Francesc Masriera - Winter 1882 - Google Art Project

A muff is a fashion accessory for outdoors usually made of a cylinder of

fur A fur is a soft, thick growth of hair that covers the skin of almost all mammals. It consists of a combination of oily guard hair on top and thick underfur beneath. The guard hair keeps moisture from reaching the skin; the underfur acts as an ...

fabric Textile is an umbrella term that includes various fiber-based materials, including fibers, yarns, filaments, threads, and different types of fabric. At first, the word "textiles" only referred to woven fabrics. However, weaving is no ...

with both ends open for keeping the hands warm. It was introduced to women's fashion in the 16th century and was popular with both men and women in the 17th and 18th centuries. By the early 19th century, muffs were used in Europe only by women. It is also reported that the fashion largely fell out of style in the 19th century. It briefly returned in the mid-1940s, and in the 1960s was developed as a motorcycle accessory for attachment as rider-protection and comfort during the cooler months.

History

In Roman times, the place of the

glove A glove is a garment covering the hand, with separate sheaths or openings for each finger including the thumb. Gloves protect and comfort hands against cold or heat, damage by friction, abrasion or chemicals, and disease; or in turn to provide a ...

was taken by long sleeves (''manicae'') reaching to the hand, and in winter special sleeves of fur were worn. In Medieval Latin we find the word ''muffulae'', defined by

Du Cange Charles du Fresne, sieur du Cange (; December 18, 1610 in Amiens – October 23, 1688 in Paris, aged 77), also known simply as Charles Dufresne, was a distinguished French philologist and historian of the Middle Ages and Byzantium. Life Educate ...

as ''chirothecae pellitae et hibernae'' ("leather winter gloves"). He quotes from a

cartulary A cartulary or chartulary (; Latin: ''cartularium'' or ''chartularium''), also called ''pancarta'' or ''codex diplomaticus'', is a medieval manuscript volume or roll ('' rotulus'') containing transcriptions of original documents relating to the fo ...

of the year 817, of the issuing to monks of

sheepskin Sheepskin is the Hide (skin), hide of a Domestic sheep, sheep, sometimes also called lambskin. Unlike common leather, sheepskin is Tanning (leather), tanned with the Wool, fleece intact, as in a Fur, pelt.Delbridge, Arthur, "The Macquarie Diction ...

coverings to be used during the winter. These may have been, as the Roman certainly were, separate coverings for each hand, although the cartulary cited also distinguishes the glove for summer from the muffulae for winter wear. The

Old French Old French (, , ; ) was the language spoken in most of the northern half of France approximately between the late 8th

Dutch Dutch or Nederlands commonly refers to: * Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands ** Dutch people as an ethnic group () ** Dutch nationality law, history and regulations of Dutch citizenship () ** Dutch language () * In specific terms, i ...

''mof'', Walloon ''mouffe'', and thence English language">English "muff", are probably derived. In Elizabethan and Stuart England, the muff was sometimes called a "countenance" following a French usage. In 1579, Amias Paulet bought a fur "countenance" in Paris for Elizabeth I.

Modern usage

Handlebar muffs are a utility product for motorcycles and scooters to provide increased comfort in adverse weather conditions, to protect the rider from rain and

wind chill Wind chill (popularly wind chill factor) is the sensation of cold produced by the wind for a given ambient air temperature on exposed skin as the air motion accelerates the rate of heat transfer from the body to the surrounding atmosphere. Its va ...

. With UK commercial-availability in the early 1960s, they are still available in three variations from a UK merchandiser of motorcycle accessories, including dedicated-types for small motorscooters. Traditionally made from waterproof faux leather and lined for insulation, more-modern,

textile Textile is an Hyponymy and hypernymy, umbrella term that includes various Fiber, fiber-based materials, including fibers, yarns, Staple (textiles)#Filament fiber, filaments, Thread (yarn), threads, and different types of #Fabric, fabric. ...

-based materials are also used. When reviewing clothing and riding accessories in a 1966 feature entitled "Tough Weather Gear" for the weekly journal ''Motor Cycle'', regular journalist John Ebbrell described the muffs as:

Ugly as sin they may be—but there's nothing more cosier to the fingertips than a pair of handlebar muffs...Material is waterproof plasticized fabric, lined. Fitted in a jiffy, the muffs are sold through Pride and Clarke's and cost 17s 6d.

Writing at his website in December 2010, American motorcycle design innovator

Craig Vetter Craig Vetter (born July 28, 1942) is an American entrepreneur and motorcycle designer. His work was acknowledged when in 1999 he was inducted into the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame. His Vetter Fairing Company created aftermarket motorcycle fai ...

claimed to have "created and developed" from 1971 what he called ''Hippo Hands'', later sold to the public from 1973 by the Vetter organisation.''Motorcycle Sport'', March 1981, p.159 (pp.146-149, 159). Ninety Eight Point Four: Keeping warm on a motorcycle in winter. ''"A more refined (perhaps the best) handlebar muff is the Hippo-Hands, available from CTA, Unit 30E, 142A Virginia Street, Southport, Lancashire''". Accessed 6 April 2020 These were very similar to a product that was easily available to UK motorcyclists from retail shops/mail order outlets from 1957,''

The Motor Cycle ''The Motor Cycle'' was one of the first British magazines about motorcycles. Launched by Iliffe and Sons Ltd in 1903, its blue cover led to it being called "The Blue 'un" to help distinguish it from its rival publication ''Motor Cycling (mag ...

'', 7 March 1957, p.35. ''Claude Rye'' part-page advert ''NEW HANDLEBAR MUFFS Superior black waterproof leathercloth Handlebar Muffs, lined fleece, keep hands warm and dry. Pair 10/6. Deluxe pair 11/9, Post & Pkg. 1/6 M.P.C. Plastic 29/11 pair. P & P. 2/-.'' Accessed 12 September 2019 with the description ''handlebar muffs''.''

'', 4 October 1962, ''Pride and Clarke'' single-page advert ''Special Offer - Handlebar muffs 12/6, postage 2/6'', p.31 Accessed 1 December 2017 ''Motor Cycle'', 4 November 1965, ''Pride and Clarke'' double-page advert, ''Handlebar muffs 17/6, postage 3/0'', p.18 Accessed 1 December 2017''Muffs''
Oxford Products, Retrieved 1 December 2017''Motorcycle Sport'', March 1981, p.149 (pp.146-149), 159. Ninety Eight Point Four: Keeping warm on a motorcycle in winter. Accessed 6 April 2020

References

Bibliography

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Muff (Handwarmer) Fashion accessories Fur Armwear Winter clothes Handwear