Nancy Reagan, who passed away Sunday at the age of 94, has left behind a legacy that far exceeds the political landscape of which she was a part. Perhaps it was because she followed in the footsteps of Rosalyn Carter, who was so " anti-fashion ," as many described, that she preferred sewing her own clothing to purchasing new ones, but when Reagan entered the White House in 1981, the notion of how a First Lady was meant (or rather, expected) to dress, shifted. Fashion became something that powerful women could, and should, indulge in once again, for better or worse.Reflecting on her time in the White House has people looking to the way in which she dressed for the role; something she did well, and in a powerful, unabashed manner. She wore American designers, like James Galanos (who designed the gown for her husband's 1981 inauguration), Oscar de la Renta, Carolina Herrera, and Bill Blass, almost exclusively, and pushed boundaries by wearing shoulder-baring pieces, for example, that were surprising to many for not just her position, but her age. Her aesthetic, as a whole, was pared-back and elegant, but in a way that felt as unexpected as it did like a reflection of the times.It may seem cliché to refer to the popular trends of the '80s (and ones Reagan embraced whole-heartedly) — bold shoulders, suit sets, overly beaded items — as "power dressing," but at its core, the clothing of the time was meant to empower women. With the "third wave" of the movement toward gender equality in full-force, women began to embrace positions of power typically reserved for men, which naturally translated into what they wore. It was a time when clothes served a purpose other than just dressing: they made a statement, both stylistically and politically.