‘Aha moments’ have shaped the course of human history. From technology to medicine, ‘Aha moments’, a term made famous by Oprah meaning ‘A moment of sudden inspiration, insight, recognition or comprehension’, have both saved and improved lives.

Penicillin, Apple computers and Uber all owe some part of the success to these ‘aha moments’. The world of clothing and fashion has also been improved and advanced by these moments of inspiration.

It could be said that ‘aha moments’ have happened more often in the world of fashion and branding. This list is going to look at four times moments of inspiration have resulted in the creation of

world-changing fashion ideas. So, let’s look at four ‘aha moments’ that shaped fashion.

1. Gap

In 1969, the GAP was founded as a company to achieve one goal of allowing people to find jeans that fit. This single moment of inspiration, plus the effort and commitment of its founders, resulted in GAP becoming one of the most recognisable names worldwide! GAp are so proud of their history that they have devoted a section of their site to retelling it. All of this spawned out of a want to find good jeans that fit better.

2. Luluemon

Chip Wilson’s ‘aha moment’ came from noticing one, simply fact. Yoga was continually growing in popularity, yet no one was making dedicated Yoga clothing. By noticing this one small gap in the market, Wilson was able to create one of the most recognisable and profitable brands, while cornering the market on Yogaware. Of course, this still requires work on his part. The clothes he designed had to be comfortable, durable and fashionable enough to wear outside of Yoga studios. 

3. Spanx

2012 saw Forbes name Sara Blakely, the youngest self-made female billionaire. Sara spent seven years selling fax machines door to door, and while this did result in her developing strong sales skills, which would prove useful later, it did not cause too much inspiration.

Then on a typical day, a desire to wear her new pants created an ‘aha moment’ that would go on to become one of the most popular clothing items in the world. Of course, Sara’s sales skills helped her promote the idea, but it was an everyday act that caused the spark to be created.

4. The Bra

The bra is a staple of modern wardrobes and fashion, but that was not always the case. The first bra was created by Caresse Crosby, who led an incredible life. She was awarded the patent for the first-ever bra after she designed and made one due to the frustration caused by her tight corset. A typical clothing item used all around the world, was created by an ‘aha moment’ born from frustration.

If anything else this list shows two things; firstly we owe so much of the modern clothing landscape to bolts of inspiration and ‘aha moments’. Secondly, The world of fashion is ever-changing, and new ideas are always emerging. If you want to stay on top of the latest trends in fashion, then you can check out our men’s style guide for 2020.