Trend Alert: Tie-Dye Everything

Whether you’re diy-ing or scouring the internet for pieces, tie-dye is the it print of the season, but how do you wear it?

From lounge sets to dresses to bathing suits, we’re seeing tie-dye on everything this summer (and I mean everything…I recently bought a tie-dye towel). The trend isn’t new. In fact, I first wrote about it as a trend to try last summer, but Covid has seemingly made tie-dye pieces even more popular – perhaps because of its DIY nature during all of our extra time at home (how many tie-dye kits have you purchased so far?).

But as much as I love a trend, the key to making a trend work is incorporating it in a way that compliments your own personal style. After all, with a million varieties available and so many ways to go (dangerously) wrong (I’ve been steering clear of pieces that will render me an awkward tween or woodstock misfit), I’ve been sticking to a few rules to keep my tie-dye looks modern and sophisticated:

Opt for tonal (e.g. shades of blue) or muted tie-dye pieces (the bold and bright multicolor tie-dye is just a little too juvenile or “groovy” for most to pull-off);
Go for a full tie-dye look with a matching set or dress (less room for making mistakes while pairing pieces and instantly makes a statement); and
Look for pieces in silhouettes that you know work for you (no, this not the moment to try out a crop-top when you’ve never successfully worn one in a solid color).

During a recent trip to the shore, I wore my favorite recent tie-dye purchase, a blue tonal tie-dye maxi slip dress from Forever21 (perfect with a pair of sneakers for a casual look, flat sandals for a vacay look or heels for something more dressed up) that I paired with layers of gold bracelets and bangles, thick medium gold hoops from Lili Claspe and my go to summer sandals – a pair of bone colored cross-over slides from Seychelles that I literally cannot stop wearing.