Business Insider India has updated its Privacy and Cookie policy. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the better experience on our website. If you continue without changing your settings, we\'ll assume that you are happy to receive all cookies on the Business Insider India website. However, you can change your cookie setting at any time by clicking on our Cookie Policy at any time. You can also see our Privacy Policy.
Steve Jobs was rarely seen in anything but a black turtleneck and jeans, Mark Zuckerberg typically wears either a hoodie or a gray t-shirt while working, and Hillary Clinton became known for her pantsuits.
Karl Lagerfeld, who died on February 19, owned 1,000 versions of the same high-collared white shirt that he paired with a tailored black jacket and black sunglasses.
From tech giants Steve Jobs and Mark Zuckerberg to legendary fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld, some of the world's most successful people have been known to wear the same outfit to work every single day.
In many cases, these distinctive "work uniforms" have become synonymous with the person.
Here are nine famous work uniforms, from Steve Jobs' black turtleneck to Karl Lagerfeld's white collared shirt, black jacket, and black sunglasses.
Jobs was almost always seen wearing his signature black turtleneck, jeans, and sneakers. He once said in an interview that he owned about 100 black turtlenecks made by Japanese designer Issey Miyake.
... which he sometimes removes to reveal a gray t-shirt. The t-shirts are reportedly special ordered from Brunello Cucinelli, and reportedly cost between $300 and $400.
Karl Lagerfeld, the legendary designer who died on February 19, 2019, was known for his iconic uniform of black sunglasses and a tailored black jacket with a high-collared, highly starched white shirt. He usually accessorized with some jewelry and gloves.
Wintour typically also wears "a patterned or textured skirt, a simple close-fitting jewel-neck sweater and a chunky necklace," as Annette Tapert noted in the Wall Street Journal.
Elizabeth Holmes, the former CEO of Theranos, before she was charged with "massive fraud" by the SEC and then indicted by a grand jury on "wire fraud schemes," was known for wearing a familiar work uniform.
Holmes was always seen wearing a black turtleneck like Jobs, which later became a symbol of her alleged fraud. "Such an individual uniform has a risk if you don't live up to the promise," fashion critic Vanessa Friedman wrote in the New York Times.
Author and public speaker Fran Lebowitz almost exclusively wears a uniform that comprises a jacket (usually designed by Anderson & Sheppard), a men's shirt, Levi's jeans, cowboy boots, and tortoiseshell glasses.
"I have all my suits and jackets made, but I've never had a shirt made ... it's not as important to me that they fit perfectly," Lebowitz told Elle in a 2015 interview.
"You'll see I wear only gray or blue suits," he told Vanity Fair in a 2012 interview. "I'm trying to pare down decisions. I don't want to make decisions about what I'm eating or wearing. Because I have too many other decisions to make."
In fact, experts say making lots of small decisions like what to wear and what to eat throughout the day can drain your mental energy for when you need to make more important decisions. It is perhaps this "decision fatigue" that drives so many successful people to adopt work uniforms.
