The Wasp — 1893 — page 138: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This page features "The Old Maid's Diary," a serialized column satirizing unmarried women and contemporary fashion debates. The illustration shows a woman in exaggerated dress with prominent bustle and hoop skirts—the cartoon targets the absurdity of these restrictive garments. The text mocks women's fashion choices while discussing corsets, hoop skirts, and "false hip factories" as ridiculous industries. It references specific male figures (Edmund Rustle, Mr. Philter) in satirical commentary on women's independence and domestic choices. The overall satire criticizes both overly fashion-conscious women and those advocating reform, presenting women's concerns about appearance and autonomy as equally foolish. This reflects late-19th-century anxieties about changing women's roles and fashion reform movements.