During the 19th century, minimalist and maximalist fashions began to diverge along gender lines. Men’s dark business suits, somber and sensible at once, contrasted with the highly ornamented styles and extreme silhouettes of women’s fashions, especially the opulent couture gowns by Charles Frederick Worth.
By the late 19th century, however, leisure sports such as cycling became popular pastimes, compelling women to adopt a pragmatic approach to dress, which often borrowed aspects from men’s styles. The First World War further disrupted established norms by affording women the opportunity to participate more fully in society. Women continued to adopt pared-down functional clothing as a result. This emerging minimalist aesthetic is exemplified by Gabrielle Chanel’s jersey chemise dresses, which combined comfort and simplicity with postwar modernity.