Clothing

GLOVES



It is unlucky to drop your glove and pick it up yourself; if someone else does it, good fortune will follow for both of you.

INSIDE OUT: it is lucky to put on an item of clothing inside out, although you must not change it until the time you would normally take it off, for the luck to hold. William of Normandy inadvertently put on his shirt of mail back to front just before the Battle of Hastings; when his courtiers pointed out his mistake and said it was a bad omen, quick-thinking William assured them it was not and was in fact a sign that he was about to be changed from a duke into a king.

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BUTTON UP: It has always been unlucky to hook or button up any item of clothing wrongly (start all over again if you do); just as you should never put your left arm, leg or foot into anything first.

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UNDERWEAR



If a girl's bra or pants should suddenly slip down this is a sign that someone who loves her is thinking of her; and, if two or more holes should appear in any of these items then tradition says the owner can expect a gift very shortly. Any girl wearing suspenders who finds that her stocking slips from the clasp three times can take it she is in for an unlucky day, but if stockings on the washing line curl round each other it is an omen that the owner may expect great happiness before long. Garters have always been regarded as lucky, and many a girl has slept with one under her pillow on Midsummer Eve in the hope of dreaming of her future husband (a suspender belt can also do the trick, apparently). Any young girl anxious for a husband should get a garter worn recently by a married woman and put it on her own leg; a girl who puts valerian in her underwear will prove irresistible to men (Wales). It used to be very lucky for brides to be married wearing no underwear under her wedding gown. Well into the nineteenth century a new husband became liable for any debts previously incurred by his bride but, if the girl went to the altar weaning no more than her dress, any creditors would take pity on such an obviously poor young soul and not wish to compound the problems in her new life by pressing their bills. Such ceremonies were known as 'smock' weddings'.

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Clothes are part of the 'body magic'; many fans try to touch their idols or grab a portion of their clothes; and items once worn by superstars fetch a high price at auction.
It is unlucky to wear the clothes of a dead person; for, as the body of the deceased decays, so will the clothes - 'The clothes of the dead always wear full of holes'.

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HANDKERCHIEF



Tying a knot in a handkerchief to remember something signifies a very ancient belief that that the knot was a charm against evil. Any demon nearby will be so intrigued by the shape that all thoughts of interfering with you will go from his head.

HAT: putting your hat on back to front will result in a bad day; a woman who puts on a man's hat is giving a sign that she wants to be kissed (America).

SHOE: lucky, hence the custom of tying an old boot to the back of the car of a couple who have just got married; shoes on the table is symbolic of hanging; shoes left crossed on the floor or put on the wrong feet brings bad luck; and walking anywhere with one shoe on could lead to the death of one of your parents. A shoelace which comes undone as you set off on a venture is unlucky; if you tie someone else's shoe laces up you should make a wish as it is lucky.

NEW CLOTHES: always slip a small coin into the right-hand pocket of a new suit or dress, to avoid being hard up when you wear that item of clothing. It is lucky to wear a new item of clothing on Easter Day, as everything old and dirty should be renewed at the festival of Eastertide.