The Wasp — 1893 — page 78: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This page features a satirical diary entry about a woman riding horseback in the park. The illustration shows a woman in a riding habit with exaggerated posture. The satire mocks Victorian-era women's fashion and behavior. The diary criticizes women riders for their impractical, attention-seeking clothing—tight corsets that restrict movement and clingy fabrics designed more for display than function. The author ridicules the "crinoline" skirt trend as uncomfortable and socially improper. The piece also subtly comments on class and gender expectations: women from poor backgrounds (like "Mrs. Jawbones" with seven children) attempting to adopt aristocratic pursuits like horseback riding, which the author views as presumptuous. The humor derives from the tension between Victorian ideals of feminine grace and the actual physical discomfort and absurdity of women's fashionable dress when engaging in athletic activity.