Life — January 4, 1929 — page 18: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This illustration depicts a social commentary on changing fashion and aging. The scene shows what appears to be a salon or social gathering where a young woman in modern, shorter dress sits alongside an older woman in old-fashioned clothing. An elderly man stands between them, observing the contrast. The title's pun—"Old Fashion" (both a dated style and a cocktail)—suggests the cartoon mocks either a woman who clings to outdated dress styles, or conversely, satirizes how quickly modern fashion makes young women appear prematurely aged. The setting and formal attire suggest this targets upper-class social pretensions about fashion consciousness and generational style differences, likely from the 1920s-30s era when hemlines and silhouettes were rapidly evolving.