I Didn’t Really Understand the Tie-Dye Trend…Until I Wore It for a Week Straight

I started off small, with a classic T-shirt. I skipped the rainbow swirls (the summer camp vibes were just too strong) in favor of Reformation’s sorbet-hued version with a more haphazard pattern. White jeans, pastel comfortable sneakers and a matching mini bag felt just simple enough to let the bright dye shine for an errand-packed Saturday (farmers’ markets, dry cleaning and shopping for wedding guest dresses, oh my!).

Final thoughts: I got more than a few compliments on this cutie, and by the end of the day, it felt no different from any other patterned top. Maybe this isn’t as stigmatizing a trend after all.

Get the look: MVMT sunglasses ($75); Reformation T-shirt ($38); Warp + Weft jeans ($98); Topshop bag ($40); New Balance sneakers ($120)

After test-driving a safe version of the trend, I took a sharp turn and grabbed one of the most atypical pieces from the bunch: a pair of vertically dyed cargo shorts from Ganni. Maybe, I thought, an unexpected take on the print would feel less like tie-dye at all and instead feel more like a regular stripe, something I’m comfortable wearing on the daily.

Final thoughts: Perhaps it was the bright colors or the fact that everything else I wore was black or gray, but I felt like these shorts stood out like a sore thumb for an afternoon hanging in Central Park. Although I did receive a “cool shorts!” shout-out from a drive-by cyclist, I was more than ready to change into something a bit more subtle by the end of the day.

Get the look: Shwood sunglasses ($149); Old Navy jacket ($45); Austin Motel T-shirt ($30); Ganni shorts ($295); Teva sandals ($50)

What better way to combat an aggressive tie-dye experience than with two printed pieces…the very next day? In the same way florals can easily be worn together, tie-dye looks pretty damn great with more tie-dye. That rings especially true when you pair Beat Back Rags’ take on the classic swirl (you know the one) with a more abstract interpretation of the trend, via a Topshop skirt. The mix of classic and edgy—plus the unexpected color scheme of pale purple and green—meant that even though I was doubling up, there was no way I was going to be confused for an extra in a local production of Hair.

Final thoughts: This outfit garnered more compliments than any other for the entire week. It felt equal parts dressed up enough for work and casual-cool, and I didn’t feel overdressed when I ran from the office to dinner with a friend. The muted colors felt much more approachable than the vivid hues of the day before. I didn’t know it at the time, but this became my favorite look of the week.

Get the look: Old Navy jacket ($45); Back Beat Rags T-shirt ($48); Topshop skirt ($75); Brahmin bag ($245); Report heels ($70)

Dip-dye doesn’t need to take the form of colorful splotches, swirls or wavy stripes. In fact, it can look rather chic and intentional, as was the case with Tome’s two-tone silk blouse with a subdued tie-dye effect cutting right through the middle. 

Final thoughts: I will admit it felt a bit like cheating, as I was wearing a shirt that had only the smallest hint of the trend. But everyone referred to it as a tie-dye top, proving that a little goes a long way here. And, because you only need a hint, it means tie-dye can be made to work for almost any scenario. Case in point? My sister, who’s a lawyer, said she’d happily wear this blouse to her office without hesitation. (Meanwhile I rocked this gorgeous top all the way from morning coffee with a colleague to evening cocktails.)

Get the look: Carrera sunglasses ($65); Tome shirt ($395); American Eagle Outfitters jeans ($40); Brahmin bag ($335); Via Spiga heels ($165)

Just because you’re going to go small doesn’t mean you can’t make a big impact. A conservative black suit and simple white kicks provided the best backdrop for this amazing tie-dye handbag.

Final thoughts: This turned out to be another example of how something that feels pretty simple at first, can turn out to be absolutely fabulous. I wanted something that wouldn’t feel too aggressive for an evening at the ballet (a belated birthday present from my boyfriend) so I went with this sleek Amelie Pichard bag. It’s rather plain in design and features only two colors (pink and white), but hot damn, it was a huge hit. Multiple coworkers asked where this beauty was from and more than a few friends immediately DM’d me to ask if they could borrow it.

Get the look: Nike sunglasses ($149); Alternative Apparel T-shirt ($24); ASOS blazer ($48) and pants ($40); Amelie Pichard bag ($610); Vans sneakers ($65)

At this point I felt pretty confident that tie-dye does not automatically qualify me to become a Grateful Dead groupie. And while I was definitely getting the hang of wearing it to work or in a casual setting, I wasn’t sure if it would ever feel sexy enough for a Friday-night date or hitting up bars with my girlfriends. The short answer is: Of course it could.

Final thoughts: In the same way that stripes can be made to feel nautical, Parisian, edgy or mod, depending on how you style them, the same is true for tie-dye. It isn’t so much about the vibe of the pattern itself but in how you choose to wear it. If easy T-shirts and flowing skirts aren’t your vibe but you still want to rock one of the biggest prints of the summer, you really, really can. (It might even make a flirty minidress feel a bit less overtly sexy and a bit more wearable, as it did for me.)

Get the look: Quay Australia x Benefit sunglasses ($55); Glamorous earrings ($8 for set of two ); Zara jacket old, similar from Tibi ($850); Reformation dress ($198); River Island heels old, similar from M.Gemi ($248)

For the final day of my sartorial experiment it was time to break out the Rhode dress I was most intimidated by. Rainbow tie-dye in a billowy silhouette, reminiscent of an abbreviated prairie dress? That’s a combination I would have literally run away from, prior to this week.

Final thoughts: Turns out even a stereotypical multi-colored hippie version of tie-dye can look modern. All you need to do is add shoes with a little bling, a waist-defining belt and a pair of classically cool sunnies, and you’ll feel infinitely more like a 2019 fashionista. (Especially when you show up at your friend’s bridal shower and get peppered with questions about where your super chic dress is from.)

Get the look: Shwood sunglasses ($149); Rhode dress ($395); vintage belt, similar from Madewell ($45); ASOS sandals old, similar from Mystique ($189)

The final takeaway: Who would’ve guessed that by the end of this week, my favorite look would be the only one in which I wore multiple versions of the trend, all at once? Or that tiny taste of the trend in the form of a simple pink handbag would cause such a stir? It only took a week of forced outfit ideas, but I’m now fully on board with the trendiest print of the summer. I’m particularly excited to start embracing tie-dye as a sort of neutral print, akin to basic stripes.

To be honest, it still does seem a bit like a fleeting moment, one that will feel dated all over again sometime soon. Surely this isn’t something I plan to invest too much money in or wardrobe space to. But catch me this summer and there’s a good chance I’ll be sporting an easy tie-dye T-shirt or flirty sundress while I can.

Now, on to figuring out how to make cargo pants feel cool again. (Wish me luck…)