After I asked for pictures of people wearing my team colors of black and denim, I didn’t get any photos right away. Instead, I got a couple of comments from fashion bloggers who said they didn’t have any solid black tops or never wore jeans. I started thinking, “Wow! I thought I was dressing in a really humdrum way but I must be very edgy in my simplicity!” Then a few pictures came in and I stopped feeling so special alone.
Of course, one of the most famous people to wear my uniform of black top and jeans was the late Steve Jobs. Like me, he wore suits at the start of his career. Reportedly, he favored Brioni, which does beautiful suits.
Steve Jobs in a striped suit. Click for photo source.
WendyB wearing a pre-2005 striped suit by Stella McCartney in 2011. Click for original post.
At some point, both Steve and I quit the suit look cold turkey. I switched to jeans and black t-shirts, while Steve went with jeans and black turtlenecks.
Steve Jobs through the years from stylefrizz.com. Click for source.
I’m encouraged that Steve Jobs’s later-in-life sartorial mediocrity didn’t stop him from being a billionaire genius with an anger-management problem. (I was once nearby when a journalist received a call from Jobs, who had a complaint about a story. Jobs screamed so loudly that I thought he was on speakerphone. He wasn’t.) Seeing as I have jeans, black tops and anger already checked off of my personal to-do list, I can only assume that the billionaire and genius parts of the deal are on their way. Yay, me!
I just worry that my concern for my customers is holding me back from Jobs-level success. Steve Jobs didn’t give a fuck about the end-users’ opinions. “It’s really hard to design products by focus groups. A lot of times, people don’t know what they want until you show it to them,” he said. Okay, I agree with that. But I think Jobs was flat-out hostile for introducing physically attractive products whose flawed functionality he often blamed on customers until a sufficient number of complaints forced him to grudgingly offer a solution. Remember the initial version of the iPod, introduced in 2001, with a battery that died (for me) in a couple of months? A battery that couldn’t be replaced? Apple’s initial advice: Buy a new iPod. (A class-action suit was settled in 2005, but Apple fixed the battery problem before then.) How about those iPhone connection problems caused by people holding their phones the wrong way? Stupid people with their stupid hands!
In 1986, my Macintosh Plus presented me with this icon. I'm still traumatized.
Steve must have hated the search engine I cautiously refer to as Poodle, because it helps us idiots customers compare notes on things like broken MacBook Air hinges, so that Apple had to start fixing the hinges for free — even on out-of-warranty computers — instead of charging $400 and up to do it. (Got a broken/malfunctioning Apple product? Poodle “Apple finally acknowledged” plus the product name and brief description of the problem to find out if it’s the company’s fault. You’re welcome.) Yesterday, I realized Twitter is in on the exposé action too, as people trying to download Apple operating system iOS 5 for iPhones, iPads and iPods were frustrated by an ERROR 3200 message.
Screen cap of Twitter's trending topics from yesterday.
Despite all that, I have a later-generation iPod, an iPhone that allows me to receive calls when it’s in a good mood and a MacBook Air with fresh hinges. And, when the news of Jobs’s death broke, I exclaimed, “Oh no! That’s so sad!” That’s how you know someone’s a major talent — when you shed a tear while saying, “I’m going to miss that big jerk!” So in recognition of his brilliance, achievements and wardrobe, I hereby declare the late Steve Jobs to be the honorary captain of the WendyB team. Spare a thought for him whenever you see ERROR 3200 during your iOS 5 download or the Spinning Beach Ball of Death on your computer.
I see this shit at least 10 times a day.
Family Guy hates this shit too. Click for more info.
Here is the rest of the WendyB team, wearing the official uniform. (Interestingly, none of them combined the uniform with the official pose, thus losing out on bonus points.) Click their photos to visit their blogs.
Susan of Style Made by Hand.
Judith of Style Crone. Click for a great post on her accessories.
Tracy of The Closet Shopper.
Brett of Silvergirl.
Jesse O. of Jesse.Anne.O.
Megan of Megan Mae Daily.
Stef of Style Sideshow.
Pam of over50feeling40.
Go team!
UPDATED OCTOBER 20, 2011, TO ADD: Here’s another team member.
UPDATED OCTOBER 31, 2011, TO ADD: Here’s a link to the Jobs’s sister’s touching eulogy for him in the New York Times. And below are links to just a few of the stories about problems with the iPhone 4s battery life. I would have thought that battery life is something that could be easily tested before a product is released … but a company would have to care about customers to do that, I guess:
Oh man, I’m going to wait for the OS5 bug to be fixed then. I think for a man as rich as he was, he could have done a lot more for humanity other than think of stuff for others to invent. That little picture of a bomb kind of scared me, I think I would have a meltdown if I saw it on my computer
I’ve learned not to get any Apple product the day or week it launches. Let all the bugs get reported first. The early adopters (including GeorgeB) are such fanatics that they don’t seem bothered by the difficulties. I’m bothered! As for the bomb icon, I DID have a meltdown. I was printing out a 15-page college paper mere minutes before the class in which it was due. The bomb appeared, then the whole computer died. I was crying so hard when I got to class that the professor took pity on me and gave me an extra day. I had to rewrite the whole paper from memory on someone else’s computer. And I couldn’t stop thinking, “Why would anyone design such a cruel icon? Isn’t there a gentler way to announce a disaster?”
