Life, 1911-08-10 · page 25 of 40
Life — August 10, 1911 — page 25: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page satirizes wealthy elites and a fashion reform movement through mock announcements. The illustration shows a rescue scene at sea, with the caption presenting a dark joke about saving drowning victims—establishing the irreverent tone. The text mocks exclusive society by announcing that prominent Newport socialites (Mrs. Billington de Blastor, Mrs. Addington) will perform mundane activities—having hair dressed, eating breakfast—as public "exhibitions" to demonstrate the League's democratic purpose. The satire suggests these wealthy women view even basic grooming as spectacles. The second section parodies fashion ideology, claiming styles reflect "racial instincts" and women's social evolution. The harem skirt supposedly expresses the wearer's femininity or "virago" nature. New designs absurdly target specific body types (jumpers, gymnasium costumes, rowing outfits for women over 200 pounds). The satire targets both snobbish society pretending at democracy and the pseudo-scientific fashion justifications used to market clothing, suggesting both are fundamentally ridiculous.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
The Captain: w On Monday Mrs. J. Billington de Blastor, of Newport, Tuxedo Park and Upper Fifth Avenue, will have her hair dressed from nine until eleven, in the north wing. All spectators are cautioned not to go inside of the rope. On Tuesday Mrs. Iddington Islington Addington will have ber nails manicured and will eat breakfast in the south wing. This will give everybody an idea of how breakfast is served in the higher circles and will also afford a full view of Mrs. Addington in her one thousand dollar tea gown, which we have just finished. Other exhibitions on a grand scale, cocktail drink- time to showing dinner parties, ing, ete, will be given from time. This ought to convince everybody that the League has a real moral purpose. In a democratic country like this we cannot afford to be too exclusive. When our plain people are thus brought into close contact with our most prominent society leaders, it is thought the result can only be beneficial. Girl: T ONE OR TWO OF ‘EM ANYHOW MAVE YE Now as to some of our new modes. Any one who knows anything about fash- ion knows that cach new style follows some underlying idea, deep down in the racial instincts. For example, the jupe culotte, or harem skirt, which we intro- duced into this country, and from here into other countries, mercly followed close on the heels of the suffragette movement; it was an accompaniment of that movement, and the very highest art ing clothes consisted in knowing how to make a harem skirt which would typify the state of the wearer in the evolution of the race. If, for example, you were a lovely, soft, clinging, feminine creature, then the harem skirt you wore would be naturally very pronounced. On the other hand, if you were a regular virago, then you would wear the slightest semblance of the harem skirt effect. This the Great Art. Our next models, therefore, will be the athletic style, with a touch of the coming of the plain people; the hardy workman, ete. in mal uw! pO YOU THINK WE CAN SAVE THEM? ANY cnotce, MI One of our shapes is a jumper of Irish point lace, trimmed with a flap of garnet beads, with metal background and trunks of old gold Another is a gymnasium costume, made with netted: effect over silk background, with bell skirt and rose colored panties, cut to shape and worn with passementerie sandals, For ladies of fifty, who weigh two hundred or over, we have a unique row- ing costume, made of spun silk, with flutes on side and tassel effect in rear This League now has a home circle i every place im this country where there are women. To join your home circle there is no charge, but you have to pledge yourself to wear only our designs and not to go abroad. As soon as you join you should come on at once and take advantage of the superb courses which we are offering in our buildings in Lire Park (formerly Central). Don't delay. Life's Fashion Reform League bas relief comicbooks.com