I rarely wear white.
Whether it’s because I’m clumsy, and whatever the garment is, it’s going to be stained with coffee within five minutes, or whether it’s the fact that it completely washes out my pale skin (SPF 100 4 Lyfe), I just don’t wear it.
Today’s refashion looks like it was meant to be some sort of Easter dress from the 90’s.
While the fit was spot-on, the style was soooo not “me”!
I did, however love this detailing around the shoulders:
I also loved that this dress was made in the USA (a rare find, these days!)!
Refashion Pro Tip: When you see a potential refashionable with details like this, DYE IT! The thread content in the details is likely to be different from the rest of the garment, ergo it will take the dye at a different saturation level. This usually results in some really pretty transformations!
I thought about making this dress into a top, but realized I pretty much just did that. No worries! I liked the shape/fit of this dress. It just needed a little…help.
I grabbed my seam ripper!
The first things to go were those shoulder pads.
Now for the fun part! I grabbed a couple o’ bottles of dye. For this refashion, I choose fuchsia and brown.
I used a 3/4 fuchsia/1/4 brown mix. A few of you have asked why I usually mix my dyes. Think of it like this…when you watch a painter paint, they don’t usually use paint from right out of the tube, right? No, they mix many colors together!
To get more complex, rich colors, you’re going to have to blend them. Here’s a website for paint mixing that I think covers dye mixing as well (I promise a longer dye mixing post is in coming). Rit also has a section on their site that covers dye mixing/color formulas.
I wanted a funky boho uneven dye job for this refashion, so I mixed my colors in a small bowl (I’m going to wad the dress up in it), along with some salt (as per the directions on the bottle).
Then I added hot water and mixed it in with the dye.
Then, I wadded up my dress and submerged it in it’s cramped dye bath.
The key to getting an uneven dye job is to NOT stir the dress. The idea is, since it’s wadded up, they dye will absorb at differing levels.
After about 45 minutes, I took my dress out of its bath, rinsed it in the sink, and then tossed it in my washing machine for a short cycle to make sure it was fully rinsed.
But I wasn’t done just yet!
I hated those ties on the sides, so I unpicked the area around them and removed ’em!
This left me with a couple of gaping holes.
A quick stitch session followed!
Now my newly-funkified dress was ready for an evening entertaining friends!
I’m quite happy with how that shoulder detailing worked out, and how those pearls really stand out now!
The bubs (this is what I call my dogs) seemed to gravitate towards my latest refashion as well!
In conclusion, if you’ve been afraid to try dye mixing in the past, I hope you now feel confident to give it a go! 🙂
Cheers!
I really like the color you achieved! Very flattering dress.
Again, great job ! Love this. Your guy is very handsome
Your friend looks a little like Neil Patrick Harris!
I need to dye more … inspired.
Love it!
What a difference in the detailing. It is so pretty now.
I think you found the perfect dress for a restyle… Nothing actually wrong with it but the colour… I love the colour you gave it and the few snips that were necessary… Nice job! I really love this one!
You turned an insipid dress into a charming, flattering one. It looks so rich in the color you achieved and the trim is gorgeous. The dress sits so nicely on your darling little figure with the pads removed. And removing the tacky ties really updated it too. Another brilliant refashion. Gosh, I love that you’re back.
P.S. Ads don’t bother me. I’m just delighted to have you back.
Amazing transformation! So inspired to try my hand at dyeing now. Love the color mixing, too. Thanks for your upbeat, inspiring posts and tutorials. Always a treat to see a new post in my email.
Because of you, when I found my favorite jeans in white for cheap I scooped them up and dyed them! Thanks for making it seem do-able! Planning a big sewing day soon to hem some too long dresses. And maybe even attempt turning a romper into a dress. Do you have any tips? You’re an inspiration.
Lovely color on you!
Well, wasn’t this a surprise and a delight! This little dress looks super on you and I love the colour and the trim colour enhancement. One is never certain how trims will react to the dye but this was awesome.
Love the dress and the dye job. And I understand about the white. For both reasons!
I really like this idea and it has inspired me to do some dying on some of my white items. Beautiful outcome and I am so glad you are back and sending us new ideas.
You’re fabulous and gorgeous. Your clothes and creations are perfection.
Love the dress; love the posts!
Oooo! Didn’t the fancy details come out beautifully!
I really love the color you picked! And that you left it sort of the dame.
Great job.
Just to reassure you–reading in Google Chrome on am Android device. No problem with ads covering pictures or being overly distracting–just the standard stuff.
Your knack for styling keeps everything fresh. I swear you can rock these looks like no one else!
