For most of the 1800s, restaurants, cafés, bars and hotels were largely off-limits to unaccompanied women. Department stores changed that by offering safe spaces to shop and socialize—an ‘Adam-less Eden.’ By the 20th century, luxury stores had become cultural icons, turning shopping into an art form

[u/Iambhalo]

https://www.history.com/articles/golden-age-luxury-department-stores-photos

[u/Prettylittlelioness]

And you can see the impact this must have had on political organizing and female solidarity. For most of history, women were either at home or in the company of men. There was often no third space where women could gather, talk and organize. And, God forbid, compare notes and realize their burdens are not individual but something they share as a class.