How to dress for power like Apple CEO Tim Cook: Dad jeans, a little normcore

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Tim Cook in his understated colors.
IMAGE: PAUL SAKUMA/ASSOCIATED PRESS
Silicon Valley stars are famous for their intentionally mundane wardrobes.
Tech idols like Mark Zuckerberg to Steve Jobs have created a conviction in tech culture that the more time you spend dressing yourself every morning, the less time you spend changing the world. Even President Obama is sold on the idea. The rigid adherence to a single outfit is the new sign of power.

Tim Cook, however, has tried to carve out his own path as Apple CEO, away from the precise lines of his predecessor, Steve Jobs, when they once dressed very similarly:
Tim Cook, Steve Jobs, Phil Schiller

In this Oct. 14, 2008 photo, from left: Apple's chief operating officer, Tim Cook, CEO Steve Jobs, and vice president Phil Schiller take questions during a meeting at Apple headquarters in Cupertino, Calif.
IMAGE: PAUL SAKUMA/ASSOCIATED PRESS
But now, compared to Jobs' rigid uniform of black turtlenecks, blue jeans and New Balance sneakers, Tim Cook's clothing is downright flashy.
But by the rest of the world's standards, the Apple CEO sports a pretty narrow range of clothing choices with a penchant for the casual and muted colors — a style best described as his own unique brand of "norm-core."
At Wednesday's Apple event, for instance, Cook's open collared bright blue shirt — tucked in for once — and unpretentious dad jeans cut a stark contrast to the luxury ambience of the products that flitted across the screen behind him. Tim Cook is not a peacock, as viewers could see in this picture of him low-fiving Apple executive Eddy Cue in bright red.
Tim Cook, Eddy Cue

Apple CEO Tim Cook, left, welcomes Eddy Cue, senior vice president of Internet Software, on stage as they discuss the Apple TV.
IMAGE: ERIC RISBERG/ASSOCIATED PRESS
Yet, Cook has accomplished something enviable in his few years as CEO: he radiates power, without dressing like anything special. So for anyone looking to imitate Cook — or maybe in the market for a very obscure Apple-related Halloween costume — here's a quick guide for dressing like the leader of the world's biggest company.
tim cook

Apple CEO Tim Cook speaks at the Apple Worldwide Developers Conference in San Francisco, Monday, June 8, 2015.
IMAGE: JEFF CHIU/ASSOCIATED PRESS

Know your colors and stick to them

Cook's color choices tend towards darker shades — seldom straying from a set range of light and dark blues, black, and when he's feeling wild, gray.
There may be something to this strategy: Fashion consultants say that blues can inspire confidence in others and, in lighter shades, signals loyalty and friendliness.
Black is apparently a riskier bet in terms of connotation. While there's a certain air of class and sophistication that goes along with it, it's also possible that people will perceive depression or a darker spirit.
Tim Cook

Apple CEO Tim Cook announces a new iPad during an Apple announcement in San Francisco, Wednesday, March 7, 2012. His love of dark colors can make him fade into the background.

Rarely, if ever, tuck in your shirt

Cook is committed to looking approachably rumpled — not for him your precise cuffs. Normally, like most Apple executives he wants his shirt to be loose and free, as if he could curl up on a couch with an iPad at any moment.
Apple World Wide Developers Conference

Apple CEO Tim Cook speaks during the Apple World Wide Developers Conference in San Francisco, California USA 10, June 2013.

Commit to the dad jean

An untucked shirt, of course, highlights your choice of pants.
The boring blue jeans most often associated with '90s-era dads are also a staple of Cook's wardrobe. While Cook's choice in denim is a bit hipper than Jobs' unabashedly dad-like stone-washed jeans, there's still a certain plainness to them that befits a "norm-core" look.
Tim Cook, Cyrus Chan

Tim Cook, CEO of Apple Inc., talks with Cyrus Chan, left, at the Apple Store during the launch and sale of the new iPhone 6 on Friday, Sept 19, 2014, in Palo Alto, Calif. Note the rumpled look, from t-shirt to jeans.

Undo your cuffs

Be vigilant. Don't just watch your hems. Make sure your shirt cuffs reflect a devil-may-care genius aspect that show you're too busy and too much in motion to roll them up. Precision in dress is for people with too much time on their hands to manage their looks. People in motion will have clothes in motion.
Tim Cook

Apple CEO Tim Cook in 2014 with mismatched cuffs.
IMAGE: MARCIO JOSE SANCHEZ/ASSOCIATED PRESS

Make sure you stand out, even if it's by being excessively normal

Tim Cook's subtle style means he can fade into the background. To avoid that, he is often photographed around well-chosen foils: sharp-dressed men who, with leather or lilac-colored shirts, highlight his understated look. It's a risky maneuver, but being comfortable in a subtle outfit around people who have put in an effort is an advanced maneuver - not even Silicon Valley, but very French. Power is ease.
Tim Cook, Bono, The Edge, Larry Mulen Jr.

Tim Cook with Bono, The Edge and the rest of U2.
IMAGE: MARCIO JOSE SANCHEZ/ASSOCIATED PRESS
Tim Cook, Eddy Cue

Tim Cook, CEO of Apple Inc., talks with Eddy Cue, right, Apple Senior Vice President of Internet Software and Services.
IMAGE: TONY AVELAR/ASSOCIATED PRESS

Accessorize with Smartwater

The Apple CEO's image is not complete without his ubiquitous bottle of SmartWater. There's nothing powerful about dehydration.

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