So first off I did not sew this orange boho dress. I did however dye it orange. This dress caught my eye on the Nordstrom website, and I thought it was very cute. It also looked very comfortable. However, it was this terrible beige color. No offense to whoever designed this dress, but the color was just horrible.
BUT…I really liked the dress. So, I bought it and since it was made of linen I knew it would be easy to dye.
Dying Fabric
This isn’t my first time dying fabric, so I was pretty confident that this project wouldn’t be too difficult. Rit Dye is the product I used to dye the dress. It’s been around forever and it’s pretty much the gold standard when it comes to dying fabric. It comes in a liquid or powder form. I have used and both and I don’t think one is better than the other. I used a power and liquid version when I dyed this dress.
Depending on how large the item you are dying is you can dye fabric multiple ways. I think the easiest way is in your washing machine. I know, I know…I’m telling you to put permanent dye in your washing machine, but don’t worry. As long as you follow the directions it will not stain your machine.
Choosing a Color
Now this is the fun part. Rit has a bunch of colors to choose from and they even have suggestions on how to mix certain colors together to get more color options.
I knew I wanted to dye the dress orange, but I had a few options as far as choosing a color. I bought two different orange colors, Sunshine Orange and Tangerine.
I used Sunshine Orange by itself first and after I finished dying the dress I didn’t love the color. It wasn’t dark enough. So I dyed it a second time using the Tangerine and the color turned out perfect!
Keep in mind when you dye fabric it’s always going to fad a little bit, so it’s always good to go a little darker. Rit has another product call fixative. It helps the fabric from fading. After you dye your garment run it through your washing machine following the fixative directions.
Types of Fabric
Another thing to think about when dying fabric is that natural fibers take color best (ie cotton, wool, silk & linen). Rit aslo has special dye for synthetic fabrics. I have never used any of these so I can’t speak to how well it works, but the option is there is you need it.
Styling – Orange Boho Dress
Similar to this dress and this dress I kept the styling simple. The less styling the better. I like it when an outfit is bold enough to stand on its own. Simple sandals and a straw bag are all you really need here. However, I did upgraded the belt. The one it came with was made of fabric and wouldn’t stay cinched. So, I swapped it out for the straw on instead.
I don’t own a lot of orange. That is why I decided to dye this dress orange. I think this is the only other orange dress I have. However, I do have some fabulous orange floral fabric that I have earmarked for a very fun dress. Stay tuned for that.
Thanks for reading. Hope you are off to a good week!
Photos by – Chloejane Photo + Film