very important Imperial Radch headcanon

In many parts of the Radch, very young children can go bare-handed without offending propriety, but there are a few places where hand coverings may be required for even the youngest citizens at certain times.

And while you can, of course, purchase adaptive gloves that will mold themselves neatly around the fingers of even the squirmiest infant -- although they're more often sold in larger sizes to adult citizens who for one reason or another prefer them to the static kind -- most parents and caretakers opt to dress their young ones in mittens, instead.

( further nonsense )