Dye another day?

February 11, 2012 10:25 PM

Can I (or someone) successfully dye this BCBG dress black?

I have found a dress that suits my requirements perfectly, except for the colour.

I have searched the archives on dying satin shoes, but am wondering whether the same holds true for an entire dress: would it be a disaster to dye this polyester satin gown black by myself?

If not, what are your best practices for a home-dye job of that scale?

If it would be wiser to use professionals (which I'm happy to do: cost isn't really an issue), can someone recommend a good place in the Lower Mainland?

My main concern is that the dye job be uniform, and colourfast. I'll be sweating in it and would rather not have blackened armpits.

posted by Pomo to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion (7 answers total)

Lovely dress.

The main problem with dyeing an already sewn piece of clothing is the thread, because it is likely not made of the same material as this dress. If the dress is made out of more than one type of material, same problem. That means it won't absorb dye equally. It may not be obvious, since it's already a dark color. Dharma is a good supply for quality dyes, and they have a lot of information on their website. You need different types of dyes, depending on which material you are coloring. Rit is not colorfast and might rub off or color your skin.

When dyeing something black, you have to be careful to use enough dye, or it might turn out grey. That may not be as much of a problem over an already dark color.

I can't speak to professionals, but maybe someone else can. Good Luck!
posted by annsunny at 11:26 PM on February 11, 2012

It's a beautiful dress. Polyester is hard to dye though - acid dyes and stuff like RIT won't work. You'll need to use a disperse dye and boiling water, which is probably going to ruin your dress.

I'm not a professional though, and they may have better advice.
posted by indienial at 11:29 PM on February 11, 2012

Home dyeing is not appropriate for either polyester satin or polyester tulle. You won't be able to get even color distribution. The presence of spandex (per the description) just adds difficulty.

A professional might be able to do it. Good luck!
posted by Sidhedevil at 11:36 PM on February 11, 2012 [1 favorite]

If cost isn't an issue, why not buy the dress and take it to a dress maker for a copy in black??
(Is there an IP issue with that?)
posted by chapps at 12:27 AM on February 12, 2012 [1 favorite]

Bear in mind that my sewing knowledge is mostly via osmosis from my wife, but nothing about this dress looks particularly difficult to me (in that I believe SHE could sew it, not I) and solid black is not like trying to track down some weird color or pattern. So, I'm with Chapps.
posted by Kid Charlemagne at 6:51 AM on February 12, 2012 [1 favorite]

Best answer: You can't dye anything that is not washable. That dress is labeled "dry clean only". There is no way to dye any clothing without washing it several times, both before and after dyeing it.

Never mind that dyeing polyester requires boiling it in disperse dye, while you are not supposed to use hot water when washing most spandex-containing clothing. Never try to dye anything that contains both polyester and spandex. These fibers are best dyed individually before they are woven or knit together into fabric.
posted by Ery at 9:18 AM on February 12, 2012

Response by poster: Thanks for the info, all. I will not purchase this dress in the hopes of turning it black!
posted by Pomo at 12:08 PM on February 12, 2012