reel it in: fisherman aesthetic trend shopping guide

Reel It In: The Fisherman Aesthetic Making Waves in Fashion

Pinterest told me that one of the trends to look for in 2025 is what they refer to as the “fisherman aesthetic.” It encompasses a certain level of comfortable, functional, and bold colors and patterns. Immediately I was reminded of Wes Anderson’s “Life Aquatic” with soft blues, red beanies, and a nautical energy similar to New England.

The Fisherman Aesthetic comes at a great time of late winter/early spring as most of us are defrosting from our full outerwear and transitioning to sweaters, scarfs, beanies, and boots. One of the pillars of this trend is definitely the ease that it portrays - not trying too hard, mismatched, bold - almost childlike in nature. I’ll dig in to some of the specifics of the fisherman trend below and give you guys some links to dig through.

Here’s a little mood board to get us started - thanks to the talented creators at Unsplash for these:

The Fisherman Aesthetic basics

• Play with stripes

  • Big bold stripes are the key here

  • Smaller, pin stripes can work too with bold accessories

Pants: Patchwork Striped Drawstring Barrel Pants; Striped Wide Leg Pants

Sweaters: Chunky Bold-Striped Sweater; Mock Neck Striped Quarter Zip Sweater;

Other: 3 Bottle Striped Insulated Wine Bag; 2 Bottle Striped Insulated Wine Bag

• Bold, primary colors

  • Yellows

  • Reds

  • Blues

Blue: Baby Blue Chunky Button Cardigan; Blue Quilted Coat

Yellow: Yellow Lace Up Bow Sweater; Yellow Hunter Boots

Red: Chunky Red Cardigan Vest; Red Tommy Hilfiger Windbreaker

• Mixed textures

  • Baskets/woven fabric bags

  • Leather/rubber shoes

  • Denim/cargo pants

  • Chunky, soft, warm sweaters

  • Wool accessories

  • Pearls

  • Gold, motif jewelry

Links: Chunky Grey Cable Knit Sweater; Chunky Navy Cable Knit Sweater;

Earrings: Black Pearl Earrings; Pearl Seashell Earrings; Colorful Dangle Fish Earrings; Conch Shell Statement Earrings

Jewelry: Dainty Pearl Bracelet; Pearl Beaded Ring; Dainty Pearl Strand Necklace; Elegant Gold Watch; Starfish & Shell Ring; Gold Shell Cuff Bracelet;

Bags: Straw Semi-Circle Rattan Bag; Rattan & Leather Bucket Bag; Round Rattan Bag

Hats: Chunky Cashmere Beanie; Columbia Fishing Hat;

Scarfs: Silk Scarf

• Nautical prints

  • Lobsters

  • Anchors

  • Oysters

Links: White/Navy Lobster Sweater; White/Red Lobster Sweater; Fish Knit Vest; Pink Sardines Makeup Bag; Seafood Tote Bag; Aw Shucks! Oyster Baby Tee

• Rubber/utility boots

  • Hunters

  • Dr. Martens

  • Sperry’s

Linked: Brown Doc Martens; Yellow Hunter Boots; Glossy Hunter Boots; White Sperry Loafers, White Sam Edelman Loafers

Why It’s Trending Now

This fun and easy trend has come at the perfect time of year - just cold enough for layers, higher chance of spring showers, and time to get out on the water. There are a lot of opportunities within this trend to create timeless looks with sustainable, high quality items - such as Hunter rainbows (I’ve had mine for over 9 years), Polo Ralph Lauren sweaters, and wool accessories.

How to Style the Fisherman Aesthetic

While trying out this trend you can absolutely go full fisher and pair all of the things altogether for a fun, colorful and functional outfit. You could also use just bits and pieces of this trend in your everyday capsule.

• Pair chunky knits with wide-leg pants or tailored trousers

• Layer a fisherman beanie and anorak over a minimalist outfit

• Balance masculine silhouettes with feminine touches like delicate jewelry or heeled boots

• Incorporate key textures (wool, canvas, leather) and colors (beige, navy, olive green)

Personally, I’m obsessed

I have Massachusetts roots in my family and this trend is right on par with the lifestyle and memories I have from my childhood. We used to ride on a family friend’s boat off the coast of MA and up to Maine and Canada. Being at the marinas is one of my favorite memories because the boats and fishing equipments are so colorful and significant against the dark ocean water.

This is a trend that could last a while, since it is one that the coastal populations have already been honing in on for decades. A lot of the staples for this trend are timeless by themselves, and can be used for years to come with a variety of different outfits and trends.

Durable, comfortable, versatile - I’m here for it all.

Call-to-Action

I’d honestly recommend starting at your local thrift shop to find some of these items - sweaters, cargo pants, maybe woven bags or purses.

What are your favorite fisherman aesthetic pieces? Would love to see how you plan to style this trend.

xo

Rachel

Keywords: Fisherman aesthetic, nautical style, coastal trends, chunky knits, beanies, boots, workwear, utility clothing, oversized sweaters, neutral tones, layered outfits, earthy tones, slow fashion, transitional style, sustainable looks, rugged fashion, minimalist style, rain gear, vintage outfits, thrifted pieces