Colortone: Tie-Dye Apparel

Wholesale Tie-Dye T-Shirts, Hoodies, and Specialty Wash Apparel

Tie-dye and specialty wash apparel cover one of the most distinctive lifestyle categories in wholesale blanks: pre-dyed tees, hoodies, sweatshirts, and accessories where each garment is dyed individually so no two pieces look exactly alike. The category runs from classic multi-color tie-dye to crystal wash, mineral wash, ice dye, and bleach-out finishes. For festival merch, summer camp programs, lifestyle brands, music and event apparel, beach and resort programs, and any decoration application where the garment itself is part of the visual story, tie-dye blanks deliver a finished aesthetic that printed-on cotton can't replicate. Bulkthreads carries the full tie-dye lineup from Colortone, Independent Trading Co., and Port & Company, with automatic volume discounts applied at checkout.

Colortone Tie-Dye T-Shirts

Colortone is the wholesale category specialist for hand-dyed garments, with a catalog built entirely around tie-dye, mineral wash, crystal wash, ice dye, and other specialty finishes. Every Colortone garment is dyed individually, which means no two shirts are exactly alike, with the brand's signature note: "Enjoy each for its own uniqueness. Wash separately."

The Colortone 1000 Unisex Multi-Color Tie-Dyed T-Shirt is the flagship classic spiral tie-dye, a 5.3 oz./yd² 100% heavyweight pre-shrunk cotton in a classic fit with ribbed collar, shoulder-to-shoulder taping, and double-needle sleeves and bottom hem. The Colortone 1000Y Youth Multi-Color Tie-Dye brings the same construction into youth sizing for school programs, summer camps, and family events. The Colortone 1355 Unisex Vintage Tie-Dyed T-Shirt uses a lighter 5.2 oz./yd² 50/50 ring-spun cotton/polyester jersey for a softer, more retail-leaning hand than the heavyweight 100% cotton 1000 line.

The Colortone 1050 Women's Tie-Dyed Crop T-Shirt covers the women's silhouette with a 4 oz./yd² 60/40 cotton/polyester jersey at a slim cropped cut featuring 1x1 ribbed collar and cuffs and side seams. For long-sleeve programs, the Colortone 2000 Unisex Tie-Dyed Long Sleeve uses the same 5.3 oz./yd² 100% heavyweight cotton as the 1000 short sleeve in a long-sleeve silhouette with ribbed cuffs.

Colortone Specialty Wash Tees

Beyond classic tie-dye, Colortone covers a broader specialty wash category where the garment is treated to produce a distinct surface effect that's not strictly a tie-dye pattern. The Colortone 1390 Unisex Crystal Wash T-Shirt uses a 5.3 oz./yd² 100% heavyweight cotton with a crystal wash finish that produces a faded, crystalline pattern across the garment surface. The Colortone 1275 Unisex Iced T-Shirt uses the same heavyweight cotton base with an "iced" wash treatment for a cooler-toned distressed look. The Colortone 1300 Unisex Mineral Wash T-Shirt delivers a more muted, weathered surface effect popular with lifestyle and outdoor brands. The Colortone 1385 Unisex Bleach Out Dyed T-Shirt uses a bleach-out treatment for a high-contrast distressed surface that reads as more streetwear-influenced than the softer Mineral Wash.

Colortone Tie-Dye Hooded Sweatshirts

The Colortone 8777 Unisex Tie-Dyed Hooded Sweatshirt brings the classic multi-color tie-dye treatment to a fleece hood: 8.5 oz./yd² 60/40 ring-spun cotton-face/polyester construction in a classic fit with double-needle stitching throughout, double-lined hood with matching drawcord, pouch pocket, and 1x1 ribbed spandex cuffs and waistband. The cotton face is what makes the tie-dye process work cleanly on a fleece base, and the same construction shows up on most of Colortone's hooded styles.

Independent Trading Co. Midweight Tie-Dye Fleece

For programs that want a more refined fleece base than the classic Colortone 8.5-ounce 60/40 construction, Independent Trading Co. covers the premium tie-dye fleece tier. The Independent Trading Co. PRM4500TD Midweight Tie-Dyed Hooded Sweatshirt uses a 9 oz./yd² 80/20 ring-spun cotton/polyester fleece with a 100% cotton face at 30 singles, with split-stitch double-needle sewing on all seams, twill neck tape, 1x1 ribbing at cuffs and waistband, sewn eyelets, jersey-lined hood, and a woven label. The 100% cotton face is the meaningful upgrade for tie-dye specifically, since the dye saturates more cleanly on cotton than on a polyester-dominant blend. The Independent Trading Co. PRM3500TD Midweight Tie-Dyed Crewneck delivers the same fabric construction in a crewneck silhouette for sweatset programs that want both pieces in coordinated colors.

Port & Company Tie-Dye Tees

Port & Company covers the budget-friendly side of the tie-dye category, useful for high-volume programs where unit price wins. The Port & Company PC147 Tie-Dye Tee is the flagship adult unisex spiral tie-dye, and the Port & Company PC147Y Youth Tie-Dye Tee covers the youth match. The Port & Company PC147LS Tie-Dye Long-Sleeve covers long-sleeve programs and the Port & Company PC147TT Tie-Dye Tank Top covers the sleeveless slot, both in the same PC147 fabric family. The Port & Company LPC147V Ladies' Tie-Dye V-Neck brings the classic tie-dye into a women's V-neck silhouette.

For specialty tie-dye patterns beyond the classic spiral, the Port & Company PC148 Tiger Stripe Tie-Dye Tee uses a horizontal striped tie-dye pattern, the Port & Company PC149 Window Tie-Dye Tee uses a window-pane pattern, and the Port & Company PC149Y Youth Window Tie-Dye Tee covers the youth size match. The Port & Company PC142 Allover Stripe Tie-Dye Tee covers the allover-stripe pattern.

