Life — March 26, 1914 — page 8: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# "The Coat Question" Analysis The main cartoon satirizes debate over formal dress codes. It shows a tailor presenting a double-breasted frock-coat to a woman, while depicting a man reading. The text argues the frock-coat remains appropriate formal wear worn by "highest officials" despite some Americans preferring sack-coats (like three-button cutaways). The joke caption has the man saying he's reading "a new book—list of the marriages of the divorcees" and the woman responding "it must be the new 'who's whose.'" This references high-society divorce scandals—a common satire subject in this era. The article defends tailors' expertise and American men's right to dress formally, implicitly critiquing those who reject traditional formal wear as undignified.