Yes, Sardine Prints Are the Most Chic Thing to Wear This Summer

Any foodie worth their salt knows that summer is the season to feast on crustaceans and fish. Lately, though, seafood seems to be jumping off the platter and onto this season’s apparel. It’s nearly impossible to miss the abundance of canned sardines and lobsters on clothes if you’ve been on social media recently. West Coast indie fashion darling Lisa Says Gah dropped its summer collection “Caviar Dreams” this month, featuring hand-drawn pictures of shrimp platters, oysters, and, of course, caviar. Across the pond, the coquette British label Damson Madder sells multiple items in a “Holiday Print,” made of an assemblage of sardine tins, Grecian columns, and square patterns reminiscent of Mediterranean tiles. 

But the ever playful L.A.-based brand Staud seems to be the champion of this maritime madness. The luxury brand's Pre-Fall 2025 collection was swimming with nautical details, from jumbo fish-shaped bags to netted bottoms. The brand’s slate of sardine-chic “Staudine” bags (and sardine dresses) has gained a solid fan base among online fashion girlies and especially those in New York City.

This trend begs the question: when did fashion get so fishy? Historically, Indigenous artisans in the Arctic region have crafted fish leather into clothing and accessories for centuries. But motifs-wise? The fashion industry has dipped its toe into marine motifs, too. In 1937, Elsa Schiaparelli collaborated with Salvador Dalí to create a lobster dinner dress (which Daniel Roseberry referenced in Schiaparelli’s Spring 2024 ready-to-wear collection). More recently, pescatarian-chic also had its moment in 2022, when Vogue dubbed Bottega Veneta’s slouchy leather Sardine pouch an “it bag.”

“I think our customers are drawn to the funny, quirky aspects [of the trend],” Grace Connaughton, fashion content editor at Larroudé, tells L'OFFICIEL. The footwear brand sells several products adorned with fruit and lobsters. “We thought it was a funny way to do a shoe. Fashion shouldn’t be taken so seriously," she continued.

With the rise of grocery prices in recent years, food has become a symbol of wealth. Several brands have featured food in their designs and advertising. On’s futuristic “Zone Dreamers” campaign features a shot of Zendaya leaning against a large bag labeled “Cereal.” In the beauty space, food-inspired nomenclature has become the norm. Sheer nude nails are now “glazed donut nails," for example.

Even with the media-proclaimed death of the microtrend, it can be difficult to ascertain if online interest in an aesthetic will amount to anything more than a fad. However, the resurgence of pescatarian-chic via sardine prints ahead of this summer may be a sign of its staying power.