Advice on dyeing trousers

Belisarius

Hi,

I found some trousers that actually fit me & that are really cheap. Unfortunately, they come in four colours, only two of which I like. I was thinking I could dye a couple of pairs black (a colour I would have a lot of use for), but I have no experience of this, so wanted to get some advice.

I guess my questions would be: is it possible to dye trousers that are 98% cotton & 2% elastic? What kind of dye would you recommend? Would I have more success dyeing a paler colour (light brown or dusky pink) or a darker colour (navy or bottle green)?

Thanks!

Lord_Blue

You should be able to dye these trousers with no problem. The elastic content is likely around the waistband and won't affect the rest of the trouser. I suspect a darker colour like blue would dye better.

I also advise you check out the cost of dye, because it might make it not worth your while.

thriftlady_2

If the thread used to sew them up is polyester it will not dye.

Belisarius

Lord_Blue wrote: »

You should be able to dye these trousers with no problem. The elastic content is likely around the waistband and won't affect the rest of the trouser. I suspect a darker colour like blue would dye better.

I also advise you check out the cost of dye, because it might make it not worth your while.

Hmm - I think the elastic might be in the trousers themselves as they are a little bit stretchy. Would that be a problem?

The trousers are on offer at only £9 just now, so even spending £5 on dye would be worth it, especially as I find it almost impossible to find trousers that fit me!

Belisarius

thriftlady wrote: »

If the thread used to sew them up is polyester it will not dye.

How would I know or find out? The label only says 98% cotton & 2% elastic ... no mention of polyester.

tori.k

As they are cheap its more than likely the thread will be polyester which wont dye, i have a couple of pairs of now black trousers with off white seams, i keep meaning to see if i can colour the seams in with a marker pen.

Lord_Blue

If you buy a blue pair the fact that the thread is different might not be too noticeable. It's whether this matters to you I guess.

buxtonrabbitgreen

I had great success with dying my ds jeans from blue to black. But the dye was very expensive. About £7 I think. Though it was over a year ago and they are still fine. I also put in a faded black shirt of his to make the most use of the dye.

Belisarius

Ah, that's all really useful. I will definitely have a go, even if the dye is expensive - great tip about putting another item in. No bother if the thread stays the same colour. I like the way two of the people who replied to this thread have a colour in their username

vodkawitch1

I have just paid £3.75 in sainsbury`s for dylon dye and this was enough to dye one pair jeans and 3 cotton tops and i am no small lady x

h007

i need to buy some dye as alot of the black trousers i wear for work ar eabit grey now and i really dont want to buy new ones.

has anyone used dye that goes in the washing machine? i am abit scared it will ruin the machine lol