Every summer, my feed becomes oversaturated with the most charming coastal interiors. While the sea remains the ultimate vessel of inspiration, this season all eyes are on the quintessential fisherman aesthetic. (Coastal grandma can be found at the nearest retirement home!) The uniform calls for cable-knit sweaters, barn coats, denim or overalls paired with a rotation of signature boots, boat shoes, and sandals. I was reminded of the fugue state I experienced several months ago when my friends and I decided to cool off from the sweltering summer heat inside a streetwear brand’s pop-up store—the theme was fishing and hunting. (Apparently, this is the new identity for all hypebeasts pushing 40.)
Fisherman aesthetic was listed in the official Pinterest Predicts Trend Report for 2025, noted as an expression of a “laid-back maritime attitude.” I’ll admit that at the time of its release, I dismissed the trend as a serious contender but by mid-January I was humbly changing my tune. Sydney Stanback, global trends and insights lead at Pinterest, thinks that the appeal of microtrends like this corresponds directly with us entering a “fully post-pandemic era” where we’re all trying to figure out how to navigate our lives online and offline.
“I started in 2020 and we have seen a pretty significant shift in the sentiment driving these trends forward,” Stanback says. “Escapism is not necessarily new, but it’s evolved over the past few years as we’ve dealt with the effects of being isolated for quite some time—that’s not normal behavior. While we’re five years out from the pandemic, I think we’re still dealing with the effects of it 1740158322.”
The foundation of this annual report, which Stanback’s team usually starts compiling in August, is built on consumer behavior in real time from searches on Pinterest’s platform across a global audience of Gen Z, millennials, boomers, and Gen X. From there, the list is narrowed down to “help people identify 20 different ways of authentically expressing themselves.” She claims that there’s been a noticeable change in how people are engaging with trends today. Upon further review, I wonder if we’re more nostalgic for the past now because we’re so uncertain about the future.
“We’ve had a few trends over the past few years that are a bit traditional like ‘eclectic grandpa,’” Stanback explains. “Fisherman aesthetic is very nautical, but you can make it your own and make it as bold as you want to. When I have a vision of this trend, specifically in a home space, it’s about having fish nets, muddy earth tones, and fishing collectibles. You can tap into it in a lot of different ways.”
