Gen Z is making corded headphones cool again because they don't want to look like finance bros

• Gen Z is making wired headphones cool again, reported The WSJ's Rory Satran.
• They're more practical than cordless AirPods and part of the Y2k trend, but Gen Z also doesn't want to look "finance bro."

Tired: AirPods.

Wired: wired headphones.

That's according to Gen Z, at least, the trendsetters of the new decade.

As The Wall Street Journal's Rory Satran recently reported, everyone from Bella Hadid to Lily-Rose Depp has been spotted eschewing AirPods for the earbuds of yesteryear. While the trend spans both Gen Z and millennials, the former is leading the way in plugging their headphones back in.

That's partly because corded headphones are the preferred medium for TikTokers recording videos, Satran reported. The reasons are plenty: They're more practical, cheaper, and eliminate some of the "vague" radiation concerns some people have with AirPods (which are considered safe, per the FDA). Corded headphones are more than just function, Satran added; they're also about aesthetics, emitting a cool, grungy vibe reminiscent of the "2010s Tumblr" era.

That means they're the latest iteration of the Y2K trend that Gen Z loves so much. From straight-legged jeans and claw clips to Adam Sandler and "Friends," Gen Z has been reviving the turn of the millennium's biggest trends in what Sara Fischer of Axios has deemed a "throwback economy" characterized by bright clothes, sentimental entertainment, and old-school tech.

Research has shown that, in moments of economic turmoil, humans are more likely to feel nostalgia. Turning to a nostalgic time before social media took over has been a way for Gen Z to escape the instability of the pandemic.

But corded headphones are also a way for Gen Z to make an "anti-finance bro" statement. As 25-year-old Courtney Park explained to Satran, "A lot of people make fun of that whole tech-finance-bro look where they always have their Patagonia vest on and their AirPods in."

Gen Z loves to be sartorially contrarian

It's not the first time Gen Z has elicited an aesthetic that stemmed from the rejection of an ongoing trend. They've been lusting after an "old money" aesthetic characterized by Oxford shirts, tennis skirts, and tweed blazers, a sharp contrast from the looks that characterized the 2010s.

"It embodies the socialite lifestyle represented in culture by shows and films such as 'Gossip Girl' and 'The Talented Mr. Ripley,' and is the perfect opposite to the 'California Rich' aesthetic that was made popular by the Kardashian family," Morgane Le Caer, content lead at Lyst, previously told Insider.

It's also a response to the casual outfits that typifies the new millennial billionaire class, explained Vox's Rebecca Jennings, who first reported on the trend: Dressing in the polished way of a northeastern socialite is ultimately a rejection of the tech CEO's hoodie and sneaker ensemble.

Two years prior to the rise of "old money," the VSCO girl had the internet buzzing. Characterized by a natural look that embodied a crossover between '90s fashion and a surfer lifestyle, she was a contrast to the contoured faces and lip fillers of Instagram influencers.

It seems, then, that Gen Z's fashion choices are largely driven by an adverse reaction — and opposition — to everything that came before them.

Beyond fashion, Gen Z remains "anti" a lot of things. They're even taking their contrarian attitude into the workplace with the rise of the "antiwork" movement, as Insider's Juliana Kaplan reported. In other words, get ready for Gen Z's "anti" attitude to reshape a lot more than just fashion over the next decade.