Life, 1912-01-11 · page 13 of 40
Life — January 11, 1912 — page 13: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page satirizes Life magazine's "Fashion Reform League" initiative to modernize American men's clothing. The text announces they've secured President Taft's cooperation to establish a men's department and revolutionize male fashion nationwide. The cartoon mocks this ambition by depicting classical Greek and Roman male figures (likely representing "ideal" masculine forms) being fitted with modern clothing by tailors. The satire suggests that attempting to reform men's fashion is absurd—even mythological ideals couldn't succeed at it. The caption references "official regalia" and "presidential reception jumpers" with "dishabille pantalets for naval and military aides," humorously exaggerating the pretentiousness of fashion reform efforts during the Taft administration (1909-1913).
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
bad bal cia cae Apollos to the Front Life's Fashion Reform League Enters New Field, and Will Hereafter Control Men's Fashions in This Country—Represented by President Taft Receuier great pressure has been brought to bear upon us to open up a men’s department. Inasmuch as we never undertake to do anything unless we are quite certain to carry it through, we put our experts on this problem, and their report has been so favorable that we have already established headquarters at Washington and intend to revolutionize men’s fashions throughout the country, In order to explain our position, we have decided that our method shall not be anything new or startling. In a monarchy the king usually determines the fashions, and, inasmuch as we—while not being a monarchy—are near enough to it for all practical purposes, it has been thought best to begin at the fountain head of all wisdom and sa- gacity and conscience—namely, President Taft. By making a contract with the President and his cab- inet to become our regular customers, and, in fact, place themselves under the complete charge of our artists, we felt that a great deal of time could be saved in bringing the rest of the country into line. This we have done; and while the physical proportions of some of the members of the cabinet—including Mr. Taft himself—are not quite what we would desire, we believe that we have accomplished a great thing for the future of this country. By expressing in terms of art how men should really dress, it is our intention subtly and uncon- sciously to raise the standard of morals and culture every- where. No young man, for example, who wears one of our latest models in suitings, and becomes used to its atmosphere, could ever read the Evening Journal regularly. We are obliged to conféss that we had some slight diffi- culty in getting Mr. Taft, to consent to placing himself under our tutelage. t “T want to be very pleasant abdut it,” he said. “I would not offend you for anything, and before going into this matter I want to consult Mr. Hitchcock of the Post-Office Department; Mr. Aldrich, who is connected with the Treasury Department; Mrj Joe Cannon, who, although re- tired, is known to be an artist in dress, and Mr. Champ — Oko Cusding, OUR LATEST OFFICIAL REGALIA THE NEWEST PRESIDENTIAL RECEPTION JUMPERS, TOGETHER WITH CoRRECT décolleté PANTALETS FOR NAVAL AND MILITARY aides