Why doesn't mickey mouse wear a shirt?
Probably the reason was a combination of cost, skills, technology, aesthetics. It also may just be because Disney envisioned Mickey to be like so. Later, most definitely a matter of branding.
Conversation. "Mickey Mouse wears pants, but no shirt. Donald Duck wears a shirt, but no pants. Pluto's as mute and naked as the day he was born, and Goofy -- another dog -- wears a full outfit and can speak.
The longtime mascot of The Walt Disney Company, Mickey is an anthropomorphic mouse who typically wears red shorts, large yellow shoes, and white gloves.
A user with the Twitter handle @rajandelman recently explained why Donald Duck does not wear pants. “Donald Duck does not wear pants because they would interfere with production of preen oil, created in a gland in the rump, that makes his feathers resistant to water,” she wrote.
Honestly, it typically comes down to budget and time constraints. Characters wearing gloves because his designer wanted to call attention to his hands. He's not wearing pants because drawing pants is a waste of time.
He practices daily affirmations and self-love, blissfully pursuing his wants, dreams and honey. He goes about his life, pouch out, with a quiet confidence and never any pants. Pooh's dedication to a pants-free lifestyle is dedication to his self-identity.
“We didn't want him to have mouse hands because he was supposed to be more human,” Disney told Thomas in 1957, according to the New York Times. “So we gave him gloves. Five fingers seemed like too much on such a little figure, so we took away one.
In her book, What Happened, she describes why the pantsuit was her outfit of choice. “They make me feel professional,” she writes, adding she also felt the pantsuit helped her fit in with the other male politicians.
And today is the day we get to finally see Minnie's new pantsuit in person. A few weeks ago, we reported that in honor of Women's History Month, at Disneyland Paris, Minnie Mouse would ditch her iconic red polka dot dress and, instead, rock a navy blue polka dot pantsuit, designed by Stella McCartney.
"This new take on her signature polka dots makes Minnie Mouse a symbol of progress for a new generation," she said. In addition to celebrating Disneyland Paris' 30th birthday, Minnie will also be wearing her new blue suit throughout March to honor Women's History Month.
Why do so many cartoon characters wear white gloves?
Canemaker says that in black-and-white cartoons, black hands on characters would be difficult to see against their black bodies. To solve this problem, animators just put white gloves on their characters for contrast.
Why Did Donald Duck Wear a Towel But Not Pants? | Disney FAQ

Later in the series, it is revealed that Donald's anger is the result of a fear that no one can understand him, though with the help of an anger management counselor and while taking care of Huey, Dewey, Louie, he was able to channel it into protective instinct.
“We didn't want him to have mouse hands because he was supposed to be more human. So we gave him gloves.” Gloves bridged the gap between human and non-human things.
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Here is a A Definitive Style Ranking of Cartoon Characters Who Don't Wear Pants.
- Fred Flintstone.
- Wakko Warner. ...
- Zapp Brannigan. ...
- Squidward. ...
- Puss In Boots. ...
- Donald Duck. ...
- Winnie the Pooh. ...
- Yogi Bear. ...
Because back in the 1900s, almost every cartoon character wore gloves. Also because Sonic's design is based off of Mickey Mouse and Felix the Cat. Some would look weird with gloves.
The evolution of Minnie Mouse's design. Minnie's original design, seen in this short, does not wear gloves, a shirt, or high heels.
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Daisy Duck | |
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Designed by | Carl Barks |
You won't find a single picture of Mickey Mouse on the Internet wearing suspenders, unless it's just a picture been drawn by somebody who remembers that he wore them. All his shows, no more suspenders.
Mickey's shorts had been both red and green in merchandise, but they were more often red, so Band Concert decisively made red Mickey's signature color.