I’ve figured out what Christmas 2015 is about: headphones. This has been staring you in the face for weeks now, by the way. Literally, I mean: there is no 2015 gift guide that does not star a pair of ludicrously expensive headphones as Perfect Gift. Headphones as an accessory, rather than a gadget, began with footballers, who wear the brightly-coloured Beats ones as religiously as nuns wear crucifixes. Because this was quickly picked up by teens, headphones have been the go-to gift for teenagers for several years. Which makes perfect sense, because no one knows what to buy teenagers and no one knows what to talk to them about either, so it’s a gift that kills two birds with one stone.
The difference this year is that headphones, like Taylor Swift and The Hunger Games, have broken out of teen culture and joined the grownups’ table. There are headphones for dad, and headphones for mum. The tan leather Master & Dynamic headphones with their microphone-style silver mesh detailing have a His Master’s Voice aesthetic which is clearly aimed at a man who would never ever wear Beats (too teenage, too footballer), who may have or have had a fashionable beard at some point, a man who still doesn’t wear a suit to work but has recently switched from trainers to brogues. Frends headphones, meanwhile, are delicate and light, with jewellery-slender rose-gold stems and chic black ear pads, and come in a pouch that will tuck into a small handbag, so I’m guessing it’s fair to say those are aimed at women. I’m not going to tell you how much any of these cost as it will only make you cross.
Continue reading...