Vintage Tech Is The New It-Girl Status Symbol

AirPods out, tangled wires in. If you’ve noticed a rise in iPods, Walkmans and rhinestoned flip phones cropping up on your feed, you’re not imagining it — retro tech is the new accessory of choice for the fashion crowd. In an era ruled by AirDrop and algorithm fatigue, old-school gadgets are making a very stylish comeback.

Leading the analogue charge? Addison Rae. The TikTok star-turned-pop princess recently dropped her track “Headphones On,” a moody ode to escapism. In the promo image, she poses with an iPod Nano nestled suggestively in her hot pink underwear. It’s giving Y2K nostalgia meets high-gloss Tumblr energy — and her obsession with corded headphones is part of a wider trend.

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Image @milenaroza_ via Pinterest

Designer Anna Molinari literally made a top out of wired earbuds. Julia Fox has worn a Walkman like it’s a wristwatch. Chanel released its own logo-stamped headphones. Over on Instagram, @WiredItGirls — a cult page celebrating this tech revival — documents icons like Paul Mescal, Doechii and the Olsens dangling wires with pride.

“Wired headphones communicate that you can’t be bothered to keep up with the latest technology trends,” says account founder Shelby Hull, whose page has over 17k followers. “Even though AirPods are minimal, there’s something so boring about undetectable Bluetooth accessories. I don’t associate them with fashion, I associate them with tech bros who are taking loud calls everywhere.”

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Messy wires? “They add a layer of mystery,” Hull insists. “A certain je ne sais quoi.”

But this trend goes beyond just looking cool. In a world where every moment is Insta-archived and every conversation tracked via read receipts, vintage gadgets offer a dose of digital detachment. Flip phones stop you from doom-scrolling. Film cameras mean you can’t instantly overanalyse your face. Wired headphones? They make multitasking feel (blessedly) impossible.

There’s also a romanticism to these clunky, clicky devices — a callback to the MySpace days, when the internet felt more like a fun side-quest than a full-time job. Shelby Hull’s page taps into that too, curating nostalgic chic for a generation exhausted by push notifications.

Image @sophiajberk via Pinterest

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Personally? I recently dusted off my sixth-grade Canon digi cam. It takes 30 seconds to flash and delivers grainy, oddly wholesome shots that make even bad lighting feel like an aesthetic. It’s not efficient, but it’s kind of perfect.

So yes, maybe that flip phone or iPod is outdated. But in 2025, opting for single-use tech might just be the most fashionable (and refreshingly human) thing you can do.

Addison Rae was right: every good thing is on its way — one aux cable at a time.