Judge — July 22, 1916 — page 1: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# "Reddy Maid Suits" - Judge Magazine, July 22, 1916 This illustration by Mary Lane McMillon depicts three figures in swimwear sitting together on a beach, with shoes scattered below. The title "Reddy Maid Suits" appears to be a pun on a commercial product or brand name (likely "Ready-Made" suits). The satire likely comments on the then-controversial trend of women wearing practical, less-restrictive bathing costumes rather than the heavily layered Victorian alternatives. The composition—showing a woman confidently positioned between two men in casual beach attire—suggests commentary on changing gender relations and women's increasing social freedom in the 1910s. The joke plays on contemporary anxieties about modern women's independence and fashion choices becoming less modest and more utilitarian.