Life, 1911-01-12 · page 14 of 44
Life — January 12, 1911 — page 14: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page satirizes the "Fashion Reform League," a real early-20th-century movement promoting rational dress for women. The two illustrated figures mock the movement's pretensions: Figure 1 shows an absurdly ornate "Lenten" outfit with ecclesiastical elements (bishop's hat, Vatican-inspired cope), while Figure 2 depicts a supposedly practical young girl's dress made of threadbare fishnet—impractical and expensive. The text's deadpan responses to reader letters expose the hypocrisy: the League claims to help women dress affordably and sensibly, yet quotes astronomical costs ($250 for a school dress, $4,000+ for spring wardrobes). The anecdote about a 240-pound woman attracting admirers in Broadway mocks the League's dubious claims about flattering fuller figures. The satire targets how fashion reformers dressed up commercialism and vanity in the language of women's liberation and practical improvement.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
FIG, 1.—A LENTEN “ SORTIE DU- BAL.” COPE OF IMITATION VATICAN WITH LORGNETTE OF STAINED GLASS. hundred and fifty. This is the age when experience counts and the figure is still good. As we need your influence in your own home town, come on at once at our expense and we will fit you out with some new designs for spring, your whole wardrobe not costing over five thou- sand, and we may be able to get it down to four thousand nine hundred and forty. iuce Eset Oraxce, N. J D. © flesh? je zon ree Mas. Auy C—— We are glad to reply to this corre- spondent, because her question brings up a wonderfully new idea that we are put- ting into effect. No, we don't reduce flesh, because we don’t believe that it is necessary. On the EPISCOPAL BUSBY AND OPERA A STOLE OF CANTERBURY VELOURS. contrary, we have produced a series of designs for fat women to make them more attractive than their thin sisters. One of our patrons—a lady who weighs nearly two hundred and forty—went down Broadway in one of our gowns the other day, and was followed by an ‘ad- miring throng of men for nearly two miles. That is the idea of this League. Every costume specially appeals to the men. WIttiamssurc. Do you furnish children's clothes? I am not able to clothe my children the way I should like. I have a daughter and son. Hetty B— We understand perfectly our corre- spondent's question; we not only furnish children’s clothes, but we show how they FIG, 2.—THIS BREEZY LITTLE REDINGOTE (FoR YOUNG MISS) IS OF THREADBARE FISHNET THROUGHOUT WITH A CEINTURE OF PEAU D'ESPAGNE TIED DOS-A-DOS. can be made at home by any loving mother. A splendid school dress, for ex- ample, for a young miss of fourteen, we can send pattern for, and positively guar- antee that it-will not cost over $250. If it should cost any more than this we will cheerfully pay the difference. The Reform League is established for one single purpose—viz, to enable Amer- ican women to control their own styles, and to do this in such a way as to pro- duce the most effective results. If you are not already a member of the League, consult your local chapter or write to us direct. “ Fasitiow Rerors Leacur, Lire (rorMerty CENTRAL) Park, Lire Sgvare, New Yorx. comicbooks.com