Maybe that’s why they created autosave now? Oh gosh, we live in times of luxury that we dont really have to worry about losing papers (I’m going to knock on a big piece of wood since I’m in the middle of writing one)
Autosave wouldn’t have even helped me in that case! The entire hard drive was wiped out!
Well I’m definitely seeing a trend in black shirts and jeans – metallics! It’s because we love your shiny jewelry, Wendy! (Even those of us who don’t have any yet!)
You need to rectify that! 😀
Soon, I’m hoping, soon! And my anti-spam word for this post (“birthday”) – is that some serious coincidence or what?
I love Megan’s outfit and Tracy’s hair!
That beach ball drives me nuts, too.
Hi my dear!! yay for team Wendy, everyone looks just fabulous and so uniquely stylish too! xxx
I haven’t wore Black and Denims … I need to change that! 🙂
Hope those billions start pouring in for you soon!
Okay, you are really funny! I laughed so many times while reading this. =)
I wear this combo often, sometimes living in it for weeks, but just couldn’t get it together to do the photographs in time. Busy week.
But I love your post — so refreshing to see a tribute that doesn’t need to whitewash. And your readers do black and denim very stylishly.
Honored to be on the WendyB team, in the company of remarkable bloggers.
Shit! I knew I was forgetting to do something after we left for the weekend! Oh well – I wasn’t thrilled with my outfit, so it all worked out! I love the very honest tribute to Steve Jobs.
I feel under dressed compared to my teammates!
This is such a hilarious recap of Apple products and Steve Jobs from a user’s perspective :).
I’m surprised you didn’t include a reference to Fake Steve Jobs, but I’ll rectify that with a link to one of my all time favorite posts exploring Huxley’s fear that “what we love will ruin us.”
http://www.fakesteve.net/2009/07/food-for-thought.html
His final post was both touching and funny.
RIP Steve Jobs, thanks for my many iPods! I’d have liked one iPod but your company kept making them obsolete. Now I’m a dedicated Android girl. Sorry! Still RIP!
I was about to say that I rarely wear black tops and denim but guess what I’m wearing today? Yup!!!! No photo because well. I’m shy.
I’m sad you’re shy! You should share your beauty with the world.
I’ve been amazed at how well the Android is doing. They should do an exchange — 20 old iPods for one Droid.
I’ve at least managed to get my husband to get every other version of a new Apple product. He is a total Apple geek and even had Steve Jobs’ picture on his iphone, our iMac. and his iPad.
Yep, our wedding day photo computer wallpaper got replaced by Steve Jobs (ironic that the Captch word is wedding!?)
Love everyone’s looks!
& great angle for a tribute xx
As it happens, I am totally wearing black and denim to work today. On a related note, I’ve also gotten that bomb icon, and the sight of it inspires a terrible feeling. When I saw it, I definitely felt like I had done something wrong.
I love my teammates…they are so fabulous! I really aspire to one day be the Style Crone..Judith is amazing! I also think we need diamond studded team helmets…how about it Wendy??
Sure, I could whip those up!
Why is Justin always trending? lol.
Great tribute! R.I.P. Jobs.
*My captcha was just coldbeer, I think it’s Friday! 🙂 Enjoy your weekend Wendy!
The Beliebers are damn crazy.
I missed out on this! Boo! Well, everyone looks great, and I don’t know where my long pants/jeans are.
go Team Wendy.
Oh shoot Wendy!
My palette usually starts with black!
I have been black’s cheerleader for years and think it is THE color, not a cop-out color! It is the basic foundation (the spanx)of any outfit!
I’m with ya!!
xxX
Reva
I can’t believe I never commented on this. I could have sworn that I did.
I think the whole team looks fantastic! Go TEAM!
You great in that suit. It’s so awesome.
xoxo
OH, the dreaded rainbow ball! What is up with that? And, my iPhone needs prozac, or whatever the lastest mood enhancing drug has replaced it.
As for black and denim…I rarely wear jeans, but just ordered a pair online (my faith in online fit isn’t high) from DL 1961 for my NY trip.
I’m loving all these outfits so much! I rarely wear black and denim together, but this post inspired me to put together my own take on your signature look. =)
Thanks for the inspiration – and the laughs! You’ve got such a fabulously sharp sense of humor and I love reading your blog.