The Wasp — 1893 — page 333: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This satirical page mocks the "New Woman" fashion trend of the 1890s. The caption explains the joke: "The ladies take the badges of masculine superiority and the dudes proceed to lace themselves in corsets." The cartoon depicts gender role reversal—women adopting traditionally masculine clothing (suits, top hats) while men are forced into women's restrictive corsets. Various vignettes show women as "A Manly Girl," engaging in sports and outdoor activities labeled "In the Park" and "At the Race Track," while men struggle with corset-lacing ("The Society Leader tries to follow the Fashion"). The satire targets anxieties about changing gender norms in the 1890s, ridiculing both the "New Woman" movement and the inversion of Victorian gender expectations, presenting these social changes as absurd reversals rather than legitimate progress.