In the '60s, Americans who served in the Peace Corps in Africa learned tie-dye from the natives and brought it back home



In the '60s, Americans who served in the Peace Corps in Africa learned tie-dye and brought it back home.

In the '60s, Americans who served in the Peace Corps in Africa learned tie-dye from the natives and brought it back home

Shades of a '60s look

Ombre is a toned-down hippie style

By JENNIFER PARKS, EDMONTON SUN

Caption: Young ladies untieing tie-dye fabric at Women's Skills Center, Dakar, Senegal. Photo: David Harsh

Tie-dye is back but it's not the psychedelic, hippie look your parents sported at Woodstock.

This time it's a toned-down version of the bohemian '60s style, called ombre.

Colours gradually fade into each other, creating a dreamy, ethereal look that lacks the trippiness of its flower-power counterpart.

The recycled fashion was spotted on foreign runways last month during Hong Kong Fashion Week.

It has been worn closer to home by celebrities like singer-actress Faith Hill.

The style is also showing up in local shops like Polly Magoo's, 10818 82 Ave., which imports clothing from all over Asia and parts of Africa.

My favourite picks from this exotic culture emporium are a hand-embroidered ombre shirt ($49) by Sumita, a woman in New Delhi, India, who exports clothing produced by her family; and a jingly gypsy skirt ($48) that was brought over from Thailand and has tiny reflective discs and bells embroidered into its vibrant pattern.

Traditional tie-dye is a technique that involves tying or binding certain areas of fabric so they resist colour when dipped in a dye bath.

This can be repeated as many times as desired to create a rainbow of colour, or, as with ombre, only subtle, muted shades.

Tie-dye was once known as "Shibori," a Japanese word that refers to a variety of dye-resisting techniques, which have been used by different cultures for more than 5,000 years.

In the '60s, Americans who served in the Peace Corps in Africa learned tie-dye from the natives and brought it back home.

The look was soon incorporated by such pop-culture icons as the Grateful Dead and Neil Young, and became a universal symbol of peace (and protest), freedom and individuality for the masses.

If you wait long enough, everything old becomes new again.

Here we are, ironically, in the middle of the war on terrorism, peacing out once more.

When this story was posted in August 2005, this was on the front page of PCOL:



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Military Option sparks concerns The U.S. military, struggling to fill its voluntary ranks, is allowing recruits to meet part of their military obligations by serving in the Peace Corps. Read why there is rising opposition to the program among RPCVs. Director Vasquez says the agency has a long history of accepting qualified applicants who are in inactive military status. John Coyne says "Not only no, but hell no!" Latest: RPCV Chris Matthews to discuss the issue on Hardball tonight.

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Top Stories: August 1, 2005 Paul E. Tsongas Public Service Award unveiled 21 July Charlie Peters writes book on Wendell Willkie 25 July Protests against Peace Corps in Bangladesh 30 July Christopher R. Hill leads talks with North Korea 29 July Chris Shays blocks senator's plan to reopen bases 29 July Dr. Joann LaPerla-Morales leads Middlesex College 28 July Jacob Mundy supports struggle in Western Sahara 28 July Paul Theroux blames big oil for ‘catastrophe’ in Ecuador 28 July Bruce Wilkinson has called Africa home for 17 years 25 July Taylor Hackford producing "E-Ring" for tv 25 July Robert Haas to retire as head of Levi Strauss 24 July Brent Lynn turned Janus Overseas Fund around 24 July James Rupert says Musharraf walks tightrope in Pakistan 23 July Thomas O. Mann describes Carp Fishing in France 22 July Rob Quigley receives Maybeck Award in Architecture 22 July Blackwill says visit by India PM a 'historical breakthrough' 21 July NPCA studies membership structure 21 July Mark Lenzi says Poles deserve the West's support 20 July Mark Gearan weighs in on Bush's Supreme Court pick 20 July Ofelia Miramontes championed bilingual education 18 July Hank Stelzer supports school for blind in Lesotho 16 July

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Special Events for RPCVs RPCV's "Taking the Early Bus" at Cal State until Aug 15 "Artists and Patrons in Traditional African Cultures" in NY thru Sept 30 See RPCV Musical "Doing Good" in CA through Sept RPCV Film Festival in DC in October

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July 17, 2005: This Week's Top Stories C. Payne Lucas writes "Can we win the war on HIV/Aids?" 11 July Director Vasquez hints at expansion in Bangladesh 17 July Why didn't I spend my life helping others? 17 July John Beasley returns to the islands of Micronesia 17 July Jennifer Field to study glacier melting 17 July Tucker McCravy works with Serendib in Sri Lanka 17 July David Vick writes "Waging civilized warfare" 16 July Tom Petri says Nelson helped to promote civility 16 July Peace Corps Director Visits Volunteers in Mongolia 15 July John Bridgeland writes "An example for Boomers" 15 July Robert Blackwill says India and US have a great future 15 July Peace Corps debuts new internet recruitment tool 14 July Eight New Country Directors Appointed 13 July Shelton Johnson Honored for Buffalo Soldier program 13 July Bill Lorenz leads trek for Sudanese refugees 12 July Emilie Pryor says Peace Corps ignores Lariam problems 12 July DDN is Award Finalist for reporting on PC Safety 11 July Randy Lewis to hire 200 people with cognitive disabilities 10 July Maryland needs people like Tom Lewis 10 July Dan DeWayne puts on music festival 10 July

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