The Wasp — 1895 — page 50: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This page features a satirical cartoon and accompanying commentary about San Francisco's social elite. The illustration depicts women in elegant gowns at a formal cotillion (ball), wearing conspicuous jeweled garters—a humorous critique of ostentatious display. The article mocks the fashion choices and social pretensions of wealthy attendees, particularly focusing on one young woman displaying her jewelry. The satire suggests that such excessive ornamentation, while intended to demonstrate refinement and status, actually reveals vanity and poor taste. The commentary questions whether such displays truly reflect gentility or merely expose the wearer's insecurity about social standing. The piece exemplifies *The Wasp*'s characteristic approach: targeting San Francisco's wealthy and socially ambitious classes for their affectation and self-importance.