Why Tie-dye Back To Fashion

During the second month of quarantine – as the now-familiar blend of boredom, anxiety and despair began to hit with each passing day – I suddenly had the unrelenting desire to buy a tie-dye sweatshirt. 

Though I couldn’t quite pinpoint exactly where this desire was coming from, I figured it might have something to do with the influx of tie-dye imagery flooding my social media feeds. Every time I scrolled through Instagram, I was inundated with ads for matching loungewear sets or pictures of a friend’s latest DIY tie-dye project. Rather than scoff, I found myself taking screenshots and mental notes of the looks, finding an odd sense of comfort in the colourful patterns. 

A week later, I was basically living in my blue tie-dye sweatshirt. It turns out I wasn’t alone – tie-dye is back in a major way, and experts say it’s part of a larger cyclical historical trend that shows Americans reach for the classic style during times of unrest. In other words, in times of turmoil, tie-dye thrives. 

While tie-dye was most prominent in the West during the counterculture movements of the 1960s and ’70s, Kayla Marci – market analyst at retail data analytics firm Edited – said current cultural unrest in many ways evokes this period in a way that lends itself to the resurgence of the trend. 

While tie-dye was most prominent in the West during the counterculture movements of the 1960s and ’70s, Kayla Marci – market analyst at retail data analytics firm Edited – said current cultural unrest in many ways evokes this period in a way that lends itself to the resurgence of the trend. 

Janis Joplin wears tie-dye on stage at Woodstock in 1969. Do people wear tie-dye more during troubled times?

Janis Joplin wears tie-dye on stage at Woodstock in 1969. Do people wear tie-dye more during troubled times?

“Nostalgic fashion can be used as a form of escapism as consumers face global issues including the pandemic, recession, and civil unrest,” Marci said. “In the ’70s, we saw a big shift in politics and culture – drawing parallels with the current climate. This has aided in the resurgence of some notable trends from this era, such as tie-dye.”

  Janis Joplin wears tie-dye on stage at Woodstock in 1969. Do people wear tie-dye more during troubled times?

Fashion brands have been quick to capitalise on the tie-dye boom, particularly in the athleisure and loungewear categories. In the past week alone, brands ranging from Everlane – which just debuted tie-dye masks – to Chico's have rolled out fresh colourful tie-dye styles, and Instagram continues to be laden with sponsored posts for matching tie-dye loungewear sets from online retailers like Lulu’s and Romwe.

“I think people are looking for a sense of freedom, and tie-dye prints represent this feeling,” said Kimberly Swarth, CEO of the athleisure brand Onezie. “Tie-dye prints bring back a feeling from revolutionary ‘hippy’ free-form periods in history. Through these magical prints, people can radiate those feelings.”

“From the runway to home decor, there is no doubt this is the must-have print for summer,” Cooper said. “Given the pandemic and consumers spending more time at home, the interest in nostalgic fashion has been popularised once again in comfortable clothing items.”

For more crafty homebound Americans, searches for tie-dye projects and kits have also been on the rise. Swasti Sarna, insights manager at Pinterest, said searches for “tie-dye techniques videos” have doubled in the past five weeks. 

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