Life, 1912-04-04 · page 23 of 80
Life — April 4, 1912 — page 23: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is satirical advice column humor from Life magazine's "Fashion Reform League." The satire mocks both excessive consumer spending by wealthy young women and their disrespect toward parental authority. The column presents absurdly indulgent "advice" as if it were sensible: a sixteen-year-old should spend $1,000 on spring clothes, $99 minimum on Easter hats, and $4 per pair on silk stockings. When a girl's father sets a $50 hat budget, the advice ridicules him for being too lenient. The illustration shows a young woman applying cosmetics while an older woman (presumably her mother) watches disapprovingly—visualizing the included question about borrowing face powder without permission. The satire targets Gilded Age excess and the emerging "New Woman" figure who demanded financial independence from fathers. References to the "Turkey Trot Dance" (a scandalous modern dance) and a Supreme Court justice wearing spangles amplify the mockery of contemporary social upheaval. The humor relies on exaggeration to critique both youth rebellion and parental anxiety about changing social norms.
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Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
“LIFE: Simplicity Our Watchword Styles for Young Girls of Sixteen Inaugurated by Life's Fashion Reform League— TYHE world is moving forward rap- idly. Great things are stirring in minds of men and women. New rovements in democracy are taking ce. But more important than all s is the fact that new styles are de- inded all the time, Apparently we are in the vanguard, d controlling, as we do, the artistic ipulses which have recently become , marked in this country, the effect our propaganda can scarcely be overestimated. Simplicity is the keynote. We do not think that any young girl of six- cen should spend more than a thou- ind dollars on her spring clothes. he should deny herself sternly. Here are some answers to correspondents : Q. At what age shall I begin to wear silk stockings? Sapte B- A. No young girl should wear silk stockings under the age of five y It is better, if possible, to wait until you are six or seven. Under no cir- cumstances should you pay more than four dollars a pair for them. Q. My mother objects to my bor- rowing her face powder and her rats. I feel this attitude on her part deeply. How shall I make her ashamed of her- self? Extnor A. Don’t attempt to make her feel ashamed of herself. You have a false moral pride. No self-respecting young girl in these days should think of try- ing to make her mother ashamed of herself. Merely to show her, however, that you are independent, go to your father directly and get him to give you enough money to buy your own rats and powder. If he refuses to do this, have them charged; it is the only self- respecting method. Q. The bishop of the diocese is about to pay a visit to our house and he will be here during the evening when I have my Turkey Trot Dance. Ought I to ask the bishop to be pres- ent as a witness? Berry —. A. Certainly. Why deprive the King George Highly Pleased bishop of the pleasure of witnessing this highly moral exhibition? Q. Yesterday I ordered an Easter hat for eighty dollars, when my father had only the night before placed a limit of fifty dollars upon it. Was I wrong? A. We cannot reply to this question. We do not know your father as wel! as you do, but, assuming that he is an ordinary tired business man, you Ict him off too easy. No Easter hat for a young girl of sixteen is respectable that costs any less than ninety-nine dollars. Better consult us hereafter. Q. Iam a member of the Supreme Court and have recently been wearing a costume made by your establish- ment, which has created considerable comment, being made of velvet, watered silk and spangles. Now the question is whether by wearing it I am detracting in any way from my dignity as a member of the Supreme Court. Have no fear. In these days such a thing would be impossible (See Everybody's and other maga- zin Q. Can you make a fat woman look svelte? Also chic and willowy? I am told that your experts have succeeded in producing some marvelous illusions. Manet Bounper. A. We made a specialty of perform- ing this deception at one time, but our whole establishment is based upon truth, and we have abandoned all il- lusions. Our present fat ladies’ de- partment is devoted entirely to the idea of making fat women glorious, and frankly extolling her curves and building her up as an ideal, to be loved and cherished and fought over. The result is astonishing. We are, there- fore, now making costumes for fat “My mother objects to my borrowing her face powder. I feel this attitude on her part deeply.”