The Wasp — 1896 — page 97: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This page contains **"The Old Maids' Diary,"** a satirical column mocking women's fashion and social behavior, particularly targeting women cyclists. The text ridicules a woman wearing bloomers (baggy pants worn for cycling), describing her outfit as an "awful female nightmare" that would "scare an orange peddler's horse." The satire attacks women's bloomers as unfeminine and inappropriate, reflecting late-Victorian anxieties about women's independence and athletic activities. The column also criticizes Mrs. Tricbina's efforts to wear bloomers despite her husband's objections, portraying her as a domineering wife. The opposite page features a portrait of **Mr. Thomas Brown**, a California bank cashier, presented as an exemplary businessman—contrasting sharply with the column's mockery of women's autonomy and modern dress.