Many wardrobe staples and fashion classics we take for granted or riff on were inspired by the historical context of their original conception.

From the drop hem, to circle skirts, to the iconic power suit, every fashion must-have is rooted in a chapter of history.

Before Rosie the Riveter: 1900s–1930s

As women were faced with limited options like the restrictive hobble skirt and they felt the looming threat of oppressive political movements to legally mandate that they wear corsets and floor-length hems in public, the “suffragette skirt” and infamous flapper fashion of the Jazz Age challenged the status quo.

In the same decade as the ratification of the 19th Amendment, Coco Chanel gifted women’s fashion with her gumption to create a menswear-inspired clothing line.

Not long after, in 1932, Marcel Rochas went one step further and created the pantsuit.

Wartime Wardrobes: 1940s–1950s

Fashion in the 1940s was more than just military-inspired, for the more than 350,000 American women who served in the armed forces during World War II, uniforms were required.

For women back on the homefront, fabric rationing was a wartime reality and prompted a shift to practical patterns that showed more skin because they required less fabric.

Post-war fashion circled back to prim and proper, recalling images of housewives in their “state of the art” kitchens. Voluminous skirts and trim bodices accentuated feminine features.

As women moved from the battlefields and factories back to more traditional roles in the home, fashion designers such as Christian Dior reveled in the luxuries of the post-war economy with elegant, full skirts and delicate details.

Fashion Forward: 1960s–1970s

Women’s history and fashion progressed rapidly in the 1960s and 1970s.

Whether in mod miniskirts or structured, androgynous office wear, the women of the 1960s witnessed many remarkable moments in history—while wearing the trendy fashions of the decade.

• The Feminine Mystique was published in 1963.
• The Equal Pay Act was passed in 1963.
• The Civil Rights Act was passed in 1964.
• A Presidential Executive Order in 1967 banned discrimination in hiring practices.

In the wake of such major political upheaval, women’s fashions of the 1970s took even more liberties and pushed the boundaries on the androgyny of the 1960s.

And in this decade, the fashion shift even trickled down to school girls and education policy at the federal level. With the passing of Title IX in 1972, girls were permitted to wear pants in public schools for the first time.

Girl Power: 1980s–1990s

The power women of the 1980s asserted their authority by rocking powerful silhouettes—think shoulder pads and pumps.

The extra oomph must have worked: The percentage of women in management roles rose from 20% to 36% during that decade, according to MBA@UNC, UNC Kenan-Flagler’s online MBA program.

The 1990s saw a more subtle and relaxed take on the bold attire of the 80s, as illustrated by iconic TV characters of the decade such as Special Agent Dana Scully of The X Files and Rachel Green of Friends.

Cool and casual outfits were the norm, but some iconoclasts—such as pop music icons The Spice Girls and Britney Spears—pushed the envelope by blazing a trail for sexy and playful styles both on and off stage.

Y2K and Beyond: 2000s to Now

Since the turn of the century, women’s fashion has evolved into an experimentation with and innovation of fashions past.

Women have come far and so has women’s fashion, but some more conservative mindsets and classic style guidelines can still be found in in the modern world. A good example is job interviews.

According to Fairygodboss, no matter how “relaxed” a company culture, there are still some tried and true interview attire guidelines that most job hunters would be wise to consider. Let the “going out” top and leopard print pumps stay behind when you’re headed to meet a potential employer.

Future fashion trends are nearly impossible to predict, but fashion blogs and social media can keep the tempo of ever-evolving trends unlike any medium in the past.

Perhaps the biggest takeaway from looking at how women’s fashion can shift with history is that women are more free to express themselves through style now than they have ever been before.

So, go ahead and rock that ensemble—but remember to thank the fashion pioneers of decades past.