NBA Players Set Fashion Trends Beyond the Court
While NBA players excel on the hardwood, their influence extends into the realm of fashion, where they initiate notable trends.
The cultural impact was palpably evident when LeBron James appeared at the 2008 Beijing Olympics brandishing a pair of Beats by Dre headphones. This appearance catalyzed the brand’s meteoric rise in popularity.
Fast-forward nearly twenty years, and a new wave of audio accessories has emerged, with elite players from Anthony Edwards to Steph Curry opting for wired earbuds. This retro choice is gaining traction among both rising talents and veteran stalwarts alike.
Yet, they are not alone in revisiting the past.
High-profile celebrities such as Drake, Lily-Rose Depp, Harry Styles, and Zendaya have been spotted eschewing Bluetooth for the classic corded headphones.
Emma Watson articulated her preference succinctly, stating in a Vogue interview that she finds “real joy in the old school plug-in ones.” Additionally, segments from the publication featuring Dua Lipa and Ariana Grande revealed their own loyalty to wired options.
New York Magazine’s December cover showcased celebrity pairings, among them Ben Stiller and New York Knicks’ Karl-Anthony Towns, sharing wired earbuds during a subway ride, further affirming this trend’s momentum.
Shelby Hull, founder of the Wired It Girls Instagram account, has become an unofficial advocate for this resurgence. She established the platform in 2021, celebrating the revival of corded headphones.
Inspired by an article from Vogue’s Liana Satenstein that praised model Bella Hadid’s preference for “the humble” wired headphones, Hull found motivation to curate an account dedicated to this trend. Accordingly, Hadid featured in the inaugural post.
Hull noted, “She’s obviously wealthy; she can opt for AirPods, yet she consistently chooses wired.” This choice exudes an air of effortless cool that eschews the pressure to adhere to ever-evolving technology, a sentiment echoed in Satenstein’s piece.
This effortless allure distinguishes the “wired” It Girl from their more conventional counterparts, as defined by the Cambridge Dictionary as “a famous young woman known for attending numerous social events.”
While the daunting price tag of luxury items like Birkin bags may exclude many from the It Girl lifestyles, corded headphones, retailing for just above $25 (£19) on Apple’s website, provide an accessible conduit to the effortless chic embodied by celebrities such as Charli XCX and fashion designers Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen.
In contrast, Apple’s premium AirPods start at $159 (£119) and escalate to $669 (£499) for the Max models.
The convergence of affordability, celebrity endorsement, and the 2024 “Brat Girl Summer”—an initiative inspired by Charli XCX—has accelerated this trend, which Hull initially considered to be a mere niche.
Influencer athletes are also shaping this resurgence. Caleb Williams, quarterback for the Chicago Bears, has become a notable figure for promoting this yet-to-be-identified “Wired It Boys” movement, renowned for his pregame ritual incorporating a matcha drink and corded headphones.
Pittsburgh Steelers receiver Ben Skowronek has unambiguously declared his affinity for being a “wire guy.”
In the NBA, players traverse arena tunnels that have morphed into concrete runways, displaying meticulously curated outfits. Last year’s New York Fashion Week was graced by an array of impeccably dressed basketball professionals.
“Fashion and the NBA are intrinsically linked; the culture of the moment reverberates throughout both realms,” observed Chad Brown, the founder of the rapidly growing NBA Fashion Fits Instagram account, highlighting the intersection of style and the sport.
The revival of wired headphones has not escaped Brown’s scrutiny, having founded his platform in 2016 after considerable time spent in the league’s tunnel during his tenure as a production coordinator.
Players such as Chris Paul, Russell Westbrook, Kawhi Leonard, and Cooper Flagg prominently display cable headphones.
However, the motive behind this phenomenon—pragmatism versus fashion—remains uncertain for Brown.
Andre Drummond of the Philadelphia 76ers remarked to Brown that he had gone through approximately twenty pairs of wireless earbuds, while Marcus Smart of the Los Angeles Lakers expressed a preference for corded options, citing their reliability for pregame routines.
“Bluetooth options can be finicky,” Smart articulated in a video shared by the Lakers, noting their tendency to disconnect or lose power.
This discomfort with wireless technology has prompted curiosity regarding the motivations behind the wired resurgence, particularly among the latest wave of recruits to the NBA.
In actual practice, as Brown posits, “fashion cycles are inherently nostalgic.” New recruits may gravitate toward wired headphones as an accessory, integral to their overall presentation.
Since Apple’s 2016 decision by Apple to eliminate the headphone jack from the iPhone 7, an increasing number of manufacturers have followed suit.
By 2025, wireless headphones accounted for a staggering 66% of overall sales, juxtaposed with a mere 34% for their wired counterparts, as reported by Future Marketing Insight.
Proponents of corded headphones advocate for their advantages, which range from user-friendliness to security. Unlike their Bluetooth counterparts, wired headphones eliminate risks of hacking, offering a safer alternative for confidential conversations.
Nevertheless, this nod to nostalgia may signify a deeper yearning across generations for a retreat into a more analog existence.
This longing, often dubbed “analog lifestyles,” emphasizes tangible experiences, championed by millennials and Gen Z amidst an increasingly AI-centric environment.
The recent surge of interest in analog hobbies and the rising popularity of ‘dumbphones’—devices stripped of superfluous functions—underscore a burgeoning desire to rein in digital consumption.
For Hull, the sustained interest in wired headphones is contextualized within this broader movement. She stated, “With the proliferation of AI and digital distractions, there’s an intrinsic value in tangible connections. Nostalgia for the 90s and early 2000s offers people something real to grasp onto.”
“While I cherish the convenience of modern technology, I find myself drawn to vintage experiences—browsing through VHS collections, utilizing film cameras, and collecting old headphones,” Hull added. “Many share my yearning for that analog experience.”
Source link: Cnn.com.
