Can I dye my old wedding dress?
Firstly, yes! You can (see image below)!
But there ARE a few things to consider if you want to end up with a wearable garment. What your dress is made of is the first to thing to look at, so to unlock its transformation potential, let’s explore a few of the vital things you really need to know about your bridal gown fabric, mainly:
Is it synthetic or natural? Can you wash it?
When you’re deciding what to do with your wedding dress, understanding these basics is crucial for assessing its suitability for dyeing, its tolerance for washing, and its comfort for the wearer. I don’t want to scare you away, but if you skip this step, you could end up with a dress which is blotchy, shrunken, distorted, stiff, rough or melted.
BUT if you do your homework, you could end up with a fabulous new wearable dress that is back in your life to enjoy, rather than being tucked away, out of sight and out of mind.
Reading Your Dress Label If you have a look at the label, you'll discover this probably won't tell you if it is natural or synthetic, but it will tell you if it is silk, polyester, viscose or a mix. 'Synthetic' means the fabric is not natural but created through a chemical process and usually derived from something like petroleum. 'Natural' means it is woven from a natural source such as silk (protein), or manmade using derivatives from nature, like wood pulp, e.g. viscose (cellulose).
Here are the terms you need to look for to identify from your dress label whether the fabric is synthetic or natural:
If it says Polyester, Nylon, Elastane, Econyl, New Life it’s SYNTHETIC
If it says Silk, Viscose/Rayon, Tencel, Cotton, Bamboo it’s NATURAL
There are of course other fabrics out there, but these are the most used ones.
Common Fabric Myths Dispelled Unless you're a fabric geek like me, there are some material myths that can easily mislead you. Someone may have described your dress as “silky”, but confusingly, 'silky' is a term that just refers to the drape and sheen of a fabric – it doesn't mean it is made of silk.
All the following fabrics come in both natural and synthetic versions – see if you can spot what yours is made from:
CREPE is a popular wedding dress fabric, which is matt, sometimes a little textured, floppy and drapey. It's often used in narrower silhouettes, sometimes cut on the bias.
MIKADO is currently very popular, and is stiff, with a faint grain; it holds its shape well and has a slight sheen.
CHIFFON is generically used to describe a fabric which is very sheer and floaty, while ORGANZA is stiffer, but just as smooth and transparent as chiffon.
SATIN is the shiny one, and it comes in various weights, including duchesse (stiff and heavy), charmeuse (lightweight and drapey), and crepe back (floppy with a textured underside).
Dyed wedding dress
What next?
Your dress may say “Dry Clean Only”, but in order to dye it, you’ll need to get it wet and to heat it. Virtually any fabric CAN be washed and heated, it just might change in the properties of that fabric.
In a nutshell, if you have a yearning to dye your dress, you need to start by doing a bit of patch testing, which usually means chopping a bit off the train and testing how it reacts to washing and heating before you plunge your gorgeous dress in a dye bath.
You’ll find a growing resource on my blog, website and information in my book RELOVABLE about this subject. You may find some of the layers in your dress are suitable for repurposing and others aren’t. Stick with me and I'll guide you through which layers will be most suitable for which project.
I hope you enjoyed this little introduction to the world of wedding dress repurposing. Understanding your fabric is the first step toward giving your dress new life and don’t hesitate to get in touch if you have any questions.
Love Caro x
Images: Andrea Verenini
Venue: Burningfold
HMUA: Storm
PS. Ready to explore what's possible for your dress? Access my FREE guide to “Beyond the Big Day” HERE which is a video and PDF giving you an overview of where to start and what to do with your old dress - the first steps toward giving your gown the second life it deserves.
If you’re a bride-to-be, then download my FREE "Peaceful Dress Journey" guide HERE to discover answers to the most commonly asked questions from all my brides. After your wedding, I’ll then send you some ideas for what to do with your old dress.
You’ll find more about the bridal world in my book which you can buy HERE. It makes a perfect gift for a bride-to-be, or for anyone who loves sewing, upcycling and wedding dresses.
