The rise and rise of Fisherman Core The new frontier of workwear

Every year, men’s fashion discovers a new sport to appropriate. Workwear, blokecore, Formula 1, and now, fishing. It might seem absurd, for an industry obsessed with order, wealth, and beauty, to choose a sport so connected with nature, humidity, and the pungent smell of the catch. Yet, ever since gorpcore opened the doors to technical clothing, there seem to be no more limits when it comes to styling. So, after the boom of Carhartt work jackets, it’s now the turn of much more specific items, designed for those who usually spend their weekends alone by the lake, but worn by bros who spend Sunday mornings having brunch with friends downtown.

First came the tactical vests with big pockets, then waterproof boots and cream-colored Aran sweaters; just a couple of boat shoes on the Miu Miu SS24 runway were enough to deliver the highest digital recognition to the Fisherman aesthetic: in January 2025, Pinterest announced it as the keyword of the year, while last June it dedicated an entire collaboration with Chamberlain Coffee, Emma Chamberlain’s brand, to it. Moreover, an honorable mention must go to #tinfishtok, a trend that exploded on TikTok a couple of years ago and still keeps racking up views and likes. As the name suggests, it’s all about canned fish: sardines, salmon, anchovies, tuna, herring, mackerel. Even reviewing the packaging and graphics that come with the product.

As anticipated by Miu Miu, the first signs of Fisherman Core’s rise in men’s fashion were felt in 2024, when in October of that year Drake was chosen as the cover star by the fishing magazine The Drake (which in English also means bait) – memes aside, by now we know that when a rapper embraces a trend, it’s checkmate. Afterwards, as reported by a Washington Post article, the American brand Kith collaborated with Columbia and a Japanese brand specialized in fly fishing, South2West8, on a lake-sport-inspired outerwear collection, while the brand Creek Angler’s Device continues to expand its fanbase thanks also to pop-ups in fashionable spots like New York’s Blue in Green.

Meanwhile, Bode, the standard-bearer of refined American menswear rooted in a passion for the antique and vintage, has long been posting on its Instagram editorials loosely inspired by the world of fishing, featuring props like fake salmon, yellow raincoats, and rural cliffs—an aesthetic also reflected in the interior choices of its boutiques.

In addition to the classic technical clothing brands, including Barbour and Hunter (though they are more closely tied to the sport of hunting, true to English tradition), there are countless other micro-trends emerging in menswear and womenswear that don’t belong to specific labels. Examples include the sailor cap, the bucket hat, or the folded-back cap worn by Taylor Russell during one of her outings last spring; chunky knitwear like Aran sweaters; striped boat-neck shirts; crab sandals; asymmetrically buttoned toggles; the sardine motif printed on accessories and T-shirts, and red caps à la Captain Hook’s Smee. The characters most referenced in Fisherman Core seem to be Popeye, the protagonists of Wes Anderson’s The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, Meg Ryan in You’ve Got Mail, the lighthouse keepers of The Lighthouse, Sampei, Ernest Hemingway, and finally Paul Newman and Alain Delon during their summer holidays in the 1970s.

If this summer fashion wanted us in flip-flops, ready to relax during well-deserved holidays, this fall prefers ultra-technical outfits, functional for any occasion—even for the unlikely possibility of finding yourself fishing in downtown Milan. As often happens with trends spreading through contemporary street style, it’s not so much about the practicality of a garment, but the aura of wealth it conveys. After all, we’ve just entered the era of post-quiet luxury: what’s more chic than a sailing trip? Apparently, knowing how to steer the boat.