The tie dye trend is back this summer

Tie dye is nothing new — the practice has been around from as early as 4000 BC — but it has now become something embraced by luxury "it" brands like Art Dealer and Faithfull The Brand, rather than just associated with the spirit of free love and social liberation.

According to Pinterest, searches for tie-dye at home have increased 462 per cent in the past few weeks as people attempt to simultaneously fend off boredom and inject a little colour into your lockdown wardrobe.

The popularity of the trend might be prompted by nostalgia for simpler times, but it could just as well be because the thought of wearing psychedelic swirls of bright colours is too good to resist. If it’s good enough for Bella Hadid and Victoria Beckham, who are we to argue? 

A lady wearing a tie and dye shirt. 

The print, which has ebbed and flowed in popularity over the years, also dominated the spring/summer 2020 catwalks, infiltrating the collections of Dior, Alberta Ferretti, Oscar de la Renta and Fyodor Golan.

And so it wasn’t long before tie-dye arrived on the high street too with retailers such as H&M, Topshop and & Other Stories giving the mind-bending print a modern update for the new season.

Surfer girl T-shirts are perhaps the most obvious and accessible choice, but this summer the famously hippy print has also found itself on floaty feminine silhouettes, A-line skirts and luxury fabrics such as satin, further securing its spot on the fashion menu. 

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And the trend doesn’t just stop at clothes, with everything from hats and shoes to bags and hair scrunchies being given the psychedelic treatment.

While you might consider tie-dye to sit firmly on the casual side of styling, there are a multitude of ways you can wear it to make it feel more elevated, depending on the look you’re going for.

For a more elegant take on the trend, style a satin tie-dye midi dress with an oversized linen shirt and pair of barely-there sandals. Or if you’re heading for a socially distanced picnic in the park, keep it classic and casual by teaming a baggy tie-dye tee with blue-wash denim shorts and chunky trainers.

Whatever your style, tie-dye is a symbol of individuality and creative expression, so go forth and scroll through your favourite fashion websites — we implore you to do so without filling your basket with a host of hallucinatory pieces.

The Independent