Apple’s ecosystem has sucked in the celebrities to give us a new fashion accessory which is slowly becoming a must have.
Headphones as a fashion accessory? Sounds completely absurd at first. But it is precisely this reaction that is a common feature when we remember past fashion trends that were sceptical at the beginning, but then became favourites. Currently, the Apple AirPods Max are such a favourite that the fashion bubble (especially on the platformTikTok) cannot escape. No matter where the eye looks, the chunky and absolutely stylish over-ear headphones are worn everywhere. And not just for listening to music.
Celebrities such as Bella Hadid, Timothée Chalamet, Sarah Jessica Parker, and others have adopted the over-the-ear headphones as their off-duty wardrobe staples. When worn over a cosy beanie or a pulled-up hoodie, the headphones signify a casual and unfussy luxury. Yes—the street style moments seem to say—I can wear my $549 headphones outside the house without worry. But let’s be honest: Where does this trend come from, and why does everyone now wear more and more large, chunky headphones? On the one hand, many of the models look pretty cool. Because technology is no longer just a useful tool, but manufacturers are increasingly relying on aesthetics and design – which blurs the boundaries between the disciplines of fashion (accessories) and technology. So after the AirPods have been replaced by the headphones with cables, we now think bigger and make tech a fashion statement.
Released one year after the departure of Johnny Ive, Apple’s long-time chief design officer, the headphones feel like a bold new direction for the company’s expanding line of accessories. During his tenure, Ive repeatedly expressed his love for clean, simple product design. None of that can be found in the Airpods Max with its dramatic headband, oversized cushions, and space-age charging case. The original Airpods offered observer delight in having to examine someone closely to spot them, almost like a piece of stealth wealth. While the Airpods Max, by contrast, please in their smack-dab ostentation. They even come in a poppy array of colours, much like the iMacs and iPod Nanos of the early aughts. And, in case you haven’t heard, that bygone era is trending in fashion and beyond.
In addition, there is the y2k trend and the nostalgic obsession of the younger generation with things from the past. In addition, over-ear headphones are also a classic analogy to the walkman, which is the epitome of mobile music listening for music connoisseurs. Conversely, after the whole home office, headphones with the noise-cancelling function fulfil another purpose: they help us to work better in open-plan offices or to exclude the noisy outside world on the way to the office.
