“Nycilla dyes her locks, 'tis said, but 'tis foul aspersion; She buys them black, they therefore need no subsequent immersion” - Lucillius

A month or so ago I mentioned a photograph from a Paris Vogue editorial that had shown me the light...actually the light and the dark...as it awakened me to the possibilities that tie-dye jeans could provide.

Now that I've actually tracked down a suitable candidate...in the shape of these Winter Light jeans from Built by Wendy...my frugal inner voice is speaking up and raising the question of whether DIY might not be the way to go.

Oddly enough, for all my experiments in that line I have never tied and dyed...and I'm rather wary of tying and bleaching as an initial experience...which probably harkens back to some home hair-dying that I tried. I won't go into detail...let's just say that I ended up with Astroturf green hair...green hands...and mottled green bathroom fixtures. Quite frankly, the mind boggles at what I could accomplish with a bottle of bleach...
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Post a Comment 6 comments:

  • Genuine Lustre said...
    7:23 AM
    I did this in college in the early 80s. The technique was to lay a pair of jeans in the bathrub and splatter randomly with bleach. I think it's one trend that I personally won't be revisiting. : )
  • EM said...
    9:33 AM
    I love tye dying my shirts that need a facelift. My suggestion with bleach is to try it on smaller items,like couleured canvas bags. It's a great project for a free Saturday afternoon
  • Anonymous said...
    12:03 PM
    Em's right: Tie-dyeing with bleach is risky biz. Maybe start smaller than a pair of jeans and work your way up.
  • Elizabeth said...
    7:06 PM
    When I was in high school, I just tried the old dump-and-wash. Dumped the bleach on, then watched to see how the fading was going, then, when I saw that it was nearing the desired effect, I washed. The effect was dazzling. Mind you, the bleach substantially weakens the clothing/thread fibers. Try to avoid dumping on any key areas, like the seat, the crotch, or the seams. Don't ask me how I know this.

    I recommend trying DIY with a pair of jeans you don't care about, or do as Em suggests, so you risk little or nothing if the experiment doesn't work.
  • Hebden said...
    7:30 PM
    Thanks for the words of wisdom everyone. Now I know what to do...and what to avoid...if I decide to give this a try.
  • Anonymous said...
    12:36 PM
    Can't wait to see the results!

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