The Port & Company PC145 Crystal Tie-Dye Tee brings the crystal wash treatment into the Port & Company catalog, and the Port & Company PC145Y Youth Crystal Tie-Dye Tee covers the youth match.

Port & Company Tie-Dye Hoodies and Fleece

The Port & Company PC146 Tie-Dye Pullover Hooded Sweatshirt is the adult unisex tie-dye hood at the budget tier, and the Port & Company PC146Y Youth Tie-Dye Pullover Hood covers the youth match. The Port & Company PC144 Crystal Tie-Dye Pullover Hoodie brings the crystal wash treatment into a hooded silhouette, with the Port & Company PC144Y Youth Crystal Tie-Dye Hood covering the youth side. The Port & Company PC143L Allover Stripe Tie-Dye Fleece covers the allover-stripe pattern in a fleece silhouette for women's program orders.

The Port & Company LPC140V Ladies' Beach Wash Cloud Tie-Dye V-Neck Sweatshirt and matching Port & Company LPC140P Ladies' Beach Wash Cloud Tie-Dye Sweatpants cover a coordinated sweatset in the lighter, more pastel "cloud" tie-dye pattern that reads more lifestyle than classic spiral tie-dye. For programs that want both pieces in matching cloud-dye colors, this is the practical pair.

Tie-Dye Accessories

The Port Authority C961 Tie-Dye Cap rounds out the catalog with a tie-dye cap for programs that want a head-to-toe coordinated tie-dye program rather than just apparel pieces.

All tie-dye styles ship same day via UPS Ground and typically arrive in 1 to 3 business days. Automatic volume discounts apply at checkout across all order sizes (no codes required), and free returns are included on every order. Related collections: Comfort Colors, Garment-Dyed Apparel, Festival Apparel.

Frequently Asked Questions

What's the difference between tie-dye, mineral wash, crystal wash, and bleach-out?

All four are specialty wash treatments where the garment is dyed or distressed at the finished stage rather than printed on top of, but the surface effects differ. Tie-dye uses bound or twisted fabric with multiple dye colors to create the classic spiral or banded pattern, with each piece coming out distinctly. Crystal wash produces a faded, crystalline pattern across the surface with more uniform tone variation than tie-dye. Mineral wash creates a muted, weathered look with subtle tonal variation that reads more lifestyle and outdoor than festival. Bleach-out uses a bleach treatment to lift color in a distressed pattern, with a higher-contrast surface effect popular with streetwear and rock-influenced programs. The Port & Company "cloud" pattern (LPC140V/LPC140P) is a softer, lighter pastel variant of tie-dye that reads more lifestyle than classic spiral.

Are tie-dye blanks good for screen printing and decoration?

Yes, with some considerations. The pre-dyed surface adds visual complexity to any decoration on top of the garment, which works in some program briefs and against others. For screen printing on tie-dye, simple bold designs with high-opacity inks (white, black, or saturated colors) tend to land cleanly and work with the tie-dye pattern; intricate detail work can get visually lost against the dye pattern. For DTG printing, the cotton-heavy bases (Colortone 1000, Independent Trading Co. PRM3500TD/PRM4500TD with 100% cotton face) work better than the polyester-dominant tie-dye blends because the water-based DTG inks bond more cleanly on cotton. For embroidery, the textured surface generally doesn't interfere with stitch density, and embroidery on tie-dye can create a striking visual contrast that works well for corporate-meets-lifestyle program crossovers.

Why does tie-dye need to be washed separately?

Hand-dyed garments retain residual dye that can transfer in the first few washes, particularly with darker tie-dye and bleach-out finishes. Washing the garment separately for the first three to five wash cycles prevents dye transfer to other garments. After the initial wash cycles, most tie-dye stabilizes and can be washed with similar colors, though Colortone and other tie-dye specialists recommend continued separate washing for the longest color life. The "no two shirts are exactly alike" character of tie-dye is part of the appeal: variation between garments and between washes is intentional, not a defect.

What's the difference between Colortone and Port & Company tie-dye?

Colortone is a tie-dye and specialty wash specialist with a deeper catalog of patterns and treatments (multi-color spiral, vintage, ice, mineral, crystal, bleach-out) and a heavier 5.3 oz./yd² 100% cotton base across most styles. Port & Company is a generalist wholesale brand from SanMar with a smaller tie-dye lineup at a more budget-friendly price point, useful when the program needs to hit a tighter unit cost. For programs where the tie-dye pattern variety and 100% cotton hand are part of the brand pitch, Colortone is the stronger pick. For high-volume budget programs where unit price wins, Port & Company's PC147 line covers the basics.

What's the best tie-dye blank for festival merch and event programs?

The Colortone 1000 Unisex Multi-Color Tie-Dyed T-Shirt is the festival category standard with a classic spiral pattern, 5.3 oz./yd² 100% cotton heavyweight construction, and a wide range of color combinations. For programs that want a hooded sweatshirt to match the tee, the Colortone 8777 Unisex Tie-Dyed Hooded Sweatshirt covers the fleece slot. For programs willing to pay a small premium for a more refined fleece base, the Independent Trading Co. PRM4500TD Midweight Tie-Dyed Hooded Sweatshirt brings a 100% cotton face and 30-singles ring-spun construction that holds the dye pattern more cleanly than the standard Colortone construction.

Do tie-dye orders at Bulkthreads come with volume discounts?

Yes. Automatic volume discounts apply at checkout across the tie-dye collection (no codes required). All orders ship same day and typically arrive in 1 to 3 business days, with free returns on every order.