For many of us tie-dye will have specific, and possibly negative, associations with the ‘90s. It was a look that was prevalent in teen TV shows and regularly spotted on famous girl band members, and it exuded a certain sort of bohemian spirit that demanded accompanying ripped denim, eye-wateringly bright accessories and a general ‘too cool for school’ attitude. Well, like it or not, the trend has returned, with a plethora of tie-dye buys cropping up on the runways of Off-White, Dior, Stella McCartney and Proenza Schouler this season.
I would’ve never put myself down as a tie-dye type, but thanks to the unexpectedly chic stylings of brands such as COS, I have found myself slowly coming round to the idea. While I won’t be rocking the full throwback outfits, I have enjoyed styling tie-dye tees with polished staples, such as tailored trousers or minimalist summer dresses. In a similar way to denim, it brings the perfect casual counterpoint to tailoring or clean-lined pieces.
Available at all price points, this is a thoroughly democratic trend. Who What Wear’s Nell block recently purchased a blue iteration from M&S and is a big fan, meanwhile I have invested in one of COS’s navy tie dye T-shirts. Of course, if you’re more of a fashion extrovert, there are plenty of rainbow-coloured pieces around: Rodarte has plenty of feel-good pieces right now, as does Free People. I understand if this is one ’90s throwback too far, but all I would say is: Don’t know it until you’ve tried it. Scroll down to see and shop the coolest tie dye tops around this season.
