iPod jacket: not machine washable

By Mary Lojkine on 07 April 2005, 7:34pm

Philips and Levi Strauss created the first MP3 jacket back in 2000. It had special pockets for a (Philips) MP3 player and a (Philips) phone, plus integrated wiring that routed the headphones and microphone up to the collar (more details here). We never wore one, but then we're leaders in tech, not fashion.

Wind forwards to 2003/4 and you'll find the Burton Amp, an iPod-compatible jacket from Burton Snowboards. It had a padded chest pocket to accommodate your iPod and a flexible control panel built in to one sleeve. The technology lives on in the Burton Shield and 2L jackets, for men and women respectively, and the Burton Amp rucksack.

Now skiwear company Spyder has announced another jacket with an integrated iPod. If the current track isn't matching your mood, you simply touch a button on the sleeve to skip forward, instead of falling into a crevasse because you were trying to get your gloved hand into an inside pocket. The price of $3,000 (around £1,600) won't leave much change for your flight to the Swiss Alps, but at least Spyder throws in a few extras: iPod Photo, matching trousers, garment bag and a custom hanger.

We don't often ski to work, so we won't be investing… but if the lump of Lucite and metal is giving you nasty bruises every time you wipe out, feel free to send the iPod our way. -ML