Sardine summer? This is what the TikTok fishy fun trend is all about

The humble sardine is making a splash this summer taking over the internet as the latest aesthetic decorating clothing, jewelry, home décor and more. ‘Sardine girl’ began trending earlier this spring but this past month references to sardines in general has been taking off.

So what is behind the trend? Is it just the latest fashion for the sunny days of summer? Or is there something deeper behind the sea-themed style?

Sardine summer: What the TikTok fishy fun trend is all about

The sardine is a mainstay of the Mediterranean lifestyle, grilled at chiringuitos, beach bars, along the coast in the summer or sold in colorful tins year-round. The little fish with its long body and bulging eyes are a very common motif on tablecloths, kitchen towels, and other home decor in Portugal, but is not exclusive to there, found as well as in Spain, France and the rest of Europe.

Nobody really knows the exact origin of the sardine summer trend. The impetus of the sardinecore could simply be due to the bright colors of the vintage tins or a desire to use the Mediterranean aesthetic. However, some think that it may have something to due with the economics of the times in which we are living.

American households have been dealing with rising costs and the sardine represents an affordable and healthy snack. Guido Bonsaver, professor of Italian Cultural History at the University of Oxford in England explained to USA TODAY that this speaks “less to an ethos of luxury, and more so to one of unpresuming.” Furthermore, “the colorful tin gives unadorned ‘artistic sophistication,’” he explained.

While at the same time with a potential recession looming, the “very humble fish” arouses a desire to embrace thriftiness “and be happy with it,” says Bonsaver and “not take it as a failure.”

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