Judge, 1928-05-05 · page 10 of 36
Judge — May 5, 1928 — page 10: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Explanation for Modern Readers This 1928 *Judge* article satirizes men's fashion predictions through humor disguised as fashion advice. The main joke is that the "Merchant Tailors Association" letter is actually a dentist's dunning notice, establishing that the author (Perelman) is unreliable and dismissive of authority. The fashion recommendations themselves are absurd: geometrically patterned pants designed for geometry teachers to lecture without blackboards, and pajamas presented as revolutionary sleepwear despite 6 million nightshirts already existing in America. The cartoon below shows people in elaborate pajamas at a beach, highlighting the ridiculousness. The satire mocks both high fashion's pretensions and marketing hype. The closing complaint about bridgework turning green from cocktails reinforces the comedic tone—this is entertainment disguised as advice, poking fun at 1920s consumer culture and fashion industry claims.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
JUDGE WHAT WILL YOU WEAR IN 1928? I have just received a letter from the Merchant Tailors Assn. ‘. J., asking me to set down a few facts in regards to men’s fashions so that even the most stupid amongst “my pub- lic” could grasp the situation, This com- munication reads as fol- lows: Dear Perelman: Maybe you think dentists’ children don’t eat. Mine do— pLenty. I think it was about time you came Fel through with a check for the bridgework I installed in that loud mouth of yours last October or you will hear from my attorneys. Yours trul, Mulholland Rifkow cs, D.D.S. On second thoughts this docs not seem to be a letter from the Merchant Tailors Assn. of Pea- pack but sounds more like a dun- ning missive from some profe sional man asking for money. But I can not afford to waste my valuable time on these low- lives but will proceed to the sub- ject in hand, namely, what will he who would be in the sartor van wear this year? The male sex has come out strongly in favor of more adornment and “more plumes,” as the saying goes, Merchant Tailors of Peapack have created a new type of trouser and vest for the snappy dresser that looks like a sure-fire hit. It is il- lustrated in’ Figs. 1 and In the first photo is revealed a pair of pants with the n geometrical de- signs sponsored by London bucks. This pair of pants proves the theorem that one straight line can bi- sect four parallel lines Fig. 2 with ease, whereas the vest in Fig. 2 shows how interior angles are all too often isosceles in nature. A pair of pants and vest like these would be indispen- sable for geometry teachers, as they would require no blackboard and could keep their hands in their pockets while lecturing. Fig. 3 is a totally new conceit Basuvur Aviaton—Just my luck! in men’s wear, They are called “pajamas” and originated — in England, where they are much in favor when going to bed. Al- though rarely seen outside of beds except maybe sneaking down hotel corridors for a drink of water, they are ideal for sleep- ing, it is claimed. Some even predict that the old- fashioned nightshirt is a thing of the past, but this sounds a little rash when you remember that there are over 6,- 000,000 nightshirts in the U. alone and where would we put them all if everybody took up “p: as"? Not in the Grand F¢3 nyon, certainly, as it is already full of used razor blades—ha ha ha! In conclusion I would like to say that any more letters that come from this Rifkowiez, will get thrown in the basket and no questions asked. I paid him for the bridgework a long time ago and anyway it never was any good as the gold always turned green whenever I drank cocktails and if this is the sort of bridge- work they want me to pay my good money for, why they can go fry their ears in deep fat, that's all. —Prrecman. comicbooks.com