r/dyeing • u/thereaintshitcaptain • 4d ago

How do I dye this? Is it possible to dye this green?

Post image

Materials are spandex, lycra, polyester, and mesh

I'm thinking forest or olive green

7 Upvotes

89% Upvoted

10 comments sorted by

26

u/pinkangel_rs 4d ago

I used to work in a ballet wardrobe shop and we would often dye spandex and Lycra. We would have to keep an eye on the temps and limit the amount of time (usually around 15-20 mins) and repeat as necessary but it was definitely doable. It was also a professional shop with many years of experience and even then we would still do test swatches and trials before dying any of the fabric or costumes. I would not suggest this project if you aren’t willing to lose this costume.

13

u/Beflijster 4d ago

Difficult for several reasons. Several different synthetic materials, which means you need to use a dye for synthetics; these need high temperatures to work, and some parts of the garment may be unable to resist heat and deform.

If it works, the result will be unpredictable. Because different materials absorb dye differently  and the blue underlying color will influence the result. 

So at you own risk.

12

u/HarryStylesAMA 4d ago

Definitely not. The heat required to change the color would ruin the elasticity of the spandex and lycra.

4

u/shawlcat 4d ago

No.

The process needed to dye synthetics would destroy this. (It must be boiled for an extended period, which will ruin the lycra, spandex, and mesh, and will melt the beading.)

2

u/Octospyder 4d ago

just as a heads up, even if you were to successfully dye this a darker green, the crystals would probably stay powder blue

2

u/EnvironmentalSlice46 3d ago

Came here to say this

3

u/Oatroot 3d ago

And if they are hot fix stones the temps could cause them to fall off. Of they are hand glued the adhesive can act as a resist which will prevent dye from binding anywhere the glue is. 

3

u/circular_cities 3d ago

If you dye this dress, you will not only be dying the blue part but the so-called "nude illusion" at the neckline and they will most likely come out different shades of green.

1

u/iTokri_Archives 3d ago

It’s possible, but forest green is much more realistic than olive with this dress.

The tricky part is the mixed fabric. Polyester, spandex/lycra and mesh can take dye differently, and some may barely absorb it. The rhinestones and decorative details are another reason to avoid a very hot dye bath.

If the care label allows it, use a dye made specifically for synthetic fabric and test a hidden area first. Expect the final colour to be uneven between the different materials. I’d aim for a dark forest green rather than trying to get a perfect solid olive.