A look from Young Fabulous & Broke. Image courtesy of Young Fabulous & Broke.
Tie Dye... Forever?
When it comes to some looks, the motto is 'never say die.'
Styles that are evergreen, or maybe never go away, are the prep look, the 1950s rockabilly look, the 1970s Stevie Nicks/ hippie witch style, and for this trend watcher, tie dye.
Reportedly first spotted at Grateful Dead shows in the mid- 1960s, tie dye may have had some outlaw cachet in the days of Timothy Leary. But it’s currently mainstream, said Barbara Fields, president of trend forecasters Barbara Fields Buying Office.
“It never goes away, you can always anticipate that something will pop-up with tie dye,” Fields said.
In April, Apparel News’ Alison Nieder blogged on a collaboration between golden oldie band Grateful Dead and hot streetwear brand The Hundreds.
But the look of that collab might be too retro. Tie dye has gone contemporary. Lisa Yoon of Los Angeles contemporary label Tina + Jo said. “When people think of tie dye, people think of bohemians,” Yoon said. What Tina + Jo does is a more contemporary take on tie dye. “ We try to stay away from too many colors,” she said. “It’s totally different from the typical tie dye look.”
Boutique retailer Planet Blue used some tie dye looks in its debut swim collection Blue Life Swim. Los Angeles label Young Fabulous & Broke, also is working in tie dye with its women’s and kid’s line. Take a look.
