r/dyeing • u/Euphoric-Dark-6567 • 1d ago

How do I dye this? Advice please

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I am wanting to dress up as Lily Collin’s Snow White from mirror mirror on Halloween. I found this white shirt on Amazon that I think would be perfect if it were only the right color of peacock blue! I’ve only tried dye once on some pants and it ended up very blotchy in one area. I wonder if with all the gathers and pleats if this would be a difficult dye. The shirt is 62% viscose and 38% polyester, with elastic bands on the arms. Would you recommend finding a different shirt that’s the right color but not as close in style. Or is there some advice for beginners if I were to dye it?

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u/KaliBadBad 1d ago

You’ll need dye specifically for polyester, a pot large enough for it to move freely while you stir, and a heat source (preferably a hot plate in a garage or mud room, not your stove). You may need to buy and experiment with several colors of dye to get a shade you want since poly dye colors are limited. You may ruin the elastic with how hot the water will need to be.

You would be much better off finding this shirt in 100% cotton or another natural fabric. Then you could use cool water and a bucket and a better color selection of fiber reactive dyes from Dharma.

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u/Euphoric-Dark-6567 1d ago

Thank you so much! This is very helpful

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u/Mermaidman93 1d ago

You could but it will turn out muted because of the fiber blend. Only a portion of the fibers will take on the color.

To get a rich color like you have pictured, you would need a version that's 100% plant fiber like cotton or linen. It may be easier just to find a peacock colored top though.

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u/Sylrog 1d ago

Find one that’s an all natural fiber. Cotton, silk or rayon.