Dyeing a wedding dress can be done for a variety of reasons. Perhaps you're in the mood to experiment, want to save money on your wedding, or are searching for a unique shade that isn't commercially available. Perhaps you've already had your wedding and are searching for a solution to make your dress seem fresh and modern enough to wear again without drawing unnecessary attention to the fact that you're not a bride. Check out our list of Wedding Dress Shops to help you choose your perfect gown.
Your reasons for wanting to colour your wedding dress are irrelevant; the process is not nearly as complicated as it seems. With the correct tools, a meticulous approach, and no shortcuts, you can make a magnificent, one-of-a-kind dress that will garner countless accolades.
Wedding Dress Aftercare Tips
It Must Be Kept Alright
Even if you were on a strict budget for the wedding, you probably splurged on the dress. It's possible that it's the priciest item of apparel you own. Despite its lack of monetary worth, the dress may be sentimentally valuable since it was worn by a loved one on their wedding day or because it was their mother's or grandmother's. Fortunately, there are a number of methods for keeping your dress in pristine condition, just as it was on your wedding day.
While it may seem like a pain to send your dress out to be preserved, many businesses offer preservation kits where you can send your dress and have it returned to you clean, conserved, and stored in an archival box. If you care about the condition of your clothing, you should have it cleaned by a professional. Fabric can be discoloured and damaged by stains even if they aren't immediately noticeable. A conservationist will carefully hand wash or dry clean the clothing to remove the stains.
Professionals recommend storing the dress in unbleached, pre-washed muslin and a sealed box if you'd rather save preservation until another time.
Use It To Create Jewellery
You may not want to save the entire garment, but there are certain parts—perhaps a bit of lace, some elaborate embroidery, or a few sparkling gems—that you would like to keep as recollections. Then you might want to turn those features of your clothing into ornamental pieces. Pieces of garments from previous weddings have been used by the brides as jewellery and accessories. The benefit of simply wearing a section of the dress is that the rest of it can be used for other purposes, such as charity work or resale.
Adapt It Into A Formal Dress
Even if you don't intend to wear your wedding gown again, there's no reason to waste such lovely, high-quality fabric. This is why so many women who have previously worn wedding gowns seek to transform them into new garments. Take this opportunity to show off your unique style while saving money on your spectacular gown.
Get in touch with a seamstress once you've settled on a design you like, decided which features of the dress you want to maintain, and made a list of any necessary adjustments. You can alter the length, eliminate the sleeves, and remove some of the bulky fabric, but don't throw away any of the garment. The surplus of hemline material can be repurposed as a chic wallet. That petticoat will make a wonderful tulle skirt. Furthermore, any leftover lace can be used to create unique accessories. Whatever you do with your dress, you’re guaranteed to have a one-of-a-kind style for date night.
Dye It
Dyeing your wedding dress is a great option if you're set on wearing the same style but want a different colour scheme. Then, you just need to go to work with a reliable fabric dye, such Dylon or RIT. A bucket of water and a lot of persistence are required, but the results are well worth it. To achieve an ombré appearance, you can either soak the entire garment or dip dye individual sections. You'll have the same stunning dress, but with a dash of colour.
Give It Away
Whether you don't like clutter or simply don't have the room, there are many deserving brides who would be grateful for your donation of a beautiful dress. Donating your outfit to a good cause is more meaningful than simply dropping it off at a thrift store.
Intricate Patterns Of Ombre Color
If you want to emulate Gwen Stefani's wedding dress, ombre is a current style (though you probably shouldn't go for a completely hot pink gown). However, due to the sensitivity of the dyes involved, this is a job best left to the professionals. You wouldn't want your lovely outfit to end up a rumpled mess, would you?
The most beautiful wedding dresses that feature a pop of colour do so by placing the accent at the dress's hemline. It's a fantastic method to keep the dress clean and adds a dramatic touch to the overall design.
Consequences Resembling A Tie-Dye Pattern
Tie-dye wedding dresses are also very popular. It's an interesting spin on the standard white wedding dress. This means that you can put your own stamp on your special day if you're the creative sort. To get the desired tie-dye effect, it is not necessary to completely colour in the dress. The outfit would look beautiful with just the lower part tie-dyed.
Infused With A Free-Spirited Bohemian At
A dip-dyed wedding dress is a fantastic choice for a boho-inspired wedding. It's the perfect touch to add your own style to a low-cost garment and make it look more expensive than it actually is.
Never Forget The Veil.
