Why Steve Jobs Wore The Same Outfit Everyday
Steve Jobs is one of the most iconic entrepreneurs in history, thanks to his incredible ability to predict the future. But one of his most iconic creations wasn’t a product or company, it was actually his outfit.
As early as the 1980s, Jobs could be seen wearing a black turtleneck in blue Levi jeans, which was very unusual for the CEO of a multimillion-dollar company.
By the 90s, he began wearing his signature outfit every day in public, while visiting Apple stores, on stage, during keynote presentations, and even privately in his own home.
This has left many people wondering why Jobs wore the same outfit every day and what prompted him to settle on a black mock turtleneck with blue jeans. So let’s find out why.. Alright now. The origin story behind Steve Jobs’s iconic outfit is almost as fascinating as the man himself,
who was known to have a passion for Japanese design and architecture. And it was during a trip to Japan in the 80s when Jobs learned about a unique approach to corporate clothing. While touring a factory that belongs to Sony,
jobs noticed that everyone working there wore uniforms, which was very unusual for office and factory workers at the time. Jobs asked then-CEO Akio Morita why Sony provided them with uniforms instead of simply wearing their own clothing from home.
Marita explained that after World War II, most people in Japan didn’t even have clothes to wear to work, so companies like Sony had to provide them with something to wear every day. But the decision regarding what outfit they would give employees wasn’t made. Arbitrarily Sony recognized the opportunity to create a uniform that would give the company a signature style and a chance to foster camaraderie among workers who wouldn’t have to feel embarrassed about not having any nice outfits to wear to work.
Sony enlisted the help of Japanese designer Issey Miyake to make their uniforms, and what he ended up creating was a beige nylon jacket with sleeves that could be unzipped to make a vest.
This approach to corporate dress appealed to Jobs, but didn’t make much sense to Apple’s employees. Jobs explained I decided that I wanted that type of bonding for Apple,
so I called Essay and asked him to design a vest. I came back with some samples and told everyone it would be great if we all wear these vests. Oh man, did I get booed off the stage. Everybody hated the idea. But despite the failed attempts to implement uniforms,
there was some good that came out of the experience. It led to Jobs in Essay forming a friendship that resulted in the successful creation of a uniform, if only for one person Jobs himself. He became enamored with the idea of wearing the same thing every day, not only for the convenience
but also to establish a signature style, which Steve Jobs had already done for Apple and
now wanted to do for himself, he said. So I asked Essay to make me some of his black turtlenecks that I liked and he made me like a hundred of them. I have enough to last for the rest of my life. But it wasn’t only the black turtleneck that defined Job’s personal uniform. He also wore a pair of Levi’s 501 original fit jeans and a pair of sneakers, usually New Balance.
The outfit quickly became Job’s signature look and inspired fans like me to recreate the style themselves. Which probably wasn’t the most socially acceptable thing to wear in high school, but it was fun nonetheless. In fact, people became so passionate that after Jobs death in 2011,
they flocked to purchase his iconic turtleneck from a company called St. Croix. The clothing label claimed Steve Jobs was a quote, great innovator and a fan of St. Croix, although that statement wasn’t entirely true since Jobs never purchased his shirts from that company.
But despite the dishonesty, there’s stock of $175 black mock turtlenecks
sold out just days after Jobs’s death. The true designer and supplier of Jobs’s iconic turtleneck, Isa Miyake ended up releasing an updated version in 2017.
it was called the Semi Dahl Tea and featured a trimmer silhouette in higher shoulders than the original worn by Jobs. Made from 60% polyester and 40% cotton, it went on sale for $270 and was retired from production in 2018.
Although you can still find them being sold on resale websites like Graeled for about $500. Alright guys, so that is why Steve Jobs were the same thing every day. Thanks for watching
