oh this is absolutely a thing. fashion has always been about creating a shape, a silhouette. 500 years ago, this was done with layers and layers of fabric and armatures; because fabric was wealth, and wearing a shape that could only be achieved with yards and yards of the stuff was a very visible way of being rich. 200 years ago and the trend was still there, but diminishing; the industrial age made cloth less precious, so wearing a mountain of it at a time was less of a flex.
then; the flapper dress. a subculture-specific extreme, yes, but still very fashionable. the goal was still a specific shape, and sometimes clothing was still used to achieve it - 80s shoulderpads, for example, or jeans flared out below the knee - but more and more in the 20th century the shape of clothing became less and less important, and the shape of the body rose to replace it. instead of bustles, it became fashionable to simply have a large ass. instead of stays and dresses that created a prominent bust, tits were just supposed to do that on their own.
that trim, slim, athletic figure that fashion aims to enforce now serves the exact same function as leg-of-mutton sleeves and starched white ruffs the size of serving platters did in the 16th century; they are things that only the wealthy can afford to have and maintain. the only difference is now, that class-signifying expense is deliberately made invisible.