Life — July 3, 1913 — page 16: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This page from *Life* magazine satirizes men's facial hair styles by pairing six different whisker styles with humorous names and scenarios. Each illustration shows a man sporting a distinct beard or mustache configuration paired with a stereotypical lifestyle or profession: - Style A: "The Sir Walter" (romantic gentleman) - Style B: "Secretary" (bureaucratic type) - Style C: "'O'clock Tea" (leisure class) - Style D: "The Idle-wild" (bohemian boatman) - Style E: "Alpine" (mountain climber) - Style F: "The Robin Redbreast" (naturalist) The headline—"If you must wear them, wear useful ones"—suggests the satire mocks fashionable whiskers as impractical affectation, implying men should adopt beards matching their actual occupations or pursuits rather than merely following fashion trends.