Fashion designers are actually quite limited in their scope for creativity: clothing must fit the human body; and the general social need to conform to accepted dress codes tends to lead to uniformity. Thus, few new designs on the market are truly exceptional in form. But since difference is assessed by one-to-one comparisons, a single distinguishing feature – such as an embroidered jeans pocket, an oversized zipper or a dominant print – may be enough to produce a unique overall impression and justify an industrial design protection either of the extraordinary feature or of the whole item.

ℹ️ Source:
WIPO