Michael Jackson started wearing his signature single glove in the early 1980s – but for decades, fans believed it was purely symbolic, with many only now discovering the real reason behind it
For decades, Micheal Jackson fans have been debating one of his most iconic fashion choices – the single, sparkling glove. But now, people are only just realising there was actually a very personal reason behind it.
The conversation recently resurfaced online after one Reddit user asked: “What is the symbolism of Michael Jackson’s right-handed glove?” But the answers weren’t what everyone expected. According to actress Cicely Tyson, who spoke about it in an interview with CNN, the glove actually came from a much more human place.
She explained: “All of a sudden, [my designer] said to me ‘I’m doing this glove for Michael’. Well, Michael was beginning to develop the vitiligo and it started on his hand.”
Cicely continued: “The glove was to camouflage it. That’s how that glove came into being.” When pressed on how she knew, she simply said: “I was there when he was creating it.”
Vitiligo, as explained by the NHS, is a long-term condition where pale white patches develop on the skin due to a lack of melanin.
For Michael, it was something that became more visible over time – but in the early stages, it started subtly – and apparently with his hand.
Fans now believe that what began as a way to cover up those early signs slowly evolved into something else entirely.
From around 1983 onwards, the one-glove look became part of his identity -not just an accessory, but a statement.
Some fans pointed out that Michael even leaned into the uniqueness of it.
One Reddit user wrote: “In his book, Moonwalk, he says something like: wearing two gloves, that’s ordinary, now wearing one glove, that’s special.”
Another user added: “At first it was a cover up… but it became an iconic image of Michael. He embraced it.”
A third user said: “He probably had a hard time covering the vitiligo on his right hand since he used that hand to hold the mic. Easier to use a glove than makeup.”
But one more user added: “I know everyone says it’s because of the vitiligo, and that may be a part of it, but I think it’s a very small part.
“He could have easily worn theatre makeup on his hand to cover it, as he did on other parts of his body at times.
“I believe it was more to exaggerate his hand movements while dancing, same with the glittery socks for his feet.
“When we watch someone dance, we mostly focus on hands and feet. Just my two cents.”
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: mirror.co.uk
