THE STEVE JOBS UNIFORM

Once a straggly, long-haired, ripped-denim, bare-footed hippie, by the late 1970s Jobs had made his first millions and was instead sporting smart handmade suits finished off, if the mood took him, with a bowtie. But neither of these extremes of apparel lasted. Jobs instead became synonymous with a certain look comprising signature black turtleneck, blue jeans and a pair of New Balance sneakers.

While he cut a striking figure at all those product launches, the look could not be called cool, hailing direct from the Dad School of Fashion. Yet somehow he pulled it off, to such an extent that, in the days and weeks after his death, St Croix Collections – reputedly Jobs’ favourite make of turtleneck – reported a huge spike in sales. Jobs apparently bought about two dozen of the sweaters, priced at $175 each, every year.

The fact is that, while the look may not have oozed catwalk finesse, it suited the man and his company, too. It was a neat look, strangely timeless, unfussy and functional. All the things that Apple is about.

There was a time, as numerous old photos attest, when Jobs wore suits to presentations and meetings. But in the early 1980s he made a trip to one of Sony’s factories in Japan, taking the opportunity to see how his friend, Akio Morita, went about managing his empire. Jobs was struck by how all the workers wore a uniform to ‘bond’ them. With this fresh in his mind, he approached Japanese fashion designer Issey Miyake, who had built up a reputation for using technology in his designs. Taking up Jobs’ challenge, he produced a nylon jacket with detachable sleeves for the Apple workforce – but the democratic voice at Apple was strong and the workers categorically said ‘no’.

Nonetheless, Jobs was convinced that he at least should have a uniform of his own – something smart but practical. Miyake came up with the turtleneck look for him and an unlikely style icon was born.