Irving Wiles painted many portraits of society women that emphasized their elaborate costumes and jewelry. One writer for Scribner’s Magazine commented that Wiles painted women’s ribbons, veils, and laces with ​“as much character as he puts in the expression of their faces.” But in Her Leisure Hour, the girl’s unhappy expression is at odds with her luxurious surroundings, as if she could find no interest in any of the books behind her, and took no pleasure in her elegant clothes.