Life, 1927-05-12 · page 8 of 43
Life — May 12, 1927 — page 8: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains fashion satire and social commentary typical of Life magazine's style. **"Nightmare of a Young Lady Who Has Been Reading About What Is à la Mode"** mocks women's fashion aspirations by describing absurdly impractical haute couture elements—barrel-shaped skirts, excessive ornamentation, and ridiculous silhouettes—presented as current trends. **"A Polka Dot or Check for Those Who Works On[?]"** is a cartoon dialogue between two well-dressed men discussing a woman's appearance in a shop window, satirizing male obsession with fashionable female display and objectification. **"Short Shrift"** continues this theme with two men discussing a woman's dubious dress sense and an apparent scandal involving Boston. Overall, the page satirizes both women's pursuit of fashionable appearance and men's judgmental scrutiny of female fashion choices—common Life magazine social commentary of the era.
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Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
6 Life Wightmare of a Young Lady Who Has Been Leading About What SIs OUFFANT barrel-shaped flesh- a la Mlbod6e attractive with side slits gathered un- colored georgette or long gold der transparent skirts resembling le yellow or turquoise plum and cerise step- ins tend toward being robes de style over modernized harem trouserettes of the Velasquez. period with a huge thrilling violet shirt tied with lace big bertha a cre- ation has large calf- skins pan gles and rhinestones of a me- tallic silhouette to re- main as_ chartreuse chemises not to be raised nor yet low- ered of course shorter than last fringes of a dull spangled Chanel opening or are transparent Andalouse Dalmatique impression of the rue Ibis Patou with one single red velvet slip of silver WeECK Cre 1 moire making trouser effects First Club-Fellow: Old Powter seems to be eating rather heavi- ly of late. The First Thought in Underwear for Milady dernier cri sensation bathing satin skirts designed for the im- pression of the knee- length aquamarine pendants to be worn on the Chine spring collection the sports clothes at times even fantastic spiritual quality traffic blocked with a suit of gold bolero beige while the advent of high-mir- rored shimmering crystal nightgowns from every legion of foreign importers matching the _ flat- heeled shoes of cot- ton clamoring for admittance with a black and gold desire of expressing their personality in a rarefied and chastened waterproof in black oilcloth, The Other One: Yes, they're fattening him up for display in one of the front windows. I Cadame They say she is exceedingly chic, this lady who is seven feet three inches tall, and whose weight is approximately one hundred and fifteen pounds. Her fingers remind one of quill tooth- picks, and her feet have the dimensions and contours of anemic bananas. The grace of her pinhead is enhanced by a face ten inches long and three inches aide; her hatchet-like profile is the last avord in elegance; and her neck leads one to beliewe that someschere in the proces of evolution the giraffe contributed more than a little to humanity. There is a pronounced sag in her lower torso, probably because she sas bors with one hand glued to a hip; and her calves are negligible. Yes, 1 have been told that her judgment in matters of dress is unerring, and that she never chooses the wrong toilet prep- arations, but- 1 am serving notice ft I shall call for the police, the coroner, a pistol, and poison if I ever meet her outside the pages of a fashion magazine. Phorxt Ahezift RST CITIZEN: Whatever has happened to Jones? I don't see him around any more. Seconp Stave: Jones? Oh, he was hanged last week for reading # book in Boston. comicbooks.com