The Tie Dye Trend: How to Style It and Outfit Ideas

At Trendy and Tipsy®, we’ve always loved the joyous, artisanal look of tie dye. Now, it seems the world is catching up! Everywhere you look, you’ll see the tie dye trend’s colorful spirals, sunbursts, stripes, bullseyes and galaxies in psychedelic hues. The look is both striking and playful. An ancient art form, tie dye burst into the American consciousness with a riot of color at Woodstock. It quickly became the unofficial “uniform” of hippies and the counterculture. Today, people are embracing the untamable colors and patterns as a way to take a stand against COVID-19 and all of the calamities of 2020. 

Whether you plan to grab a few bottles of RIT Dye and bleach to DIY fashion fun, or you want to dive right into our tie-dyed collection, the only limit is your imagination. Read on for our favorite tie dye outfit ideas. And when you post your faves to Instagram, be sure to #TrendyandTipsy — we love seeing how you style tie dye!

Cute or Edgy? Pick Your Passion!

The tie dye trend is closely associated with the 1960’s, flower power and hippies preaching peace and love. Pastel shades and bright colors swirl together, combining to form a cheery, playful vibe. But the ‘60s were also a time of overt rebellion, rock and roll and popular insurrection. While classic tie dye adds bright colors to white fabric, bleach can be used to strip color from dark fabrics, for an intensely edgy look and feel. Play with the different options to express yourself, from soft, neutral shades to pastels and bright colors. For a darker, moodier impression, rock the bleach tie dye look.

Start Simple

If you’re new to the tie dye trend and just want to dabble a bit in the splashy colors, start simple. Top a pair of well-ripped jeans or vintage denim shorts with a classic, tie dye tee. Go bold, with a Spiral Pocket Tee in charcoal or pink; or keep it understated with a Tammy Tee tie dyed in taupe. Treat the tie dye as you would any colorful, abstract pattern. A pair of white sneakers is a simple way to ground a look that features a wild print. Choose your jewelry to coordinate with the dominant color in the print. A delicate necklace can be easily lost in the jazzy print, so focus on a playful set of earrings, instead.

Loving the Loungewear

Hand-colored loungewear is another great way to ease into the free-spirited tie dye trend for 2020. Our super soft tees,  jumpers, shorts and joggers keep you comfy cozy while the hand dying and bleaching keeps you looking fashion fierce! You’ll love the sassy tees and jumpers that combine graphics like the dancing skeleton with her quarantini held high or Chill 4 Life with moody tie dye patterns. And matching loungewear sets are a great, low-key way to try the head-to-toe tie dye look. A set also provides fun ways to mix and match with the rest of your wardrobe. The khaki and cream In the Clouds set is perfect for Netflix and chill. Or wear the top with a pair of skinny jeans and ankle boots for a busy day on the go. Dress it up with a simple gold chain necklace, or the sweet nostalgia of a puka shell necklace.

Elevate the Look

Don’t restrict your tie dye outfit ideas to casual wear.  Although tie dye has traditionally been considered a casual treatment, the look is evolving and can be dressed up or down with ease. It’s all a matter of the accessories you choose. For instance, the Sammy Tie Dye dress can go casual with a pair of flip flops or white platform sneakers. Add a pair of white-framed sunnies to top off a casual look perfect for summer. Change the look entirely and dress it up with a pair of black, strappy heels and a chic, black blazer.  Accessorize with a gold necklace and earrings for an elegant evening look. Pair tie dye skirts, tees, jumpers, hoodies, pants, jumpsuits and more with dressy separates and accessories to elevate the look.

Mixing Prints

Don’t be afraid to mix prints! Just as you can mix floral prints with stripes, two different plaids or animal prints with geometrics with care, the same goes for the tie dye trend. An easy way to do this is to pair bright colors with other brights, pastels with pastels and find a common color to tie them together. The Barbados Scarf Top features multicolored stripes, including a brick tone. It pairs perfectly with the tie dyed Desert Duster. Complete the look with ripped denim shorts or jeans, it’s also a great look with white, wide leg pants. Or top a pair of charcoal and cream striped bell bottom pants with our Vote Beer cropped tee hand dyed in similar colors. Bleached tie dye colors are a natural to pail with leopard and cheetah animal prints. Walk on the wild side and pair our oversized bleach tee with a repurposed black denim skirt and a kickass pair of thigh-high cheetah print boots.

These are just a few of our favorite tie dye outfit ideas. The most important “rule” for how to style tie dye is to have fun with the look! Be sure to follow us on Instagram and TikTok to see more of our ideas. And be sure to tag us when you strut your stuff — you trendy babes are the reason and the inspiration for everything we do.