There was a time when Mark Zuckerberg's wardrobe was austere and monotonous, consisting only of simple gray cotton T-shirts and jeans. However, in recent months, something has happened that has completely revolutionized the style and public presence of Meta’s CEO and founder.
Productivity above all. Zuckerberg became a living example of prioritizing productivity and reducing mental workload by wearing a “uniform” instead of having to choose what to wear every day.
He wasn’t the first, nor the last, to adopt this philosophy. Steve Jobs, Barack Obama, and Albert Einstein have also followed this trend at some point in their lives.
A luxurious uniform. Until a few months ago, Zuckerberg’s wardrobe seemed simple but reflected a fashion trend called “quiet luxury.” It refers to a discreet and sophisticated way of expressing luxury without the need to show ostentation or obvious excesses.
To emulate Zuckerberg’s uniform, you could go out and buy a gray cotton T-shirt, jeans, and sneakers for less than $200. However, he would prefer high-quality garments from luxury brands such as J.Crew, Elder Statesman, and Brunello Cucinelli. In fact, Zuckerberg would likely spend more than $350 for a T-shirt alone.
The new Zuckerberg. Recently, the tech mogul’s public image and dress style have changed drastically. He’s gone from having a somewhat robotic look to wearing outfits typical of a fashion influencer with chains around his neck and a variety of T-shirts with messages in Latin. The change hasn’t gone unnoticed on social media.
There seem to be some concerns about Zuckerberg’s recent change in style, which coincides with his becoming a father and turning forty. Some people are speculating that he might be going through a midlife crisis. According to psychologist Elliot Jaques, this is a psychological phenomenon that involves a realization of one’s own mortality.
Peter Thiel may have sparked Zuckerberg’s change. In July, an X account known as the Internal Tech Emails posted leaked emails from Zuckerberg, his team, and Peter Thiel, the first outside investor in Facebook and Zuckerberg’s mentor and friend. The emails revealed discussions about strategic directions for the company over the next decade.
In these emails, Meta’s CEO also emphasized his role as a representation of the company’s values and how his public image could influence its perception among a shifting target audience. The company no longer wants to focus Baby Boomers but rather on Millennials and Generation Z.
“Latin Fashion,” Zuckerberg’s Roman empire. Zuckerberg recently revealed on the Acquired podcast that he has developed an interest in fashion design in recent months. “I’ve started working on this series of shirts with some of my favorite classical sayings on them,” he said.
Zuckerberg has been seen wearing these T-shirts with Latin phrases on different occasions. These include Bill Gates’ birthday party, where he wore a T-shirt with “Carthago Delenda Est” (“Carthage must be destroyed”), a phrase from before the Roman Empire, on it. The Facebook co-founder also wore one of his T-shirts at the Meta Connect 2024 event, where he showcased the prototype of Meta’s latest mixed reality glasses. On that occasion, it had the phrase “Aut Zuck, Aut Nihil” (“Either Zuck, or nothing”), a play on the Roman quote “Aut Caesar, Aut Nihil” (“Either Caesar, or nothing”).
Going into fashion. Zuckerberg’s interest in fashion could be related to Meta’s growing relationship with fashion design companies. Ray-Ban has been supporting Meta’s smart glasses for two generations. In fact, in an interview with The Verge, Zuckerberg confirmed that the collaboration with Ray-Ban and its parent company, EssilorLuxottica, is solidified until 2030.
He didn’t rule out investing in the optical company to further cement those ties. “Yeah, I think we’ve talked about investing in them. It’s not going to be a major thing. I’d say it’s more of a symbolic thing,” Zuckerberg said.
Image | The Crunchies!
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