Are Tie-Dye T Shirts a Dyeing Breed?

Once the vibrant uniform of peace-loving rebels, drum-circle dwellers, and summer camp counselors everywhere, the tie-dye t-shirt is now slowly swirling its way into the annals of fashion history — one fading spiral at a time. These psychedelic relics, once proudly sported by anyone with a gallon of Rit dye and a rebellious spirit, are now facing extinction in the wild (and in department stores).


You see, tie-dye shirts are a dyeing breed. Not just because of shifting fashion trends, but because their natural habitat — the backyards of overenthusiastic DIYers — is being overtaken by minimalist aesthetics and monochrome influencers. Kids today are more likely to iron their shirts than twist, rubber-band, and plunge them into buckets of liquid rainbow. A tragedy, really.


Gone are the days when a poorly tied tee with suspicious splotches was a badge of artistic courage. Now, it's all sleek, muted tones with names like "bone," "sand," and "fog." (All of which are just fancy ways of saying "beige.")


So pour one out for the tie-dye shirt. Or better yet, toss on your brightest spiral, crank up the Grateful Dead, and go out in groovy style. Just don't be surprised if someone asks if you're wearing it ironically.


Because, like lava lamps and cassette tapes, tie-dye isn't dead… It's just taking a really colorful nap.


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Phil Shapiro, pshapiro@his.com
https://pairsmathgame.com
https://philshapirochatgptexplorations.blogspot.com/
https://bsky.app/profile/philshapiro.bsky.social

He/Him/His

"Wisdom begins with wonder." - Socrates
"Learning happens thru gentleness."
"We must reinvent a future free of blinders so that we can choose from real options."  David Suzuki

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