So it’s going to be a sardine girl summer, apparently?
Everywhere from Cosmo to the NYPost has declared that TikTok has deemed the trend of summer 2025 to be fish-first (???). They tell us that the season’s must-haves are sardine-adorned clothes, jewelry, accessories, home decor, trinkets and, of course, meals. And since sardines aren’t the most ubiquitous design, it seems that anything fishy, airy or Mediterranean-esque fits the trend, too.
Now, I’m a little skeptical of this determination. Maybe it’s that a search of “sardine girl summer” on TikTok didn’t really produce any big-hitting viral videos. Perhaps it’s that tinned fish has been kitschy and in the zeitgeist since at least 2020, and a sardine girl summer feels a bit like well-trodden ground. Or it might just be my personal belief that with the help of social media, trends proliferate and die down so quickly that everything nowadays is a micro-trend and all micro-trends are occurring simultaneously.
But if we give Refinery29 and USA Today the benefit of the doubt, I have a more important question. What does sardine girl summer mean for a fashionable Jewish he, she and/or they?
As Stephanie Ganz explains in a 2021 essay for The Nosher entitled “Jews Loved Tinned Fish Way Before It Was Trendy,” preserved fish has always been culturally significant for the Jewish community because of its pareve status and affordability. So, in having a Jewish sardine girl summer, I think it’s of the utmost importance to lean into all the fish, tinned or otherwise, that are important to Jews. Focus not just on sardines but tuna, pickled herring, lox, fish heads, whitefish, gefilte fish and even caviar. Rep merchandise from Jewish delis, eateries and grocery stores with a fish counter. And, where you can, try to shop Jewish-owned businesses!
With all that in mind, I’ve curated a list of everything you need for a Jewish sardine girl summer. (Jewish-owned brands are noted.) Happy shopping and happy summer.
Everything we recommend below is independently selected by Hey Alma’s editors. If you buy a product through our links, Hey Alma may earn an affiliate commission, which goes to support our nonprofit media organization.
Co-founded by Becca Millstein and Caroline Goldfarb, both Jewish women, Fishwife is the trendiest tinned fish out there. You can buy from them as a one-off or subscribe!
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Fishwife and Jewish-owned fashion brand Susan Alexandra collabed to create this adorable necklace you absolutely need.
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Eat and sleep sardines with this breezy PJ set from Jewish designer Rachel Antonoff.
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No manicure, no problem. Lisa Says Gah and, who else, Fishwife collaborated on these very fishy nail art stickers.
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Don't be fooled by the chicken on the cover. Jewish chef Alison Roman is a "tiny fish evangelist," according to the New York Times, and this cookbook includes a recipe for Crushed Baby Potatoes with Sardines, Celery, and Dill.
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Opened in 1914 by Jewish immigrant Joel Russ, Russ & Daughters is a Jewish appetizing institution known for its fish. Carry a little piece of that history with you this sardine girl summer with this tote.
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While Russ' daughters were the Queens of Lake Sturgeon, Barney Greengrass was the Sturgeon King.
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This Zabar's tea towel (and the reminder of the store's delicious lox) could go in your kitchen or in your hair as a bandana.
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Pickled herring. What more is there to say?
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This vibrant, lightweight dress from designer Camilla Franks is perfect for a hot summer day. Plus, it has pockets!
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Poisson Pendant (Ariel Gordon)
This handmade charm is solid gold, literally and idiomatically. The poisson pendant comes from Jewish jewelry designer Ariel Gordon.
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Fishwife, we meet again. The tinned fish brand collaborated with Chacos to create this comfortable and bright sandals. Peep the mermaid on the outer strap and the fish on the inner strap!
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Elevate your Jewish sardine girl summer with some caviar...
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And come right back down to earth with gefilte fish.
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Don't worry, there are no sardines in this chocolate! They are merely chocolate molded to look like sardines. Carry on.
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Staud's beaded Staudine handbag may be what sparked the idea of a sardine girl summer and thus is the most coveted item of this trend.
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This teeny tiny tuna can charm will layer gorgeously with the poisson pendant.
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Not only are these hoops and charms very cute, they're also made from stainless steel. A win for the girlies who need hypoallergenic jewelry!
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This necklace says class. It says Mykonos. It says, I have a golden sardine around my neck and I don't care who knows it.
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This ceramic sardine can hold just about anything: jewelry, keys, wired earbuds... just don't store actual sardines in there.
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It's like a Mizrahi Rosh Hashanah seder in bag form.
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Stick these babies on your water bottle or laptop and spread the sardine girl summer cheer.
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Sardine girl summer is calling, they want you to know you'd look so good with this phone case.
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Let everyone know who the queen of the season is with this baseball hat.
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Tuna florals for sardine girl summer? Groundbreaking.
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