DIY Clothes Dyeing | Lookbook

A new season doesn’t mean that you have to buy a full new wardrobe. It’s an opportunity to get creative.

If – like me – you like to be thrifty with your cash and maximise the entire contents of your wardrobe, then you’ll go wild for DYLON home dyeing.

But first, let’s get one thing straight: DIY dyeing isn’t all about 90’s tie dye and psychedelic prints. I like to use dyes to create bold, rich and eye catching colour block pieces. It’s also a great solution to upcycle old wardrobe pieces into new styles; or to change the colour of an item that you can’t find in the shops.

More importantly, it’s saying ‘no‘ to fast, throwaway fashion – making it a sustainable and ethical solution.

For this post, I’ve looked to the menswear colour palette for autumn/winter 2015 – creating my first look with dark green, pebble beige and pewter grey; and my second with toffee brown, pebble beige and navy blue.

Using DYLON dye is so easy and it works directly in your home washing machine – without ruining your clothes or causing any colour to run into your usual wash. It’s also cheap – allowing you to create a full new wardrobe, without spending a load of money.

Check out my before and after lookbook shots, video and how to below.

Pewter Grey | Navy Blue | Dark Green | Toffee Brown | Pebble Beige

My chosen colours

• Pewter Grey
• Navy Blue
• Dark Green
• Toffee Brown
• Pebble Beige

Before

Before | After: Trench coat in Dark Green

After: Trench in Dark green; shirt in Pebble Beige; cropped trousers in Pewter Grey; socks in Toffee Brown

Before | After

After

What to dye

When choosing what to dye, it’s important to check the material type.

Cotton, linen and viscose work best and will dye to the full shade.

Polyester/cotton and polyester/viscose mixes will result in a lighter shade.

Wool, silk, polyester, acrylic, nylon and dry clean fabrics can’t be dyed.

Fabric amount

Each pack of DYLON fabric dye can be used on up to 600g of fabric (e.g. one pair of jeans) to the full shade on the pack.

Using multiple packs of the same colour will dye larger amounts to the full shade.

Before

Before | After: Roll neck in Pebble Beige; cotton bomber in Toffee Brown

After: Cotton bomber in Toffee Brown; roll neck in Pebble Beige; Jeans in Navy Blue

After

How to dye

1. Wearing gloves, cut open the dye pack and empty directly into the drum of the washing machine.
2. Add in your clothing. Do not fold – just chuck in!
3. Run a 40°C cycle.
4. When complete, add in detergent and wash a 40°C cycle again.
5. Remove clothing and run an empty 40°C cycle with detergent just to ensure your washing machine is totally clean.
6. Reshape your clothing and allow to dry naturally.
7. Done!

DYLON fabric dye for machine use is available here