How the way we dress for work has changed over the last 100 years

• Fashion in the workplace has changed drastically throughout the last century.
• In the early 1900s, both men and women were dressed to the nines — but just 50 years later, casual work looks began to emerge.
• Pantsuits dominated women's fashion in the 1970s, and men in the '90s began to rock the "business casual" look.
• Nowadays, many people can choose to dress up or dress down for work.

It's the age-old question: What should I wear to work today? And it has been at the forefront of peoples' minds for decades. 

Workplace fashion has undergone quite an evolution throughout the past 100 years, starting with dressy looks and succumbing to subtle casualness by the time the 1950s hit. Women began to rock pants — and pantsuits — at work in the 1970s, and men started the "business casual" trend in the '90s. 

Keep scrolling to see the complete evolution of workplace fashion throughout the past century.

Throughout the early 20th century, offices were very formal: women wore traditional gowns and men wore full suits.

Americans not only dressed up for work in the 1900s — they covered up, too.

"Women and girls never wore trousers and women kept their legs hidden with long dresses or skirts,"according to the BBC. "Men and boys often kept their coats, jackets and ties on, even in hot weather."

As the 1920s emerged, women sported shorter haircuts and more boyish dress silhouettes.

The "boyish" dress silhouette rose in popularity throughout the '20s, as women abandoned the tight, feminine dresses of the past. Straight skirts were in, and "tailored suits for the working woman also featured the straight, curveless cut." 

Men's suits became slightly less formal, and women began to sport men's collars.

Much like women, men's attire loosened up in the '20s, leaning toward a more relaxed and flashier look.

"Colorful suits and patterned socks accented the wardrobe of the casually dressed," according to the University of Vermont, though men still tended to go for the classy, creased, and conservative look at the office.