If a Mediterranean vacation isn’t in the cards this summer, a tin of sardines might be the next best thing.

The internet’s most unlikely obsession has turned the humble canned fish into a full-on lifestyle trend. Sardines – once relegated to the back of the pantry next to the emergency beans – have somehow become stylish, snackable and surprisingly giftable.

It started quietly online, but now it’s everywhere: in fashion drops, merch aisles and, naturally, Times Square. One TikToker even dubbed the saltwater snack as the “new pumpkin spice,” which doesn’t conjure up the greatest visual but is weirdly accurate.

The briny revival has taken over social feeds and national news with people showing off their homeware hauls, building creative charcuterie boards and posting recipes that make the oily little guys more palatable.

A tin of sardines can be gussied up with a few ingredients or eaten over the sink with a fork. No judgment. Still on trend. Some fans are even taking their devotion to the next level, getting sardine tattoos – tiny tributes to what can only be described as a lifelong commitment to fish-forward living.

@mommashive Sardine summer haul✨🐟 #mommashive #tjmaxx #tjmaxxfinds #tjmaxxhaul #tjmaxxshopping #shopwithme #marshalls #marshallsfinds #marshallshaul #sardine #sardinedecore #coastaldecor @TJ Maxx @Marshalls @HomeGoods ♬ original sound – Mommashive

But sardine-core isn’t about loving seafood; it’s about capitalizing on a unique marketing moment. With airfare costing more than rent and restaurant meals feeling like luxury items, a $5 can of fish with good design checks the box. Sardines offer escapism in a tin – quirky without being cringe, fancy without being fussy, a trip to the Amalfi coast from the comfort of your couch. And merchandisers are reeling in the big bucks.


Fashion house Staud clearly got the memo. The $295 “Staudine” bag, a beaded clutch shaped like a sardine tin, sold out almost immediately after going viral.

@rara.sawan My new love 😭 I am obsessed with the new Staud collection but this has been on my list for sooooo long! Such a beautiful spring/summer bag! Can’t wait to wear her out🩷🩵🎏🐟 @STAUD which one should I get next? I’m thinking the tomato one🍅🙈 #staudbag #staudines #springbag ♬ original sound – Real Housewife of Riyadh

Tinned fish brands aren’t missing out on the chance to benefit from the trend. The U.S.-based darling of the tinned fish, Fishwife, has turned its sardines into a full lifestyle experience. Think embroidered sweatshirts, branded cookbooks, colorful hats, sandals and even a collab with footwear brand Chaco for a fish-themed sandal.

“Everything about tinned fish is aspirational, from its stunning visual appeal, both inside and out, to the simple elegance of enjoying it,” says Becca Millstein, co-founder and CEO of Fishwife. “Not all objects can communicate so much so quickly, but the sardine tin does it incredibly well.”

And the pièce de résistance? New York’s Fantastic World of the Portuguese Sardine, right in the middle of Times Square. It’s less of a store and more shrine: two stories of tinned treasures, each organized by birth year (1916 to present), wrapped in ornate foil and stacked to the ceiling. The tins range from $12 to $387 depending on the packaging (and whether it contains actual gold flakes). The best part? It’s not a pop-up. The company signed a 10-year lease.

Canned culture stands out by being unapologetically weird. It’s clever. It’s comforting. It’s ridiculous. Sardines aren’t trying to be cool. It’s the same salty little fish in the same tiny tin it’s always been. But now, somehow, it’s in.

Sardine-core isn’t really about the fish – it’s about finding magic in the mundane and turning it into merch that moves.