As soon as you bring up spring trends, you’re inevitably met with: “Florals? For spring? Groundbreaking.” The quote is iconic for a reason, and not just because of Meryl Streep’s iconic delivery. Florals are pretty much always featured in spring/summer collections. And yes, they’re great. But sometimes your wardrobe needs a little something else. It seems designers have, too, been feeling the floral fatigue, and have started introducing a print that’s a little more unexpected—and a lot more nostalgic.
Tie-dye occupies a very specific space in the “throwback trend” conversation: Like pearl hairpins and prairie dresses, it brings shoppers back to simpler times—summer camp, arts and crafts, pure unadulterated fun. And sometimes, dressing like you did in your happiest memories can feel comforting. This runway resurgence looks a lot different than how you might remember the dye jobs from grade school, though.
For both Spring and Fall 2019, designers at Fashion Week have translated this print onto puffer jackets (at Maryam Nassir Zadeh), mini skirts (Area), leggings (Collina Strada), turtlenecks (Proenza Schouler), and denim (Eckhaus Latta)—a bold graphic to stand out against basics like black skirts and T-shirts. Influencers have taken that cue and started incorporating tie-dye into their street-style outfits, layering colorful tops under suits or doubling up on the pattern with a tie-dye sweatshirt and skirt. More affordable brands, like Topshop and Free People, have also started releasing their own takes on this childhood staple. And with celebrities like Beyoncé, Miley Cyrus, and Selena Gomez embracing its comeback, tie-dye might be the spring trend that dethrones pastels—this year, at least.
Shop the best 20 tie-dye pieces to add to your spring wardrobe now, below.
