The Bottom Line
In the early 20th century, women relished in the liberation provided by Coco Chanel’s relaxed designs, which allowed for movement that had previously been restricted by corsets and over-the-top embellishments. In the 1930s, Marlene Dietrich and Katharine Hepburn scandalized polite society by wearing trousers in public, which gave women even more freedom in the realm of fashion. The 1940s brought war to Europe and wartime cutbacks to the fashion world. Thanks to cloth rationing, men were suddenly rid of traditional three-piece suits, and fashion became a lot more casual. In the 1970s, new laws required that women be treated the same as men in the professional and educational realm, making dresses and skirts a nonessential item for many.