Sustainable Fashion Chat

Last year I bought a nude Georgia and ended up selling it because the color didn’t quite work for me. Earlier this year, as I started to anticipate wearing spring-ier colors, I regretted selling the Georgia and found another one to purchase. I wore it a few times over the spring, but still wasn’t 100% sure of the color. In some lights, the nude silk has a pink cast, which I really liked. In other lights, especially fluorescent ones, it just looks like an unflattering beige. What I did really like about the nude is that it reads as a sophisticated, understated color.

The first try

I wanted to punch up the pinkish hue, so I decided to give over-dyeing the nude color a try. After checking out the Rit color recipes website, I decided Petal Pink would be the way to go. My idea was to give a very light pink overtone to the existing color.

Whelp, the first time I tried this, I ended up with a color that was somewhat pretty, but not in the least sophisticated or understated. I worried it actually read a bit Barbie-ish, although my family assured me it didn’t.

I had only used a splash of the Petal Pink, but apparently, that is a very intense color. I used the bucket method described here, and stirred the top for a good 20-30 minutes by hand. The color came out much more even than my previous efforts, but just wasn’t what I was looking for.

The second try

I contemplated what to do next. I checked the Rit color recipe page again and noticed that some of the subtler pinks had some tan included in them, so I bought a bottle of that color. My first thought was to try overdyeing with the tan.

On second thought, though, I wondered if that would just make the shirt too dark overall. As I explored the Rit site, I happened across Rit Color Remover. I read reviews on Amazon and most people seemed to be saying that the product would take the dye right out of a garment. Could that really be? Did I dare try it on my precious Georgia?

I finally decided that if I wanted the softer, more sophisticated color I was looking for, I’d need to remove the color and start over. With some trepidation, I bought a box of color remover and decided to give it a try.

I boiled a pot of water, dumped the packet of color remover into the bottom of the bucket, and poured the hot water over top of it. I ensured it was thoroughly mixed. All of this I did outside because a few people in the reviews mentioned a strong chemical smell with the product.

I got the Georgia completely wet and put it into the bucket with the color remover. Let me tell you, what happened next was like magic. I mean, magic! The color instantly came out of the top. It went from bright pink to cream instantaneously. It’s one of the coolest things I’ve ever seen!

I washed the top, and tried dyeing it again. This time measuring out a very precise recipe of 1 1/4 tsp of Petal Pink to 3/4 teaspoons of tan. It still came out too pink. I’m telling you, that Petal Pink is really intense.

Third time’s a charm!

Since I’d done it before, I decided to just do it again. The top seemed to be holding up well, despite multiple dips in boiling hot water. So I got another pack of color remover and gave it another go.

This time, I used much more tan — probably about a few tablespoons, and a very scant 1/4 tsp of Petal Pink. And… I love the resulting color! It’s a very muted beige-pink. Just what I was hoping for!

The color came out perfectly even. The trick on this, as I’ve learned, is to keep stirring and squeezing, and moving the item around for 20-30 minutes in the dye bath. In the past, I would stir it a few times, but the constant stirring gives a much more even color. Also, I found that the smell wasn’t really that strong, so the second time I removed the dye, I did it in our basement laundry room.

Happier with my Georgia now!

I’m looking forward to wearing the Georgia even more now that I’m 100% happy with the color. If you’ve been contemplating giving this a go, you should try it. The color remover means whatever you try is reversible, and, as a last resort, you can always dye the top a dark color like black or navy.

*Note* In case you try a darker color from the get-go and end up wanting to remove that color, please read the update at the bottom of my Georgia dress dyeing post. It may not be possible to completely reverse the dye job on a dark color like navy, and trying to do so may result in an unexpected result!