Growing up in the hippy epicenter of Berkeley, Calif., I have family members with entire wardrobes composed of colorful tie dye. I used to think their flower child rainbow swirls were hideous throwbacks of a fad better left in the past, but recently I’ve started to think otherwise.
I’m Olivia Cueva with a commentary for Youth Radio.
Tie-dye was seen on the runway at New York Fashion Week this year. But this new look introduced the concept of a bright color gradually fading into its more subdued shade. They call it Ombre and it’s definitely more glamorous than your typical Grateful Dead T-shirt. Some of my friends have even bought into the trend, but it’s not cheap. I recently searched the Nordstrom website and found that most ombre clothes sell for $200 or more.
This new design made me realize how cool the good old do-it-yourself tie-dye really is. It’s fun, and it’s free, and it’s in my blood. My friends are even throwing BBQs where we hand-dip our own colorful creations, bringing tie-dye of the 1960’s from far out, to hella tight.
