Go fish! They're showing up on clothes, jewelry, bags and more

There’s something fishy going on in the fashion world this summer. From clothing to accessories, brands are taking a deep dive into fish motifs with inventory stocked to the gills — dresses, tops, jewelry, bags — emblazoned with piscine elements. Apparently consumers are hooked.

And it’s not for the first time, says Lisa Salzer, owner of Lulu Frost, a boutique jewelry and lifestyle store in Halesite, where vintage mechanical fish charms are in demand.

"It’s the biggest trend ever, and it’s two summers strong," Salzer explains. "I think it’s a cultural thing now. Every 'it' girl is wearing it. On the most simple level people like that fish are summery."

But she suggests that there may be more to it. "Fish symbolize abundance and plenty, and people think they’re good luck. And I think that they like the natural aspect of Mother Earth."

Likewise, Adam Glassman, Oprah Daily’s creative director, has taken note of the fish movement. "Omg, it is everywhere," he wrote in an email. "Food-inspired fashion is having a moment and we have been through lemons and cherries. Now tinned fish itself is a trend, and it makes sense that whimsical, playful escapist conversation pieces are in."

Adds Jessica Neises, senior fashion editor at Cosmopolitan and Seventeen, "It’s no surprise that we’re seeing an uptick in marine life motifs during the summer. The options are endless and make for a cheeky, summer-friendly way to style any look."

Indie designer Taylor Schlossberg, 34, of Brooklyn, who is the creator of the brand Schloss, took to traipsing about with actual fish lures attached to her vintage raffia bag and got noticed. "That was getting a lot of looks," she says, and it spawned a whole collection. In mid-July, similar styles from the line completely sold out at the Hampton Flea in Amagansett and later this month she’ll be stocking more at the event in Westhampton.

"I think people are having a fishy summer," she says, adding that fish adornments are no fluke. "They’re such timeless images and we live in such a tech-forward time, there is this yearning for classic symbols. These are pieces that you’ll love for summers to come." Perhaps even beyond summer: In September she’ll pop up at home and accessories store Bancroft Jones in Locust Valley.

For Glassman, aside from design, there are aspirational aspects from a travel standpoint to the fish fad. "We see so many people on social media enjoying themselves in the Mediterranean — strolling in Capri, on yachts, having a White Lotus holiday moment," he said. "This gives everyone an opportunity to be part of that."

Certainly Staud, a sought-after brand with an outpost in East Hampton, got that memo. It has produced many graphic fish-themed items — dresses, bags, tops — inspired by the spirit of an Italian coastal getaway and in collaboration with Da Adolfo, a beloved Positano beach club whose actual large red fish logo is replicated on many of the line’s items. Says Sarah Staudinger, co-founder and creative director of the company, "It’s about dressing for the days you want to remember."

Ready to take the plunge? Here are some ways to reel fish into your wardrobe:

If sardines are your bag ...

Beachy keen

Hooked on fish charms

The lure of the bag

A pin that will blow you away

Fish and clips

Chasing rainbows

Swim like a fish

Now ear this

Simply charming