In chapter one of his monograph Stuff, Daniel Miller states, “On the surface is found the

clothing which may represent us and may reveal a truth about ourselves, but it may also lie. This

notion can be examined through the tie dyed t-shirt. Earliest forms of tie dying exist in Pre-

Columbian Peru from 500 AD on. It is furthermore seen in Japan and Indonesia in the form of

Shibori, a form that has been practiced since the 8th century. Also, tie dye has ties in Western

Africa. Indigo dyes were used in Nigeria. But tie dying in America will always be inevitably

attached to the hippie movement. It was seen as “oppositional dress” like that of the Salvationists

discussed in Jennifer Le Zotte’s, “’Be Odd’: The Contradictory Use of Dress …show more content…
There is also a sequence of codes underneath. There is a reference to the

size on the side of the label where it has three m’s, emphasizing that the shirt is a size medium.

The brand, Fruit of the Loom is also presented with an illustration of an apple surrounded by

grapes. Also there are four symbols that correspond with instructions on how to wash and care

for the t-shirt.

Originally the t-shirt was white. It has been transformed through the tie dye process. The

color chosen was orange. It was tie dyed and then splattered with the same orange dye creating a

different pattern. The dye was spread in a relatively horizontal pattern, that somewhat resembles

a skeletal pattern. There are three main swaths of dense orange color, segmenting the t-shirt into

three quadrants. There is also dense orange color on the bottom of the top.

Over several cycles in the washing machine, the dye has turned the exposed parts of the t-

shirt from white to a very faint pink color. The stitching at the neck, arms and bottom of the shirt

is still white, suggesting that the thread may be resistant to dyes. This t-shirt is soft to the touch.

It is relatively light weight and has a moderate stretch to the material. When worn, this shirt has