Style and function
Company: Scottevest
Location: Ketchum, Sun Valley, Idaho
Website: scottevest.com
Just when you thought you had seen it all, you spot someone wearing a jacket with a pocket stitched the size of an iPad.
Scottevest combines style and function with its line of about 30 different pieces of clothing (jackets, vests, hoodies, pullovers, pants, shorts and shirts) for men and women who travel often. Some of its best-selling items are those sold to iPad, iPad 2 and MacBook users, where pockets are sized just to hold these gadgets snugly.
Initially an online retailer at the time of its 2000 launch, the company began selling through select retailers earlier this year. The Travel Vest ($100) has 22 pockets, including one just for the iPad, an industry first. Steve Wozniak, Apple's co-founder, sits on Scottevest's board of directors.
"Steve Jobs has been a personal hero for many years," said Scottevest founder and CEO Scott Jordan. ''His commitment to constant innovation is inspirational and he always asks 'What's next?' "
Jordan founded his company after struggling to keep all of his gadgets -- cell phone, computer, house key and car keys -- intact while traveling weekly for work. With his wife Laura, he took those frustrations to the drawing board. They developed vests and jackets that not only comfortably store items in a stylish way but also within reach.
Keeping the needs of an iPod user in mind, Jordan later added a patented system to keep wires from dangling off clothing and getting tangled in a doorjamb or other device.
"We have kept pace with every development in Apple's world by accommodating touch screen iPhones with our clear touch pockets," he said. "What started as a large, deep pocket for carrying a magazine or notepad became a pocket for carrying the Kindle. As soon as Apple announced the iPad, I knew we were already miles ahead of everyone else in terms of accommodating it."