Even though I still don’t like the dress (sorry!), I love that you are always illustrating different techniques to creatively re-purpose clothing. You show that thrift finds are low-risk and you bring it to that level of “doable.” Thank you!
I love this refash! You truly have an eye for what things “could be”! So happy you are back….I really missed you
I am loving this refashion, and if you get tired of the dress there you go a blouse.
The ads will pop up if your pop up browser is not set to do so, I have not seen a pop up, I also check on some ads just so you can make a few dollars, if I get a email from the ads I just spam them into spam box.
Thank-you for sharing your beautiful fashions with us especially Mr. refashionista.
Catherine
Love this remake. And also love that you’re back. Have always enjoyed your posts.
LOVE IT!!! Just darling, so brilliant! Ads are a fact of life and I won’t let them keep me from reading your wonderful blog! I hope we can stay positive here.
One of my favorite demonstrations of how a good dye job can enhance a otherwise very monochrome dress. So cute!
On a side note: I have no problem with ads on a blog, but the ones that pop up over the pictures are frustrating. They’re super distracting. Maybe just the banner on the bottom of the images if possible…
Thanks for the feedback! While ads are definitely necessary to fund this blog and keep it going, I definitely don’t want to have any that are making the blog a chore to read. 🙂 I reached out to the company that handles my ads and asked them to remove the in-image ones. I love monies, but I love you guys more. 🙂
“I get that you sell ads…”
Ingrid, Jillian isn’t selling ads, ads are how she can earn some money to continue doing the hard work of producing a really terrific blog. I’m afraid folks who read blogs have no idea how much work goes into it. I used to have a blog but gave it up because it is so much work. If you have a regular job, you put in 40 or 50 hours a week and then you get a paycheck. Jillian is spending a lot of time scouring thrift shops, making purchases, coming up with refashion ideas, doing the work while taking photos, posting them on her website, then spending a LOT more time writing the post and doing all the social media required to get it out so we can all be inspired by how she simplifies the process for the rest of us.
Sorry this is so long, but I just want people to know that a successful blogger needs and deserves to be paid for their work and ads are how that happens.
Absolutely fabulous. You look wonderful in that dress. You really have the knack for this. Love it.
Gah, I can’t even with these ads. Ads on top of your photos, ads that stop me from reading a page, takes forever to load. No thanks. Sorry, I love your refashions and I have a standard wirehair dachshund( so I love yours too), but the ads are too much.
Thanks for the feedback! While ads are definitely necessary to fund this blog and keep it going, I definitely don’t want to have any that are making the blog a chore to read. I reached out to the company that handles my ads and asked them to remove the in-image ones. I love monies, but I love you guys more.
Thats odd, I don’t have any ads on the page popping up at all, wonder if it is the browser.
The refashion is great, but the ads jumping over the photos, not so great. Very distracting. I get that you sell ads, but I find one that jump and block in the middle of photos to be very annoying
Thanks for the feedback! While ads are definitely necessary to fund this blog and keep it going, I definitely don’t want to have any that are making the blog a chore to read. I reached out to the company that handles my ads and asked them to remove the in-image ones. I love monies, but I love you guys more.
Pretty!!!
Mr. Refashionista….. love it. I’ve been following you for years and I’m so glad that you found your other half! Great refashion btw!
Wowowow! <3 Amazing refashion an I really love that dress (especially upper part) after dying! 🙂
Ohhhh! Amazinggg!
I’m going thrifting for some WHITE asap!
(I also avoid bc I have the same coffee spilling tendencies).
Gorgeous result! Love it!
stunning!
Honey Moley is right…the dress is adorable… now but hold on for just a doggone minute!!! 2P?!!!!!! I haven’t been a 2P EVER…it’s no wonder you look so fantastic in your refashions. You are a tiny little princess!!!
Lovely! Yes, I am glad you are back for when you have time to share with us. That old schedule of daily was a bit too demanding, no? Enjoy the adulation of your fans and don’t stress. We adore you!
I am SO glad you are back!! I see dresses like this that I love but always pass because they are white. Next time I am going to grab it and dye it ♥️
Great color on you!!! Also, awwwww, am so happy you’re back writing and creating! Horray!
SPLENDORABLE!!!!!
Love❤️!
So glad you are NACK! Your posts are a wonderful treat during a busy day.
I’m so freaking happy you’re back to posting regularly!!! So inspiring!!! #bringbroochesback
This is gorgeous!! When you do your dye mixing post can you please also cover how to make sure you don’t get dye in your washing machine? I am scared of dying something and accidentally ruining other things with tinges of dye