Mark Zuckerberg's oddly cloned wardrobe

Talking about Mark Zuckerberg is, without a doubt, the same as talking about Facebook. Even if the platform was re-christened Meta in 2021, it will always be Facebook to those who use it.

But what happens if we think of Mark Zuckerberg the person, rather than Mark Zuckerberg the entrepreneur and visionary? We probably imagine him wearing jeans, a grey t shirt and, if it's cold, a black sweatshirt, right?

And how's that? Basically, because it's the look he's adopted for over a decade and the one he seems bent on sticking to for the rest of his days. Obviously, like everything in life, there's an explanation for Mark Zuckerberg always turning up in the same clothes.

But, just because he always wears the same threads doesn't mean they are the actual same threads and he's doused in deodorant. It simply means he has bought dozens of the same item.

Photo: Facebook - Mark Zuckerberg

There's no reason to believe either that he has bought in dozens of the same garments because they're cheap. His favored Brunello Cucinelli shirt alone costs more than €350. So being the billionaire that he is, can he really not find anything else he likes? The answer to his approach lies in what psychology experts have come to call 'Decision Fatigue.'

It was social psychologist Roy F. Baumeister who labeled this phenomenon, based on studies by Sigmund Freud. Baumeister  recognized that the constant decision-making required in a day, however small the actual decision, leads to cumulative mental exhaustion by bedtime.

It is estimated that the average person makes around 15,000 decisions a day. Cutting out a decision such as what to wear every morning frees up energy and attention to devote to other, more important issues. And that is what Mark Zuckerberg is up to.

This was acknowledged by Zuckerberg himself in 2014 when he said that he organizes his life "so that I have to make as few decisions as possible, except how to best serve this community" – in reference to Facebook.

Steve Jobs adopted a similar approach to his wardrobe and was never seen in anything but jeans and a black sweater, designed by Issey Miyake.

The Japanese designer was so overjoyed at Jobs' exclusive sartorial pick that he decided to give him enough black jerseys and jeans to last him a lifetime. Obviously, having a contemporary genius wear nothing but your designs is hot publicity.

Besides combating mental fatigue, always wearing the same simple ensemble helps to build a solid and recognizable personal image that appeals to a broad spectrum of people. The absence of luxury or eccentric items is a bonus, though the practice could be seen as eccentric in itself.

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