I never thought it would happen to me. I mean, I’ve read about it in books and stuff and have seen it in movies, but such a passionate summer romance never really crossed my mind as an actual, viable option for me. Maybe for someone much dreamier than I, someone whose pensive eyes and chiseled jaw melts hearts only to stiffen them right back up again, but for me? Please. I’ve got about as much potential for romance in me as an elephant has potential to own a walnut plantation. That is to say, “probably none”, but you never know…
My unconventional love and I met in the spring of last year. Exhausted from finals and very ready for some change, I found myself meandering through Gateway mall with a swelling appetite for alternative fashions. I made my way to Bastille, Utah’s sartorially refined Mecca for trendy youths. With another location at Fashion Place Mall, Bastille offers a crisp selection of styles that are blatantly looked-over at nearby department stores. With Marc by Marc Jacobs, T by Alexander Wang, and G-Star Raw as just a few of the sleek labels available for purchase, what better setting is there to unwittingly meet the love of my life?
Casually scanning the racks, nothing seemed to really pop out at me. As indispensable as Bastille is as the reigning champion of SLC cool, the dark colors and minimalist silhouettes are a much better fit for someone else. I’m more drawn to color, texture and expression. Picking through their selection left me feeling like the weird art kid in middle school. Before A-lining it out of the store, I thought I would shuffle to the back of the store and check out the sale section. Maybe something would speak to me there.
Before I had time to process what I was doing, I was rushing to the register with a primary-colored tie-dye shirt by Band of Outsiders. The short-sleeve button-up had a base of smiley-face yellow with the torso overtaken by a thick ring of royal blue and a personal-pizza-sized circle of firetruck red hitting where the side of my ribcage would eventually rest. The tailored fit of the shirt kept it fresh and crisp, resulting in a shirt that more or less says “flower child turned businessman out to lunch while on vacation in L.A.”
It.
Was.
Incredible.
Thus, my love affair with tie-dye began. Since that fateful day I have accumulated no fewer than 15 articles of clothing emblazoned with the experimental washing procedure. Stores like Unhinged and Urban Outfitters have a decent supply of tie-dye and acid-wash garments year-round and have been responsible for many of the 70’s hippy and 80’s punk-inspired purchases in my closet, but I have been surprised to find options available at even Nordstrom and J. Crew, proving the surprising versatility of this pattern.
The bulk of my tie-dye, however, has been produced by me during various bouts of creative explosion. DIYing tie-dye is a lot easier than you might expect, and with the Internet at your fingertips, finding a decent tutorial is as easy as could be.
Channel your inner beatnik and let the tie-dye overwhelm you!
@TheChrony