1900s:

1960s:
Skirt hems rise and pants become acceptable for women.

Dieting becomes popular. Weight Watchers is founded in 1963, recruits 500,000 members and grosses $5.5 million in revenues.

Doctors prescribe amphetamines to women seeking weight loss.

1963: "The Feminine Mystique" by Betty Friedan ignites the modern American women’s movement.

1965: The average fashion model weighs eight percent less than the average American woman.

Twiggy weighed 91 pounds.

The National Organization for Women, advocating women’s rights, is founded in America.

1967: British fashion model Twiggy arrives in America weighing 91 pounds on a 5-foot-7-inch frame, triggering a shift in average sizes for fashion models.

1968: Feminists burn bras, make up and high heels to protest the Miss America beauty pageant.