When you get dressed tomorrow, give your “thinking cap” a rest and slide into a pair of blue jeans.
That’s what a few of our favorite TED speakers did before they inspired the masses with presentations that challenged the way people thought about what they thought they knew.
While these leaders went to work rearranging popular opinion and transforming common knowledge, they also made a declaration of style about what it means to dress for success. While we know our jeans as a fashionable staple, a good luck charm, a vessel for personal expression or a casual Friday go-to, this group of “jean-iuses” helped us reimagine our Levi’s as a uniform for changing the world.
Temple Grandin — The World Needs All Kinds of Minds
If Temple Grandin were a pair of Levi’s, she’d be a one-of-a-kind custom pair festooned with quirky personalized embellishments. As a livestock handling designer and autism activist, Temple celebrates the fact that she thinks differently than most — in pictures.
Margaret Gould Stewart — How Giant Website Design for You (and a billion others, too)
According to Margaret Gould Stewart, director of product design at Facebook, “there’s no such thing as a small detail.” We couldn’t agree more. Though Margaret delves into the intricacies of designing at scale, we can all relate to the simple fact that snaps versus buttons, light wash versus dark wash, boot cut versus skinny, are a few small details that make a big difference.
Dan Gilbert – The Surprising Science of Happiness
What is it that really makes us happy? Harvard Psychologist Dan Gilbert has a lot to say on the topic. Dan takes the stage in a plain black tee and a pair of unassuming blue jeans and then launches into a compelling presentation about what happiness can mean. So what is it then? Winning the lottery? Landing a dream job? Sliding into a pair of jeans that fit just right? According to Dan, happiness is ours for the making.
Charmian Gooch — My wish: To Launch a New Era of Openness in Business
Charmian Gooch, anti-corruption activist and winner of the 2014 TED Prize, has a few wishes on her list: “to know who owns and controls companies, to change the law and to launch a new era of openness in business.” At Levi Strauss & Co., we hope our commitment to industry-changing practices would make Charmian proud.
Simon Sinek – How Great Leaders Inspire Action
“People don’t buy what you do,” said Simon Sinek in his inspiring TED talk. “They buy why you do it.” This means that when you’re buying a pair of pants, you’re buying a symbol of progress, art, innovation and sustainability. And that’s just the beginning.