While all eyes should be on your magnificent gown, you may draw even more attention to your ensemble by matching your veil's underskirt with a flash of pink or purple. Consider your ensemble as a whole; you may, for example, incorporate gorgeous flowers into your haircut to quietly incorporate some of the colours.
A Guide To Wedding Dress Dyeing.
So take a deep breath and continue on to learn everything you need to know about dying your wedding dress without utterly destroying your workspace.
Struggling to find your perfect gown? Check out our extensive list of Wedding Dress Shops in Melbourne
Materials
- Dyeing Fabrics
- Soap for washing dishes
- You can use salt or white vinegar to clean your clothes.
- Cup and a teaspoon for measuring
- The use of a stirring implement made of a material that does not absorb liquids
- Wrapping surfaces in plastic for safety
- Gloves made of rubber and goggles to shield your eyes
- Fixative (optional, but recommended)
- You should practise on a scrap piece of cloth that is as close in texture and colour to the dress as you can get it. You may learn how the fabric will respond to the dye by doing a test run first. It's possible to learn how much time and dye you'll need to attain a specific shade.
- Select a colourant that won't wash out your dress's fabric. Many wedding dresses are dry-clean only since they are composed of fragile fabrics. Choosing a colour that won't ruin your wedding dress is essential. Silk charmeuse can be dyed with Procion, but dry-clean-only materials shouldn't be dyed with RIT.
- You can use the hot water from the shower to fill a large bucket or other storage container. Dye can damage some finishes, so it's best to use a disposable container or one you don't care about if you can help it.
- Douse with calsolene oil. Even colouring is achieved with the aid of the calsolene oil. Half a teaspoon per gallon of water is the recommended dose.
- You should put the colour into the water. Make use of the information you gathered in the first step, or the provided instructions. Use the wooden paint stick to stir the dye.
- Salt and vinegar should be mixed in. Vinegar can be used as a gentle fixative for silk. It strengthens the fabric's bond with the Procion dye, as well as other fiber-reactive dyes. Soda ash is used on many different fabrics, but baking soda can also be used as a fixer for silk. It is recommended that one ounce of fixer be added per gallon of water. The addition of salt to the dyeing process improves the dye's ability to adhere to the fabric. Put in one cup of salt for every quart of water.
- Take the dress and submerge it in the dye up to the point where you want the colour to start. The gradated appearance from dip-dyeing normally goes from light to dark. Don't take the fabric out of the dye too soon! Once the colour starts to shift, carefully lift out an inch or two of the dress every couple of minutes. Take off larger parts of the clothing every five minutes if you want a more pronounced colour difference. Each time you take off a section of the dress, you can add more dye to the water to make the colour last longer.
- Be sure to use cold water to clean the bridal gown. After removing the hem of the dress from the dye mixture, give it a thorough rinsing in cold water until the water is clear.
- Don't use cold water to clean the dress. The dress should be hung up to dry after washing.
Our Top 5 Tips For Home Dyeing Projects:
- Make sure you're ready to go before you start. Protect your hands by donning a pair of gloves. Put on some old garments and maybe an apron. Because even a single second is all it takes to permanently stain skin, carpet, or clothing, careful preparation is essential.
- Don't let your sense of exploration wane. Thread in the top of my dress's bodice didn't get coloured and ended up looking like this instead. The lace overlaying the bust is a slightly different shade of purple than the rest of the garment. In fact, it's precisely these "imperfections" that provide a certain charm to DIY dyeing efforts, provided you don't set yourself up for disappointment by demanding perfection.
- Dyes and washing water should be stored in inexpensive buckets or stainless steel containers. The hosing down process could also be done in the fresh air. If you value your porcelain or ceramic fixtures, please refrain from using them. Since my sink is stainless steel, I was able to use it without worrying about damaging it, but I did wash it thoroughly afterwards. You shouldn't put dye in your mouth. Gross.
- Get as much water out of it as you can, but the first time you wash it, you should do so separately or with dark colours. My sock experiment taught me that it is likely that freshly coloured clothing may bleed the first time it is washed.
- You should read the dye's packaging for any warnings about allergies. You (or your loved ones) can be allergic to chemicals found in most store-bought colours. They are risk-free to use in most cases, but you should verify this before getting started. Check out our list of Wedding Dress Shops in Melbourne to help you select your ultimate gown.
Conclusion
It's possible to create a stunning, one-of-a-kind outfit if you have the right materials, take your time, and avoid shortcuts. Even if a stain isn't immediately obvious, it can nevertheless discolour and harm fabric. If the stains persist, have the garments professionally washed or dry cleaned. If you plan on wearing your wedding dress again, there's no need in getting rid of it. The sleeveless top, for example, can be shortened, and excess fabric can be cut away.
