Life, 1912-02-29 · page 4 of 40
Life — February 29, 1912 — page 4: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is a satirical announcement from *Life* magazine's upcoming "Fashion Number." The cartoon by A.B. Walker depicts a woman being dressed/styled by another woman at a vanity mirror, illustrating the title "Style Makes the Man." The satire is directed at men: the text humorously invites "husbands, bachelors and all other masculine persons" to read next week's fashion issue, while simultaneously warning ladies *not* to read it. The joke suggests that fashion advice in the magazine will be so radical or emasculating that it's "only for reckless and irresponsible men"—implying that respectable women should avoid exposing men to such potentially corrupting style guidance. This reflects early 20th-century anxieties about changing gender roles and fashion's power to reshape masculine identity.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
AR wrener Style Makes the Man And want of it the back number. Husbands, bachelors and all other masculine persons of whatever age, race or previous condition of servitude, be with us, we beg of you, next week. On Tuesday next (as A usual) will appear before a startled world the J vm Fashion Number of Life. All ladies are f _oee hereby warned not to read it—the state- / find One Enclosed ments made in it are altogether too Dollar (Cana- dian $1.13, For- radical for any woman. Be / eign $1.26). Send wise, therefore, ladies, and fo BIEE for tare avoid this number; it is c q F intended only for The next Picture -Title reckless. and. iis Contest will begin in our responsible issue of March 7th— men. the Fashion Number Open only to new subscribers; no subscription renewed at this rate. Subscription should come to us direct; not through an agent or dealer at LIFE, 17 West 31, New York Please Register Letters Containing Currency ONE YEAR $5.00. (CAMMOUN $5.52, FOREIGN $6.04.)