Judge — July 8, 1922 — page 1: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# "Shrink or Swim" - Judge Magazine, July 8, 1922 This cover depicts a woman in a bathing suit sitting with a crab nearby, titled "Shrink or Swim." The image satirizes 1920s concerns about women's swimwear and body modesty. The caption suggests women faced a choice: either their swimsuits would shrink when wet (revealing more of the body), or they'd need to learn to swim regardless of exposure. This reflects contemporary anxieties about the "New Woman" of the Jazz Age—women wearing increasingly revealing bathing suits that shocked conservative society. The humor targets both women's changing fashion choices and the public's prudish reactions to them. The crab appears to represent the natural dangers women might face while swimming, adding to the satirical commentary on women's newfound recreational freedoms.