Why tie-dye is trending: DIY craft project, lockdown leisurewear, a staple in times of social upheaval
- Instagram is full of DIY tie-dye projects, how-to videos and adverts for tie-dye leisure outfits, and fashion brands are catching on
- Some experts believe tie-dye is popular during times of social unrest, others think it’s more to do with the lockdown
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.
“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.”
