History

When did it become popular & why?

While the earliest traces of tie-dye date back to 500 A.D. and has been around different parts of the world for some time, it didn’t make its debut in the United States until 1909. However, it wasn’t until the 1960’s when rock stars such as Janis Joplin and John Sebastian took the tie-dye trend mainstream. In a documentary featuring amateur film footage of a 1964 cross-country bus trip of Ken Kesey and his crew called Magic Trip, it shows them developing a form of tie-dye after taking LSD. The technique they used was not the best for the environment since they poured enamel-based model airplane paint into a pond and then placed a shirt over top of it. The crew takes credit for inventing modern “psychedelic tie-dying.”

However, tie-dye also got popular when Rit introduced affordable dye, offering a cheap way to customize clothing items. Rit is still popular today when tie-dying along several other brands.

Where did it originate?

Tie-dye first originated in India using a method called Bandhani which involves tying small pints of thread and dip-dying, resulting in designs featuring small dots. However Japan and Africa both have been tie-dying since at least the sixth century. Japan used indigo to tie-dye garments which were usually silk. Africa has many different styles due to the wide array of culture in the country. In West Africa, you will find tie dye with Ashanti, Akan, or Adinkra symbols which all have significant meanings.