Everyone seems to be yearning for accessories of the past. A look at the latest runways or celebrity street-style moments turns up Balenciaga Le City bags, McQueen skull scarves and, miraculously, fedoras. But the most subtle and unexpected accessory to sneak its way into the wardrobes of the It girls happens to be a pair of wired earphones.
Last week, Hailey Bieber was spotted on a rare family outing in a relatively nondescript athleisure look: a white tee, black flared leggings, an inky zip-up jacket and sneakers. The real star of the show was her wired earbuds, which added minute pops of color thanks to their neon green buttons and purple ear tips. It was the second time in a week she had been seen wearing them, and days later Zoë Kravitz was caught embracing the accessory too.
The two now join a growing roster of wire advocates that includes Bella Hadid, Kendall Jenner, Kaia Gerber and Harry Styles. Sorry, AirPods. The look is not exactly a brand-new phenomenon, though. A couple of years ago, Dua Lipa confessed in a viral video that she keeps multiple pairs of wired earbuds on her at all times.
In 2025, Addison Rae brought the trend to a cultural peak when she released a song titled “Headphones On.” In the video she wears wired earphones and, at one point, shapes the cords into a heart, cementing the humble accessory as a deliberate style statement rather than an afterthought.
As for why so many A-listers suddenly seem to be on the wired train, some prefer having one less thing to charge, while others insist the sound quality is better. There may even be a security element, since a direct connection is harder to intercept. Whatever the reasoning, the tangled cord has quietly become the season’s most knowing accessory, proof that in fashion, everything old eventually plugs back in.
