Frédéric Taddeï describes the main stages of human liberation in his Le Figaro magazine

This article is from Figaro Magazine

Why did men grow mustaches before they came out? World War I – Looking at photos from that period, it’s obvious – did they throw them away after the war? No one knows. Similarly, why did men who wore hats, caps or berets in the first half of the 20th century suddenly start going out with bald heads, leading to the bankruptcy of a century-old business: there were hatters everywhere, and now there are almost none. Mystery.

No historian has ever discussed the question of beards or hats. Women, on the other hand, are observed under a magnifying glass. Their metamorphosis is the subject of careful anthropology. We make a list. We celebrate birthdays. Fashion designer Paul Poiret taking off his corset not only made him a revolutionary, but the date of the revolution itself – 1906 – features prominently in the…