It’s a Sardine Girl Summer: The Season’s New Tinned Fish It-Girl Makes Her Mark

In true graphic tee fashion, sardines have taken center stage in countless fashionistas’ daily personal fashion shows.

Photo: Pinterest

The Fashion Stock Market here, your one and only source into the hottest style trends and fashion events. Us Americans just celebrated one of the most important holidays of the season, and with the fourth of July past us, we’re officially right in the middle of summer. Time flies when you’re having fun, right? I may be biased because I have spent my days either window shopping, unpacking shipments at my retail job, or researching and writing about trends, but wow, isn’t this summer an iconic era for fashion? 

Some style choices are making a comeback, while others are never-before-seen exclusives to summer 2025. Either way, it seems you simply have to walk down the street (or if you live in a rural area, open Insta or TikTok), to find stunning examples of all June, July, and soon August have to offer. Ladies wearing linen, pearls and polka dots, and…fish necklaces? 

Yes, there’s an undeniable obsession with seafood, particularly the iconic sardine, that has people turning their heads. Once considered a gross pizza topping or a Spongebob background character, sardines are having their main character moment. The phenomenon has spread far and wide, with trend adopters deeming this season a “sardine girl summer.”

You know that here at The Fashion Stock Market, we don’t play about our facts and stats. From June 22 to June 29, the popularity index for “sardine girl summer” jumped from 59 to 100 on Google search trends, marking a 69.5% increase in just one week. It’s “ofishial”; people are swimming with enthusiasm about this tiny fish. Compared to June 15 (popularity index of 75), the increase to 100 by June 29 is 33.3%. Sardines are the summer’s new hibiscus flowers in terms of sheer seasonal fame. But how did we get here, and what exactly does sardine-inspired fashion entail?

We can conclude that this trend, despite its quick rise to popularity, did not manifest overnight, due to previous interest sprouting in the spring. The “fisherman aesthetic” has been simmering on people’s Pinterest moodboards for the past few years, but never have we seen it on this scale before. Sardines and their often bold-colored tins have piqued people’s interests, and what was once a subtle touch to a moodboard has blossomed into the statement piece in everyone’s outfit. 

It’s impossible to talk about the sardine girl without mentioning the Staud bag. I personally had no idea what this bag was before I began my research for this article; but my boyfriend’s aunt, a true sardine-girl enthusiast, brought the colorful, beaded purse starring the ocean’s it-girl to my attention. The sardine bag blends a pattern trend (sardines) with a material trend (beads) into a perfect, chic mini bag. I mean, what else could you possibly want for your next Euro trip or sunset cocktails with the girls? The Staud bag has many replicas circulating the internet, so even if you can’t get your hands on the real deal, you’re sure to find something to scratch your tinned fish itch at your local TJMaxx. 

One of many beaded sardine bags from Staud, a Los Angeles-based contemporary fashion label. 

Photo: STAUD

From wall art to accent rugs, sardines have splashed across various expressive mediums, expanding beyond the realm of fashion.

Photo: The Style Diary

But bags are not the only mode of clothing sardines have splashed into. Graphic tees, funky socks, charm necklaces, sundresses, bikinis, earrings—the list truly goes on and on! Certain retailers, like Anthropologie, Free People, and ASOS have capitalized on this summer trend, but it can be seen everywhere. Like any good trend, it extends beyond fashion and into people’s lifestyles. Sardines are decorating people’s summer homes in the form of throw pillows and blankets, and dazzling influencers’ phone cases. I wonder if the sardine I ate a few months ago in Lisbon knew she’d become such a star!

The bright and colorful tins sardines are sold in are just as iconic as the tiny sea creatures themselves. Sardine tins have taken the shape of wallets and serving trays, and adorn just as many items of clothing as the actual fish does. 

Photo: Chowhound

Unsurprisingly, this trend is met with much skepticism. When a trend is born, one of the first questions to arise, aside from the time of birth, is whether it’s a microtrend or not. After all, when fast fashion retailers like Shein and Aliexpress get their hands on a trend, it can become micro in a millisecond. I think we can all admit the sardine is a bit random; yet, it’s so on trend with what we’ve been seeing the past few years in terms of fashion statement pieces. Rather than clinging onto the usual, traditional patterns like stripes and florals (though those are still thriving, of course), people have begun to literally wear their food. Baby tees with heirloom tomatoes on them, necklaces with pomegranate charms, and strawberry printed dresses (I’m looking at you, 2022 TikTok) have filled people’s shopping carts for a hot minute. So while the trend may seem jarring, is it really that hard to believe? Yet, the backlash is unsurprising, considering most bold and trendy fashion choices get tossed to the side the second something shinier and newer comes along. Perhaps we can expect the next trend to be Spam or Bush’s Baked Beans. 

Everywhere we turn, we’re seeing sardines; is the trend too far gone, or is it just heating up?

Photo: Pinterest

My take: the oily fish craze is honestly so fun and clever. The sardine girl aesthetic is similar to the lobster and oyster obsession we’ve been seeing this summer with the New England aesthetic hitting people’s timelines. Some sardine-inspired pieces go a bit over the top in true microtrend fashion, but there’s nothing wrong with making fashion a little fun and fresh sometimes! Not everything has to be beige and basic to be considered good fashion. I remind you, my readers, that making tasteful choices and following your style intuition will protect you from the fast fashion demons that pounce on every trend. If you truly love them, buying tinned fish jewelry or clothing may be a great way to spice up your wardrobe this summer. Will we cringe in a few years looking back at our sardine pocketbooks and phone cases? Maybe, but all I have to say is “carpe diem!”; don’t live your life with fashion regrets! Just don’t go crazy and become a chronic consumerist, because if I find out your sardine charm bracelets are filling up landfills in a few months, I’ll have to start telling people to only buy neutral colors and play the fashion rules from now on. And what’s the fun in that?

XOXO, The Fashion Stock Market

Cover Photo: Pinterest

Editor: Felicity Field