Life — February 26, 1920 — page 8: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Analysis This is a satirical illustration by Bill Breck titled "Animals of North American Cities: How to Recognize the Furry Tribe." The cartoon uses animal caricatures to mock fashionable women's fashion trends of the era. Each figure represents a social type identified by their clothing: - **Black Furred Vamp** and **Long-Haired Luncheon Date**: Women in elaborate fur coats - **Limousine Curley Lamb**: A woman in curly/textured fur - **Spotty Trotrot**: A woman in spotted fur trim - **The White Cutiecute**: A woman in white fur The satire ridicules wealthy urban women who wear excessive furs as status symbols, comparing them to animals. The "furry tribe" label mocks their obsession with fur fashion, suggesting they're more beast than human. This reflects early 20th-century debates about conspicuous consumption and women's fashion excess.