When your granny proudly gives you the socks she has spent months knitting as a gift, you have to be nice even though ultimately it's a massively disappointing present compared to the tech you were hoping for. But what if the socks came from the biggest name in tech – Apple? I'm not sure it's any better!
Apple has launched what it says will be a limited edition range for this winter, a knitted iPhone Pocket, the product of a collaboration with the house of designer Issey Miyake.
Issey Miyake himself, a Hiroshima survivor, was known for the influence of tech in his designs, and for pleats, which are reflected in the fabric (or, as Apple put it, "singular 3D-knitted construction") of the 'socks' – they certainly seem more chic than the ones I'd get from the store for my dad on his birthday, I'll give them that!
Some of Apple's promotional materials show the shorter pocket tied around the handles of designer handbags and it's difficult to deny their cool, but (writing from outside the security cordon of a fashion show) the practicalities seem alarming. Why would you want your iPhone dangling around outside your bag, drawing the attention of just anyone?
For those with a long memory, Apple has actually sold socks before. In 2004 Steve Jobs himself introduced customers to packs of iPod Socks – note the plural. Just $29 would buy you a pack of six knitted socks which could protect your music player and change the color. Admittedly, this wasn't something I would be paying what still amounts to nearly $50 adjusted for inflation – but, well, it's a number for comparison!
This time you'll need a bit more money just for one. The socks will come in at $150/£139.95 for the short strap and a whopping $230/£219.95 for the long strap 'mini shoulder bag' variant, and they will be available from November 14.
Oh, and if you need reminding that fashion is an exclusive world, the pockets will only be available to see in real life in ten Apple Stores, including London (Regent Street), Paris (Marché Saint-Germain), New York (SoHo), and Milan (Piazza Liberty). Oh, and the whole internet Apple Store of course!
