1920s: Most items of womens' apparel are homemade or custom-made. Apart from basics such as stockings, underclothing, and nightgowns, most women have dresses made for them during once-yearly or seasonal sessions with dressmakers.

1990s: Most clothing is bought off-the-rack. Only a fractional percentage of the world's population regularly buys couture, or custom-made clothing.

1920s: Very little is known about different kinds of mental illness, despite widespread familiarity with the theories of pioneering psychoanalyist Sigmund Freud. Woolf's mental breakdowns are variously diagnosed and treated primarily with "rest cures."

1990s: The number of recognized mental illnesses codified by the medical profession has grown from several dozen to several hundred. A combination of drug and psychiatric therapies are recommended for most mental illnesses.

1920s: Britain offers unemployment insurance for the first time; it does not cover domestic servants or farm workers.

1990s: Few households continue to employ...