Judge — January 13, 1923 — page 18: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This cartoon depicts a woman in a corset performing stretching exercises in what appears to be a confined interior space. The title's double meaning is the joke: "setting-up exercises" refers both to physical fitness routines (a contemporary health trend) and the literal act of "setting up" or arranging oneself in a corset. The satire targets the restrictive fashion of women's corsetry, which was simultaneously promoted as healthful while being physically constraining. The cramped pose and dark, claustrophobic setting suggest the absurdity of claiming health benefits from garments that severely limit movement and breathing. This reflects turn-of-the-century debates about women's fashion, health reform, and the tension between fashion expectations and physical wellbeing.