Life — February 22, 1917 — page 19: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This is a satirical cartoon from *Life* magazine (page 307) titled "As She Must Dress To-Day." The image depicts two figures: a woman in classical flowing robes (labeled "Peace") being fitted by a figure in military armor (labeled "War"). The woman appears to be being dressed or constrained by the military figure, suggesting that wartime needs override peacetime preferences. The satire critiques how women's fashion and freedoms are subordinated to military demands during wartime. The classical allegorical figures—Peace and War—suggest this is commentary on a specific historical period when women's dress codes or social roles changed due to military necessity, likely WWI or WWII era rationing and uniform requirements. The cartoon's message: warfare fundamentally reshapes civilian life, including how women must present themselves, illustrating the pervasive control military exigencies exert over society.