Cover news reporter Zou Ajiang Yang Lan
Once upon a time, wired headphones were replaced by Bluetooth headphones. But now, this product is returning to young people’s vision as a new “fashion accessory”.
Recently, "wired headphone outfits" have become so popular on social media that sales have doubled in many digital stores. Once eliminated due to "trouble", why can it "make a comeback" and become a fashionable item that relieves battery anxiety and highlights individual aesthetics?
On April 1, Hu Penghui, associate professor and master's tutor at the School of Social Sciences at Huazhong University of Science and Technology, told Cover News reporters that the surge in popularity of wired headphones reflects the individual expression of the youth group. They began to reject authority and standardization and seek individuality and differentiation.
Popular wired headphone outfits on the Internet
High-looking wired headphones become fashion accessories
Open social platforms such as Xiaohongshu and search for "wired headphone outfits", and there are more than 100,000 related notes. In the photo, the protagonist wears wired headphones, mixes them with metal necklaces and trendy clothes, and turns out to be the most conspicuous "cyber accessory" in front of the camera.
Xiao Chen, a 22-year-old senior student, is one of the participants in this trend. She keeps three pairs of wired headphones in her bag all year round – a white original model with a simple style, a transparent purple one to echo the dopamine outfit, and a retro braided cord specially matched with the Y2K (millennium style) look. "Wired headphone cables are like accessories, they help me complete the entire look."
Xiao Chen’s headphone combination
According to Mr. Zhang, a commuter, wired headphones are chosen because of practicality. "Compared with wireless earphones, it is cheaper and you won't have battery anxiety when you go out. You can plug it in and use it. This certainty makes people feel more at ease."
What’s even more interesting is that this thread can be “redesigned”. Some people perform hand-plating, stickers, and wire wrapping modifications on wired earphones, treating them as DIY jewelry; some people directly wrap the earphones around their wrists as bracelets, tie them in braids as hair ropes, and even wear them on top of each other like beads. Many netizens said that wired headphones have changed from a music listening tool to a malleable fashion material. Like sunglasses, mini bags and other items, they have come back with an "attitude".
DIY braided wired headphones
The wired headphones costing more than 30 yuan were sold out within three days of being put on the shelves.
The trend is still translating into real money sales.
Data from multiple e-commerce platforms show that searches for “good-looking wired headphones” have doubled in the past month, and niche brands focusing on retro designs have begun to appear frequently in live broadcast rooms. "Reverse consumption" driven by young people has allowed wired headphones, which were once marginalized, to return to the center of the trend stage.
On online shopping platforms, the price of wired headphones ranges from tens to hundreds of yuan. It specializes in high-looking designs such as pure white, transparent shells, and macaron colors, attracting young people who are looking for fashionable clothes. Some popular models are often out of stock.
Lin Sen (pseudonym), the owner of a digital collection store in Chengdu, told reporters that the sales of wired headphones in the store have tripled in the past three months, and 70% of the buyers are women between 18 and 25 years old. "In the past, when I entered the store, all I asked was 'Is the sound quality good?' But now the first questions asked are 'Are there any wired ones?' and 'What color is the best?'" he said, pointing to the newly arrived wired headphones on the shelf. "This batch of goods was almost sold out within a week of arrival."
“Headphones costing more than 30 yuan are actually out of stock!” Consumer Lulu (pseudonym) told reporters that she took a fancy to a polka-dot pattern wired headset, which was sold out within three days of being put on the shelves. "The appearance is too good, and it is basically designed to match Y2K (millennium style), and the sound quality has become a secondary item." In addition, the reporter noticed that this craze has even given birth to the DIY economy. On Xiaohongshu, the "Knitting Wired Headphones" tutorial has been viewed over one million times.
Hot-selling wired headphones for over 30 yuan
Expert opinion:
Wired headphones become a possibility for young people to express their personality
Why have wired headphones, which have “disappeared” from the public eye for many years, returned to the public eye? In this regard, Hu Penghui, associate professor and master's tutor at the School of Social Sciences at Huazhong University of Science and Technology, conducted an analysis.
He told reporters that this phenomenon can be understood from the perspectives of practicality, niche, and evolution of consumption logic.
"Practiceability is the basis. The low price of wired headphones, no need to charge, sound quality, and no sense of delay are all features and advantages that wireless headphones cannot match. This makes the majority of users not feel distressed when losing their headphones, have no anxiety about charging when using them, and can still enjoy high-quality music."
Hu Penghui said: "There is also a very important historical background here. Wired headphones have disappeared for a few years and have now become a niche 'rare product'. Especially for the post-00s and post-10s generations, this is even more rare. So, in today's era when young people begin to reject authority and standardization and seek individuality and differentiation, wired headphones have the possibility to become an expression of individuality."
"Although today's society is still what Baudrillard said is a consumer society, the entire logic of consumption has changed." He believes that the youth group is no longer "led by the nose" by mainstream capitalism, but places more emphasis on individual initiative and resistance – to resist "consumerism" and build a "minimalist lifestyle."
Therefore, the craze for wired headphones reflects the young people’s preference for cost-effective and practical items. To a certain extent, it shows that the consumption logic of young people has begun to show a pragmatic turn. At the same time, young people who pursue personalization will increasingly prefer niche products.
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Editor Tang Weican Tang Yin
