Judge — August 8, 1925 — page 11: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Analysis This page satirizes fashionable women's sportswear of the era through exaggerated physical comedy. The headline "WHY NOT PUT SOME PEP IN OUR FASHION DRAWINGS?" frames the joke: rather than static poses, the illustrated women are depicted in absurdly acrobatic positions—tumbling, doing handstands, and performing gymnastic moves. The satire targets both the fashion industry and women's fashion choices. The captions mock specific garments (Balbriggan suits, Bangkok hats, crepe-de-chine) while the comic illustrations suggest that such "sporty" outfits are impractical and lead to physical mishaps ("slipping on banana peels"). The central irony: promotional fashion drawings typically present elegant, composed figures, but this designer instead shows women literally upside-down and flailing—implying the fashions are ridiculous or dangerous rather than glamorous. It's social satire on both women's fashion consumption and advertising conventions.