The history of shop-window displays
The shop window is an adaptable part of a retail building and also one of the most (17) ________. Early window dressers appeared in London shops when bright glass became a sign of commercial status. Similarly, wealthy European stores kept their windows brightly lit; in contrast, the displays of smaller shops grew (18) ________ simpler the further down the social chain they were. Designers prospered in the days of expanding department stores, until retailers dismissed them after discovering exactly how much they charged for their work. Retailers have always reflected fashion through their displays, sometimes quite (19) ________. In 15th-century Europe, designers would remove every product from the fronts of their windows in (20) ________ of simplicity. Three centuries later, the fashion was for complex displays that made it (21) ________ for the designer to use a tall ladder. The maintenance needed to (22) ________ these displays looked good was enormous. Today, in our more liberal world, almost anything is now (23) ________ in relation to displays and technology has been enormously (24) ________ in reducing time we spend arranging each shop window.