One hundred years ago in 1915, women weren’t allowed to vote, underarm deodorant was still new and catching on, sliced bread wouldn’t be available commercially for another 13 years, there was no minimum wage, and tragedy of the Titanic was still fresh on everyone’s minds.

Fast-forward to today when most of us hold the world literally in the palms of our hands; a vast array of information at our fingertips. Food is more plentiful and varied, clothing (generally) more comfortable, life expectancy is longer, quality of life has improved–life was good in 2015, was it not?

Looking back to 1915, it’s clear that there have been more commercial and technological advances in the last 100 years than ever at any time in the history of man. The strides humanity has made (for good and ill) are astounding when looking at the whole of human history. It truly is a marvelous time to be alive.

From a fashion standpoint, a lot has changed from 1915 to today. Women are no longer wear petticoats, crinolin, corsets, stocking, and restrictive dresses, even at the height of summer months. Men are not expected to cover their chests and upper bodies when on public beaches. Children, too, have benefited from the passage of time. In 1915 the adage was still very much “children should be seen and not heard.” Children were thought of as miniature adults and were expected to dress and behave as such. Thankfully for children today, that philosophy and mentality are as outdated as pinafores and knickerbockers. Children’s clothing today is expressive, whimsical, and lighthearted.

Clothing prices, too, have shifted dramatically. From US News:”… a Cincinnati Enquirer article from November 1915 said a moderately priced pair of men’s shoes might cost $3 to $5 ($70-$116 in today’s dollars). Moderately priced women’s shoes ranged from $7 to $10 ($163-$233). Even if those prices don’t sound so high to you, considering the layers people wore – vests, gloves, hats, overcoats, chemises, knickerbockers and petticoats – consumers were outlaying a lot of money on clothing.” The difference is quantity. For example, instead of 10 dress shirts, men only had one or two. Instead of 50 pairs of shoes, women only had two or three. And when those shoes began to wear out, they were repaired instead of replaced.

Here’s a fascinating video by MODE, showcasing the evolution of fashion through the last 100 years:

Clothing has changed so much in the past 100 years. We can only speculate as to what the future of fashion will be. Will we be able to print our own clothing using 3-D printing technology? Will the fashion industry finally become fully closed-loop? Only time will tell.

For more information about fashion during this time period: 1910s Western Fashion Wikipedia