They say a trend comes and goes, but its influence can last a lifetime. That’s how we feel about tie-dye, the process of folding, twisting, tying, pleating and dyeing fabrics to get perfectly imperfect prints and patterns.
Most of us probably associate tie-dye with school science projects or afternoon activities to keep the kiddos entertained when school’s out for the summer, but this wabi-sabi technique is back in a big way. Part of what brought it to the modern day is the recent rise of what’s-old-is-new-again textiles like shibori-dyed fabrics found in home decor, as well as the increase in mud cloth prints in items such as pillows and rugs. You’ll also recognize the trend of blending and mixing colors everywhere from ombre, gradient wallpapers and balayage hair color to multicolor tortoise shell earrings and colorful acrylic accessories.
Modern tie-dye is much more muted and clean-lined than the Lisa Frank-looking styles of our childhood, but it’s still unique. A lot of today’s tie-dye is a twist (pun intended) on the manual Japanese method of “resist” dyeing with indigo dye to create patterns on fabric without coloring all of the material, so you’ll see lots of modern indigo tie-dye with geometric shapes, straight lines and in minimalist designs.
To give you a sense of all of the new-age tie-dye out there, we’ve rounded up some of our favorite modern tie-dye pieces, from jackets and dresses to swimwear. And, if you want more of our editor-sourced products and reviews, sign up for HuffPost’s sales and deals newsletter.
Take a look below:
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