In the mid-sixties wearing tie-dye really meant something. We’re not sure we remember exactly what that something was, but Janis Joplin, John Sebastian, and The Grateful Dead led us all, singing and marching down the tie-dye trail.
Cut to: 1969, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. A role-playing, aspirational teenager sneaks past her mother, braless, proudly flashing a tie-dyed tank top that shouts “ I am a peacenik hippie wannabe and even though there’s a war on, I want to sing and dance and fly my freak flag! Memories of our youth die hard and even for those who love a DIY project, tie-dying is still fun. The magic reveal of what your creation has become when you remove the tightened rubber bands is no less exciting than a trip to the Woodstock Museum. Shibori, a Japanese method of dying with indigo is just another way to look at tie-dye and so is traditional batik dyeing. Creating your own flower or vegetable dyes is surprisingly simple but that old stand-by Tulip offers an easy to follow tutorial so don’t wait for the grandchildren to try this.
Today’s tie-dyes might be a little less political but they certainly evoke a sense-memory of fashion and fun. We don’t mind looking back and no one is telling us what to wear, so why not these colorful expressions of –can we say grooviness?
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