Craig Grannell, writing for Stuff:

This collaboration with Issey Miyake was, we’re told, inspired by the concept of “a piece of cloth”. The result of all that R&D? A crossbody sock. It’s as if someone raided a warehouse of iPod Socks, stretched them out and fashioned them up.

When Steve Jobs introduced the originals, he called them a “revolutionary new product for iPod … socks”. Clearly enjoying himself, he joked that case makers were making more money than Apple did on the iPod, and so Apple thought it’d offer something too. “And our design team came up with socks,” he said. You got six colours for $29 — about $50 in today’s money — and they were a warm expression of Apple’s playful side (and, as Jobs quipped, would “keep your iPod warm on cold days”).

When Jobs announced iPod Socks in 2004, a lot of people thought he was pulling a gag. Some people didn’t believe they were real until they went on sale. My wife and I bought a pack and we both enjoyed them. (I took the gray one, natch.) It was a nice way to protect your iPod before throwing it in a bag, and getting six for $30 felt like a lark.

No one seems worried that iPhone Pocket is a gag. Make of that what you will.

Apple Newsroom:

ISSEY MIYAKE and Apple today unveiled iPhone Pocket. Inspired by the concept of “a piece of cloth,” its singular 3D-knitted construction is designed to fit any iPhone as well as all pocketable items. [...]

Crafted in Japan, iPhone Pocket features a singular 3D-knitted construction that is the result of research and development carried out at ISSEY MIYAKE. The design drew inspiration from the concept of “a piece of cloth” and reinterpreted the everyday utility of the brand’s iconic pleated clothing. The development and design of iPhone Pocket unfolded in close collaboration with the Apple Design Studio, which provided insight into design and production throughout.

I don’t object to the price ($150 for the short strap, $230 for the long strap). I do object to Apple going along with Issey Miyake’s preference to style their name in all-caps.

(This, despite the fact that the brand label on the Pockets is styled in all-lowercase.)

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