You may make a cute clutch or a twirly skirt out of the leftover fabric! A dip-dyed wedding dress is perfect for a free-spirited celebration. It's a great way to put your own stamp on an inexpensive piece of clothing. Getting the desired tie-dye effect does not require colouring in every single square inch of the clothing. Be mindful of the fabric of your dress and choose a colour accordingly.
When working with dye, it's advisable to use a disposable container or one you don't mind ruining rather than one with a valuable finish. An effective yet gentle fixative for silk is a mixture of salt and vinegar.
Content Summary
- There are a few different motives for dying a bridal gown.
- There are, thankfully, a variety of options for preserving your wedding gown so that it always looks as beautiful as it did on your special day.
- Care about the condition of your garments by having them cleaned by experts.
- Wearing only a fraction of the outfit allows the remainder to be donated to a good cause or sold on the secondary market.
- Transform It Into An Evening Gown A wedding dress is made of beautiful, high-quality fabric, so it would be a shame to throw it away if you never plan on wearing it again.
- Dress to impress without breaking the bank by showcasing your personal sense of style.
- You can make your date night attire seem completely different every time!
- Dye It If you know you want to wear a particular kind of wedding gown but have your heart set on a different colour scheme, you can always dye it.
- Rather than just dropping off your clothing at a resale store, consider donating it to a worthy cause.
- When it comes to adding a splash of colour to your wedding dress, the hemline is the best place to do it.
- It's a great way to prevent stains and gives the dress a dramatic finish.
- Consequences Tie-Dye-Like In Appearance Wedding gowns with tie-dye patterns are also very common.
- It's a fun take on the traditional white gown.
- Getting the desired tie-dye effect does not require colouring in every single square inch of the clothing.
- Just the bottom half of the clothing tie-dyed would be a stunning addition to the ensemble.
- Remember, The Veil Must Remain In Place At All Times.
- How to Dye a Wedding Gown.
- So take a deep breath and read on to find out all the information you'll need to successfully dye your wedding dress without completely ruining your studio.
- Fabric Dyes and Materials Dishwashing liquid Cleaning garments with salt or white vinegar is an option.
- If you want to perfect your skills before actually putting on the garment, you should first practise on a scrap of fabric that closely matches the dress in both colour and texture.
- To see how the fabric reacts to the dye, you can make a test run first.
- You can figure out how much time and dye you'll need to get a certain colour.
- It's important to use a dye that won't be removed by washing your dress.
- Coat with calsolene oil and set ablaze.
- The calsolene oil aids in producing uniform colouring.
- You should put the colour into the water.
- It enhances the binding between the fabric and the Procion dye, as well as other fiber-reactive dyes.
- In order to increase the dye's adhesion to the fabric, salt is often added to the dye bath.
- Put the dress in the dye up to the point where you want the colour to begin.
Frequently Asked Questions About Wedding Dress
Once we acquire the gown, the transition takes about five to six weeks. Please allow at least 8 weeks before you need it to allow for shipment, etc. This may be shorter if it's only a basic colour or shortening of the dress, but this is not guaranteed.
Your dress won't look the same, even if it is the same style and silhouette, but a different colour. Most fabrics undergo a subtle texture shift when exposed to water and dye, with organzas becoming softer and more wrinkled, bodices sometimes developing ripples in an otherwise smooth surface, and chiffons prone to streaking in colour. Here are a couple illustrations, but that's all I have time for. The outcome may also be affected by whether or not you have had dry cleaning done.
The cost to dye the entire dress ranges from $350 and higher, depending on the gown's fabric and any special customizations you may require. Tops start at $200, and skirts start at $280.
The minimum cost to have your dress altered into separates begins at $250 and goes up from there depending on the level of detail required. If we do not believe it will work fundamentally, we may give a negative recommendation.
Different materials call for different treatments, so if your gown is made of a variety of materials, a universal non-toxic dye may be your best bet. For an upcharge, you can get your hands on some of our plant-based pigments' dwindling colour palette. Silk paint will be used in some custom dye jobs.
Unless you have a huge emergency fund, you probably shouldn't try dyeing your luxury wedding dress, but there are plenty of other options for adding splashes of colour to your ensemble. If you want the colour to go on evenly, it is best to have a professional do it.
You should also think about the wedding reception and the photographs. The colour of your wedding dress should pop against the breathtaking scenery of your venue.