Life, 1911-11-23 · page 19 of 44
Life — November 23, 1911 — page 19: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page satirizes wealthy American society through multiple sketches: **"The Goat Paletot"** (left cartoon) mocks an absurdly expensive Russian sable coat owned by a society lady who wants to slum in poor neighborhoods without being recognized—the joke being that such conspicuous luxury defeats anonymity. **"Old Clothes Department"** advertises a fictional service where wealthy women dispose of used garments. The listings mock extravagance: a $3,000 automobile outfit worn five years, outgrown pajamas, "golden brown rats" (likely furs). The humor targets both wealthy women's wastefulness and their pretense of economy. **Fashion Reform League** offers a custom clothing service using wax molds to create perfectly-fitted garments, including adjustments for weight gain/loss—satirizing the fashion industry's obsession with precise measurements and appearance. The small dialogue joke about "Brownsmith" getting a political job he wanted by doing nothing satirizes political corruption and nepotism. Throughout, Life critiques Gilded Age excess and the frivolous concerns of the wealthy elite.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
*LIF Es We show you what people you ma safely omit and where you can pla your husband to make him really use- ful. Send for our latest list of reception gowns, from one thousand up. OLD CLOTHES DEPARTMENT. (This department is designed to help those of our patrons who wish to dis- pose of their wardrobes. Only five dollars a line charged.) have an automobile costume f which I paid three thousand dollars, and have used it for five years without a Will dispose of it to out of party weighing 250 pounds for I have outgrown my dispose of them cheap to able party. Leaving for Chicago.—Mrs. I3,, this office Four golden brown rats wanted by lady in reduced circumstances, Send sample strand. Must be a bargain. Apri S Life's Fashion Reform League. cs . HOME, SWEET HOME THE “GOAT” PALETOT Hekes: Brownsmith was after a — RUSSIAN. SABLE paletot oR poiitical job for a long time. OU can 1 LADY WHO LIKES TO GO SLUM- What's he doing now? MING, BUT WISHES To AVOID AT Pokus: Nothing. He got it. TENTION. cad a magnate to an in- vestigation, but you can’t make remember, without any particular pain. You simply step into a warm wax bath up to your neck and wait for it to cool; we then break it away and use it as a mold to repro- duce your figure in any medium you may select, from plaster of Paris to solid gold. After this all that is nec- essary for you to do is to send us your weight; if you fall off a couple of pounds we reduce the figure accord- ingly; if you gain, we pad it. Thus we can make your clothes right here and ship them to you anywhere, either by parcels post, express or freight, according to weight. As we reproduce your complexion and the color of your hair, we can also select your hats. We ship all our hats in hand-painted crates specially made for this purpose. In addition to these purely physical iOOK FOR Sis Prerone details, we also enter upon our books F ; i a; descAption col yolir ‘temperament in the Christmas Number of Lire, out on Tuesday, December 5.1 will contain the winning title of the contest, which began in Lire’s Thanksgiving Number, and which closed on November 18. In the dashing blonde or a buxom brunette— same number will be published about twenty-five of the best titles nothing omitted and naught set down tecled. in malice. (Nor whether you are vivacious or sad, a ; i —In Lire’s issue of November 9 it was stated that the We have just started a new depart- above picture would not be published again. This referred to its use ment, which is a course of instruction as a guide for contestants. In the present instance it is used simply in how to give an afternoon reception. as a reminder.) comicbooks.com