. It’s thankfully free of the hell fleece…or so it seems. Then I unbutton the side pockets, to check out how much space is in them, or whatever…and - BAM! Hell-fleece city, inside those fucking pockets. I guess most people like this stuff, so the manufacturer of the jacket figures lots of people will love sticking their hands in the pockets on a cold day. And I’m happy for these people. Really. But I can’t do it.

I also find all kinds of blankets, pillows, etc, made out of the stuff. Pet beds, too, often seem to have it.

Am I totally alone in this? Or is there anyone else out there?

2

No, you’re not alone. Every tiny-fingered man in the world who has never seen a pair of gloves that might fit him which didn’t incidentally feature a graphic of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is rolling their eyes at you.

3

I bought a pair of very lightweight merino wool liner gloves to wear under cycling gloves in the winter - but no reason you couldn’t wear these with another pair of standard gloves so that you have no skin contact with the fleece you hate. Mine were from Icebreaker bought in Australia, but I’m sure you can find other brands in the US, and then take your pick of any other glove you like over the top.

4

Oh, if only it were that easy. I can feel the texture of the hellfleece through other layers of fabric. The vibrations of the fibers against the other fibers are eminently perceptible to me.

Thank God I found a pair of decent Realtree fingerless gloves (with folding mitten flaps) at Wal-Mart lined with ordinary cotton cloth. I had to cut down the right index finger a little extra, but they’re otherwise fine, and they were only seven dollars.

When it gets colder, I’ll wear Under Armour glove liners underneath them.

5

You need to shop military surplus - look for the bunny fur lined leather ‘officer issue cold weather gloves’ They look like this, just with bunny fur instead of poly/wool blend. I can try to rummage around for a pair and get the stock number for them. We normally head over to the coasty academy and pick them up at the base exchange uniform store.

I on the other hand hate wearing gloves, and wear fingerless leather gloves that many people use for driving, except mine have added padding for wheelchair use. I don’t like fuzzy linings of any sort.

6

I have the same problem – I’m really allergic and have eczema, and fleece irritates my skin something awful. Even if it’s cotton fleece. I have bought plain white cotton gloves to wear as liners, and that works well for me. A lot of pharmacies sell them for people who put them on after applying cream or lotion. I also have a pair of silk-lined gloves, but those tend to be dress gloves and not very warm.

7

Nordstrom has leather gloves lined with cashmere. So soft and comfortable you’ll want to stick your schlong in them.

8

I can recommend Overland Sheepskin - high quality leather goods for men and women, including gloves, and no fleece in sight. I’ve got a wonderful pair of women’s deerskin gloves lined with cashmere knit from them, with fox fur cuffs. Looking at men’s accessories, I see a wide selection of gloves at different price points. They do have stores in some areas.

9

I have a pair of gloves almost exactly like that, and love them. The lining is starting to wear after six years of use, but they’re a long ways from dead still. I’d want something heavier if I were doing outdoor labor or dealing with sub-zero temperatures, but for keeping my hands warm from the bus station to the office building they’re great.

10

I have a pair of gloves from these guysthat I bought 3 years ago. Those replaced my 10 yr old pair which had streched a little sideways making the fingers too short for me. My daughter is still using them since they fit her perfectly.

If you’re not the type to lose gloves these will last long enough to make them a great value AND they’re warm and lovely to look at.

11

By the way, you’re not alone – I know a few people who experience very strong revulsion reactions to certain textures (another example is the skin of peaches).

12

I have a vaguely similar but milder reaction to polypropylene long underwear. When I’ve been foolish enough to wear it, after I take it off I spend ten or fifteen minutes just scratching whatever skin it touched. Fortunately cheap silk long underwear became available in the 90s or so.

You might check Wintersilks’ stuff. And as mentioned above, leather gloves lined with cashmere or rabbit fur are common, though maybe more expensive than you’re thinking – in which case a targeted search on eBay is how I’d go. How do you feel about secondhand hand coverings?

13

Ah. My glove problem has to do with hand size. I have short stubby fingers. I usually just have to make do with those stupid “magic gloves” that stretch. not very warm, but better than having the fingers not fit right. If I have to have ski gloves I shop in the boys department and deal with them not quite fitting.

You might look into having custom leather gloves made for you. There are good quality leather workers all across the country. I had a pair of lovely deerskin dress gloves custom made that I loved. I’m sure you could get a pair of fur lined ones made for you. Try Etsy or ask around or look in the yellow pages. You never know what you might find.

14

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I totally agree with this…I’ve been wearing their gloves for years (leather with cashmere lining) and they are absolutely wonderful. I am asking for a new pair this year because mine have finally stretched out and are a bit too large (I am going to use them for my new work pair). A little pricey, but if you can fit them into your budget, they are definitely worth a splurge.

15

I can knit you some if you send me a tracing of your hand. Not sure they’d be warm enough for hunting/hiking in super-cold weather, though.
If you DID have an extra digit, I could send you the second glove I ever knitted, made in the flush of sucess and…well, without a pattern, obviously.