Life — September 3, 1914 — page 2: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This is a satirical advertisement for Life magazine's millinery (hat) issue, parodying high-fashion Vogue magazine. The illustration shows three elegantly dressed women displaying elaborate hats and accessories in an Art Deco style typical of the 1920s-30s era. The satire lies in Life's mocking presentation of expensive fashion trends. The accompanying text—"Vogue suggests that a moment of attention to the peculiarity of the hat may, perhaps, save you many dollars"—ironically suggests that paying attention to fashionable hat details could somehow save money, when in fact fashion magazines typically *encourage* expensive purchases. This reflects Life's role as a humor magazine that satirized consumer culture and upper-class pretension through exaggerated depictions of fashion trends.