Why Steve Jobs Wore the Same Black Turtleneck Every Day: The Story Behind the Uniform

Imagine running one of the most valuable companies on Earth and wearing nearly the same outfit for years.

That was Steve Jobs. And his black turtleneck has a surprising origin: a uniform idea that Apple employees turned down.

A Factory Floor in Japan

In the early 1980s, Jobs visited Sony in Japan. On the factory floor, he noticed that the workers all wore the same uniform. He asked Sony chairman Akio Morita why. According to Walter Isaacson's biography, Morita explained that Sony had used uniforms since the company was founded in 1946.

As Jobs recalled it, the reason was tied to the war: afterward, nobody had any clothes, so companies like Sony gave their workers something to wear every day. The uniform itself was designed by Issey Miyake. It was a nylon jacket, and its sleeves could be unzipped to turn it into a vest.

Jobs liked the idea enough to bring it home. He wanted something similar for Apple. Retellings vary on whether the Sony piece is described as a jacket or a vest. Both descriptions point to the same design: a nylon garment with zip-off sleeves. The order of events matters here. First came the Sony factory visit, then the Apple vest, and only later the turtlenecks.

The Company Behind the Uniform

The company Jobs visited has a humble origin story. It was founded on May 7, 1946, in Tokyo, by Masaru Ibuka and Akio Morita. Ibuka had started with a radio repair shop in a bombed-out department store. The two founders had met during the war, on a wartime research committee.

Back then it was called Tokyo Tsushin Kogyo, or Tokyo Telecommunications Engineering. The name Sony only arrived in 1958. Morita was reportedly 25 years old when he joined, and one account says his family invested in the early company.

Sources disagree on the early numbers. Estimates of the first headcount range from about eight to about 20 people, so we will not pick a number here. The 1946 founding date is consistent across sources, which fits Morita's explanation that uniforms were there from the start.

The Vest Apple Said No To

Back in Cupertino, Jobs asked Miyake to design a vest for Apple employees. The idea did not land. Jobs later told Isaacson: "Did I get booed off the stage. Everybody hated the idea."

Apple's employees largely rejected it, and the uniform never became company policy. But the effort did not end there. Jobs and Miyake had become friends through the project, and according to Isaacson, Jobs would often visit him in Japan.

So Jobs asked Miyake for something simpler: some of the black turtlenecks he liked. In other words, the company uniform was rejected, and Jobs wore the personal version instead.

The Designer Behind the Turtleneck

Issey Miyake was born in Hiroshima in 1938. He went on to become one of Japan's best-known fashion designers. He was known for sculpted, pleated clothing. Designing the Sony uniform was one example of his work beyond the runway.

Miyake died on August 5, 2022, at the age of 84, from liver cancer. After his death, obituaries often described him as the designer of Steve Jobs's turtleneck and of the Apple uniform that never was.

A Hundred Turtlenecks

How many turtlenecks did Jobs end up with? In his own words, Miyake made him about a hundred. Jobs reportedly said that was enough to last him the rest of his life. Isaacson wrote that he saw them stacked in a closet. Other accounts say more than a hundred, so the exact count varies by source. What stays consistent is the scale: this was a stock, not a single shirt.

The full outfit is usually described as a black mock turtleneck, Levi's 501 jeans, and New Balance sneakers.

Even here, details differ. One account names a different New Balance model, and another credits the brand St. Croix as the turtleneck's maker instead of Miyake. The widely repeated story that Jobs wrote to New Balance's chairman about the shoes is described as unconfirmed, so we will leave it out.

Jobs wore the look until his death in 2011, and a 2010 Fast Company graphic reportedly showed his identical outfits stretching back to 1998. Sales of black turtlenecks reportedly rose after his death. Isaacson's biography came out the same year, and it is where many of these details come from.

One caveat: most of this is Jobs's own recollection as relayed by Isaacson, and at least one critic considers parts of the biography unreliable. Treat the anecdote as a well-told story, not a court record.

What Uniforms Still Say Today

The Apple vest never made it into the office. But the idea of a shared look is still very much alive. Teams in cafes, workshops, clinics, and offices wear uniforms or branded apparel every day. A well-made piece, in the right fit and fabric, is easy to wear and easy to recognize.

In short: Jobs borrowed a uniform idea from Sony, saw it rejected at Apple, and turned it into a personal signature.

Whether it is a café crew, a logistics team, or a startup's event staff, the same questions apply. Does it fit well? Is it comfortable to wear all day? Does it look like the team?

At Ultifresh, we make custom apparel for teams and brands, including silkscreen, DTF, embroidery, and sublimation printing. Thinking about a look for your own team? Browse the catalog or request a custom quote at ultifresh.net.