Life — July 13, 1905 — page 15: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This appears to be a satirical illustration titled "STYLES BATHING SUITS" from *Life* magazine. The cartoon contrasts two figures in swimming attire: on the left, a stylish, elegant woman in a modern bathing costume with a cap, and on the right, a heavyset woman in an older-fashioned, more modest bathing dress and hat. The satire likely mocks the contrast between fashionable "new woman" styles of the era versus outdated or unflattering alternatives. The exaggerated caricature on the right—with a broader, less idealized physique—suggests commentary on how different body types or classes of women adopted bathing fashions. The onlookers in the background appear to react to this contrast, emphasizing the social spectacle of fashion.