Fishing influenced clothes are being spotted on men far removed from creeks and ponds.
Illustration: Victoria Tentler-Krylov
DON’T YOU WISH you were fishing right now? Picture it: You’re outdoors. A breeze flits over the water. You hear a bird, perhaps a cardinal (chirp!). Maybe you catch a fish, maybe you don’t. Who cares? You’re alone.
The solitary bliss of fishing has made it more appealing during the pandemic, but in a stars-aligning coincidence, the pastime was already well on its way to becoming cool before any of us had heard the term “social distancing.”
Fishing-related clothes have been streaming into fashion collections and stores at a steady pace over the past few years. The pocket-packed fishing vest—rendered by brands ranging from Asos to Gucci—remains the trendiest piece of angler gear, but the fishfluence extends beyond that staple. Streetwear stalwart Stussy peddles a disc-brimmed boonie hat with slots for fishing flies; 18 East, a rising New York label, sells a $485 wool “fishing parka” and a pair of cotton wading overalls, neither of which repels water adequately enough to hold up in an actual creek. On its website, Urban Outfitters styles a mesh-lined Columbia fishing shirt over a blue hoodie. And boutiques nationwide carry South2 West8, a Japanese label that is to fishing what “Jordan” is to basketball. It offers cropped wading jackets and cheese-cloth-like mesh vests, ostensibly for keeping bugs at bay.
Fishing is just the latest outdoor pursuit mined for its fashion potential. We’ve seen Gucci hiking boots, a climbing carabiner-topped water bottle from Prada and a mountain of pricey designer fanny packs. Fishing is “another language that [brands] can delve into,” explained Corey Rubin, 29, a designer in New York City who actually spends most weekends fly fishing in creeks in the Catskills. (There’s a robust cross section of people who work in New York’s fashion industry and fishermen.)
Mr. Rubin has watched the flow of fishing into fashion with some amusement, especially because he tries to keep his own setup as simple as possible, eschewing bulky vests. “I want to be able to fit everything into a waist pack,” he said.
“ The functional nature of this clothing can indeed serve urbanites well. A nine-pocket vest means you’ll never be without a place to park whatever you need to carry. ”
But others revel in building an exhaustive fishing wardrobe, collecting every possible shell and wearable contraption. “I almost want to say I got into fishing for the gear, but then fell in love with doing it,” admitted Mac Huelster, 37, a fashion stylist in New York. He spoke to me from his house upstate, conveniently located beside a pond where he regularly fishes.
On our call, Mr. Huelster itemized the clothing he wears inside the water and out, including a long-brim Filson cap, Patagonia swim trunks and a cropped water jacket from South2 West8. He doesn’t restrict this gear to pond life. “The function really works for city life, whether it’s a vest with all the pockets or a lightweight sun shirt.”
The functional nature of this clothing can indeed serve urbanites well. A nine-pocket vest means you’ll never be without a place to park whatever you need to carry; a jacket you could theoretically swim in can guard you against a city squall; and a hat that deflects the sun for five hours as you command the creek will do the same as you wander through town.
The earthiness of fishing clothes contrasts nicely with our digitally focused lives. “Fishing is reconnection with nature. Fishing is about self sustainability within nature,” said Oliver Mak, the co-owner of Bodega, a boutique in Boston that carries angling-appropriate clothes from brands like South2 West8, Sasquatchfabrix and Snowpeak.
The escapist fantasy embodied by these clothes has become more appealing during the pandemic, when even a trip to the grocery store is met with dread. As you push a cart down the cereal aisle surrounded by mask-wearers, you can imagine instead—if encased in the right vest—that you’re catching your dinner in heavenly solitude.
WORK THE ANGLES / Pieces even non-fishermen can appreciate
Hat, $50, stussy.com
Jacket, $745, nepenthesny.com
Sling Pack, $89, orvis.com
The Wall Street Journal is not compensated by retailers listed in its articles as outlets for products. Listed retailers frequently are not the sole retail outlets.
Write to Jacob Gallagher at Jacob.Gallagher@wsj.com
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