On a trip to Japan, Steve Jobs asked Sony's chairman Akio Morita why everyone in the factories wore uniforms. Morita said that no one had any clothes after the war, and companies had to give their workers something to wear. Over the years, the uniforms developed their own signature styles and it became a way of bonding workers to companies.
The uniforms that Jobs saw that day were designed by none other than Issey Miyake.
In 1981, Morita made a proposal: "Unlike the olden days, today is the age of fashion. I want something that our employees can wear with pride." Sony then asked Miyake to design a uniform. The most significant feature of the unisex garment is that the sleeves can be detached from the shoulders with a zipper, creating a sleek vest-like appearance. A lightweight nylon fabric was used, providing excellent comfort and functionality.
The following comment was made by Miyake during the development stage, which appeared in one of Sony's 1981 newsletters:
"We took great pains to ensure that the clothes were appropriate for an international company overflowing with vitality and that they would significantly enhance the company's corporate image. We were shown the manufacturing site and designed a fitting uniform for the atmosphere, for the behavioral aspect, for functionality.
Sony's adventurous spirit, led by the company's chairman, made the project very rewarding. I don't think uniforms need to be trendy. Instead, they need to be universal and widely used. I have designed uniforms for many companies, and this one is one of the top three. I think it is a wonderful idea to have uniforms that can be worn throughout the year. To meet this desire, we came up with the idea of zippered sleeves that can be attached and detached. The fact that it is unisex is also a wonderful idea, just like Sony. The design on paper was quite different from the actual garment, so we had to re-sew the garment 15 times."
Morita wore the uniform on many occasions for years. The same goes for Nobutoshi Kihara, the wizard of Sony.
Additionally, the uniform was presented at the "It's a Sony" exhibition in 2016 & 2017.

Credit ; @myarchiveclothing via instagram