I have a 12-year-old who loves colorful, trendy clothing. She’s usually pretty laid-back and is easy to shop for–she’ll wear anything sporty or girly. Lately, she’s been ordering cute, little outfits from this shop online and I’m slowly discovering her sense of style as she explores the different trends.
There’s this one trend she loves that caught my eye–tie-dye.
How She Wears It:
- Matching top and bottom
- Top knotted at the waist, off-center
- With sneakers
- Minimal accessories: barrette, delicate necklace, sports watch
As a teen growing up in the 80s, I am no stranger to tie-dye. Psychedelic patterns and ombre swirls of hyper color combinations enough to make you dizzy were proudly hung in my teenage closet. As I saw my tween wear a matching top and bottom combo of popsicle orange/red/pink tie-dye, my little teenage heart started getting excited. Can I still wear tie-dye? Something inside me burst in disbelief, “But you’re in your 40s?!!” My inner Cherie Gil piped in, “You’ll look like a trying hard copy-cat!”
I ignored the traitorous voices. This was a challenge I knew I had to take on. I know fashion, right?! I know my body, right?! I’m living in reality, right?! (Hmmm, this is still up for debate. We’ll see.)
So, on a whim, as I shopped for pajamas for the kiddos and browsed through the fashionable aisles of Greenhills tiangge, I found a tie-dye top that had the potential to make my 40-something flashback dreams a reality. It was a cotton branded overrun T-shirt hidden in a rack of one-off crop tops. It had one color dye–a rich, indigo color which was like denim and a pattern which reminded me of snakeskin. This was it.
I paid the masked saleslady a whopping Php100, or US$2.00. This can work. And if it doesn’t, 100 pesos still leaves me pretty guilt-free.
So, without further ado, here’s my easy take on wearing tie-dye.
How I Wore It:
- Simple pattern and monochromatic color
- The top was the right length. Just slightly below the waistline. (Very forgiving to mom bulges). Tip: a simply folded sleeve can instantly stylize an awkward sleeve-length. Make it permanent with a quick running stitch on the outer and inner folds.
- Wore with neutral wedges.
- Matched with flared white denim pants for a dressier option to blue jeans. The silhouette of the pants and heels also made me look taller than 5’1″
- Dramatic accessories: can dress an outfit up or down. In this case, since tie-dye was already very casual, I went for drama. Choosing chunky accessories with a mix of gold, pewter, and leather textures, I wanted to pump up the already fun, hippy vibe (tie-dye/flared pants) with a bit more punk and edge to add more interest. But still kept it totally wearable.
- Other options: Wear with a white blazer, gold hoops, metallic bangles/rings, chain strap sling pochette, and stilettos (for after-office parties/events post-pandemic, of course). Dress down: Linen shorts, delicate sandals, slouchy rattan tote, and printed headwrap and sunnies (for summer/travel plans 2021.)
As with any trend, it is possible for women of all ages to incorporate tie-dye (in small doses) into their wardrobes. Just don’t go overboard (leave that to the kids). And lastly, don’t be afraid to try something new, you just might discover your next favorite outfit. Take that, Cherie Gil (just kidding…we love you, you’re awesome Cherie!).
What do you think? Should a 40-plus-year-old try tie-dye?
