Making your own tie-dye shirts was a staple of '90s summer camps, school projects and at-home DIY. Now the nostalgic hobby is attracting 1 million US searches a month, as new sales data reveals the colors Americans are choosing in 2026.
From friendship bracelets and beaded jewelry to homemade tie-dye shirts, some of the most recognizable DIY hobbies of the '90s are finding a new generation of fans.
And one in particular appears to be making a major comeback.
Tie-dye is currently attracting approximately 1 million US Google searches a month, up 20% year over year, according to search estimates sourced through Glimpse.
Interest climbed even higher earlier this year, reaching approximately 3.4 million US searches between February 8 and March 7, 2026.
For many Americans who grew up in the '90s, tie-dye wasn't simply something you bought. Making your own colorful shirts was a familiar summer camp, school or at-home activity.
Now, new first-party sales data suggests the nostalgic look associated with the hobby is translating into what Americans are actually wearing in 2026.
Free Spirited Clothing analyzed 12 months of hand-dyed apparel sales across the United States to reveal which tie-dye colors shoppers are choosing today.
The full dataset can be found here:
https://shopfreespirited.com/blogs/news/most-popular-tie-dye-color-by-state
Rainbow tie-dye is still America's favorite
Despite tie-dye evolving considerably since its '90s DIY heyday, the classic colorful version remains America's favorite.
Rainbow/Multi accounted for 22.51% of classified purchases nationwide, making it the most-purchased tie-dye color family in the analysis.
Blue came second at 16.90%, followed closely by Green at 15.76%.
Rank | Tie-dye color family | Share of purchases |
1 | Rainbow/Multi | 22.51% |
2 | Blue | 16.90% |
3 | Green | 15.76% |
4 | Red, White & Blue | 10.52% |
5 | Pink | 9.54% |
6 | Purple | 7.23% |
7 | Pastel | 7.03% |
8 | Black & Gray | 4.68% |
9 | Earth & Autumn | 2.72% |
10 | Red & Orange | 2.62% |
11 | Yellow & Gold | 0.48% |
And the preference for rainbow isn't limited to a handful of states.
Of the 46 states with enough sales data for a winner to be identified, 43 chose Rainbow/Multi as their most popular tie-dye color family.
California, New York, Texas and Florida were among the states where rainbow came out on top.
Only three qualifying states went against the national trend.
Maine preferred Blue, while Montana and West Virginia chose Green.
The states keeping classic rainbow tie-dye alive
Louisiana has America's strongest preference for Rainbow/Multi tie-dye, with the color family accounting for 29.90% of classified purchases in the state.
Oregon ranked second at 28.21%, followed by Utah at 27.05%.
Rank | State | Rainbow/Multi share |
1 | Louisiana | 29.90% |
2 | Oregon | 28.21% |
3 | Utah | 27.05% |
4 | Minnesota | 26.38% |
5 | Washington | 26.17% |
Louisiana also recorded the most decisive state result in the analysis, with Rainbow/Multi finishing 13.43 percentage points ahead of second-place Green.
But the 2026 version looks different
While the rainbow colors many people associate with homemade '90s tie-dye still dominate nationally, the data suggests today's version of the trend has expanded considerably.
Tennessee shoppers purchased Yellow & Gold tie-dye at 1.96 times the national rate, the strongest local preference identified in the analysis.
Montana bought Green at 1.55 times the national rate, while Idaho over-indexed for Purple and Kansas for Red & Orange.
State | Standout color | Purchase rate vs. national rate |
Tennessee | Yellow & Gold | 1.96x |
Montana | Green | 1.55x |
Idaho | Purple | 1.48x |
Kansas | Red & Orange | 1.43x |
The findings suggest the comeback isn't simply about recreating the brightly colored shirts people remember making decades ago.
Modern tie-dye now ranges from rainbow and pastel designs to greens, earth tones and more understated combinations.
Abby Rafer, a spokesperson at Free Spirited Clothing, said:
"There's something very nostalgic about tie-dye because, for a lot of Americans, their first experience with it wasn't buying something from a store. It was making it themselves.
It brings back memories of summer camps, school projects, sleepovers and trying to create your own shirt at home, so it makes sense that people who grew up with it have a real attachment to the style.
But what's interesting about its latest comeback is that people aren't necessarily trying to recreate exactly what they wore decades ago.
Rainbow is still America's clear favorite, but we're also seeing people choose greens, pastels, earth tones and much more understated combinations.
"It feels less like dressing up in a '90s costume and more like taking something familiar and nostalgic and making it work with how people dress today."
She added:
"The search numbers show just how much attention tie-dye is still attracting.
Searches reached around 3.4 million during the peak earlier this year, and even after that spike, around one million searches are still being made each month.
The fact that monthly interest is 20% higher than a year ago suggests this isn't just one short-lived viral moment.
And when you put those searches alongside what people are actually buying, you can see that the interest is translating beyond people simply looking at the trend online."
Methodology
Free Spirited Clothing analyzed its hand-dyed apparel sales across US states and the District of Columbia during the 12 full months from August 1, 2025 to July 31, 2026.
Products were assigned to a locked color family before analysis.
Memberships, accessories and jewelry, bundles, mystery products, printed graphic tees, tie-dye kits, socks and international shipments were excluded.
A state's number one color was only published where at least 300 classified units were available.
Alaska, the District of Columbia, Hawaii, North Dakota and Wyoming did not meet this threshold and therefore have no published winner.
State over-index figures compare each color family's share within a state with that color's national share, with a minimum of 30 units of the relevant color required within the state.
Only shares, rankings and index values are published. Absolute sales, revenue and order volumes are not disclosed.
Search figures are based on US Google search estimates sourced through Glimpse. Searches for tie-dye reached approximately 3.4 million between February 8 and March 7, 2026. The latest available monthly figure was approximately 1 million searches, representing a 20% year-over-year increase.
About Free Spirited Clothing
Free Spirited Clothing (shopfreespirited.com) is a tie-dye apparel brand whose pieces are hand-dyed in small batches by skilled hand-dye artists. The brand offers tees, long sleeves, tanks, hoodies, and dresses in sizes S to 5XL, ships free in the US on orders over $50 from its Florida warehouse, and backs every order with a 30-day money-back guarantee. Free Spirited Clothing holds a 4.6 rating on Trustpilot from more than 1,500 reviews.
Credit: Free Spirited Clothing and link to the full research:
https://shopfreespirited.com/blogs/news/most-popular-tie-dye-color-by-state
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