Tie Dye Trial

 

Since I'm pretty much obsessed with bright colors and hippie fashions, it's kind of a surprise that I'm actually not a fan of tie dye...but I'm not! So how did I come to be wearing a tie-dyed top for my OOTD? Well, that's why I have a blog and not an Instagram: a long story!

Let's start this one somewhere from six to nine months ago, when I was first informed that tie-dye was a trend to watch out for. As with all purported "trends," I don't recall exactly when it started, because initially I felt (being rather unattracted to tie dye, after all) that I'd probably just pass it by. But also as with many trends, after some time, the frequent reporting on it by fashion publications got me to thinking: could I maybe, just maybe, find some room in my life for some tie-dye-dabbling?

The question was answered when I came across this tie-dye T-shirt at the thrift shop a couple weeks ago. At $1.99, it would have been a steal any day, but at 25% off, it was an even better bargain! If I were ever to take the plunge with a trend I wasn't certain of, I couldn't do better than at a price of only $1.50. And as far as tie dye goes, this particular shirt wasn't half bad.

I can't say I'd ever wondered at the reason I'm not into tie-dye, but if I were to do so, I would probably conclude that I don't appreciate the haphazardness inherent to the technique—the blotchy shapes, the murky, bleeding colors, the sometimes-overwhelming garishness of it all. This shirt, however, belied my preconceived notions. Its two analogous colors, purple and blue, were subdued and pale, and interspersed with almost more white space than actual color. If ever there was a tasteful tie dye, this was it!

I bought the shirt.

When I wore it, we had just experienced a heat spell that had put to the test even my capacious tolerance for high temperatures. After a week and a half of highs in the upper 80's to 90's, the heat finally broke with a series of thunderstorms that brought the thermometer down into the lower 70's.

This first cold day coincided with the first day of the annual Drupal GovCon conference, which worked in my favor, since I usually struggle to find outfits that accommodate both the excessively warm outdoor temperatures of summer in DC, and the (usually) excessively cold temperatures of a conference center. With it being chilly outside as well as in, it was much easier for me to pick an outfit!

I went with darker purple pants to reflect the purple in the top, and some similarly hued ballet flats (which turned out much redder in the picture!). Simple!  So simple it almost makes me wonder why I was so afraid of tie dye to begin with! Do I see another fashion obsession coming my way?

Nah, I think one trial run was enough for me.