Fall dye time

Let me just preface this by saying that I have a lot of clothes. Not like shop-a-holic level of a lot, just...above average. Probably. I don't really go around measuring other peoples wardrobes for comparison or anything. But, because of that, I have a lot of clothes that last from year to year; favorites that I'm careful with, or just pieces that sometimes get forgotten or not worn as much because I have so many choices. (And because I spend most of my days at home in pajamas so my 'nice' clothes get a lot less wear & tear than my 'home' clothes.)

Sometimes, though, even though they're still in good condition, things fade. And no one wants to wear faded clothes! So twice a year, right around the time that I switch my spring/summer and fall/winter wardrobes around, I dye things. Usually it's just the blacks, because those are the most prone to fading, and the most obvious (and because I wear a lot of black) but I have been known to do grey or blue as well. It's a simple way to keep clothes from last year (or the year before, even) looking sharp, and a lot cheaper than replacing staples (like leggings, turtlenecks, tanks to wear other stuff, etc.) that don't really change styles from year to year. I mean, I don't know about you, but I prefer to spend my money buying new boots rather than replacing the leggings I'm going to wear them over!

So today I dyed three pieces:

A turtleneck that I've actually had for...3 years this winter, a tee that I got in February of this year, and one pair of leggings. (The other pair has a hole, so they are getting replaced.)

Here's a close-up so you can see the difference in the amounts of fade:

See how even though the turtleneck is the oldest it's also the blackest? And I think, honestly, this will be the first time I've dyed that! It's one of those things that I take really good care of because I really love it. It's got just the slightest bit of ruching down the neck, sides, on the wrists, and around the arms, making it almost puffy sleeves. The tee is just a cheap one from Sears, but it's thin enough that it's great for layering, and other than a bit of fading, there's absolutely nothing wrong with it. And since it's less than a year old, I'm giving it a face-lift to get it through at least one more season before I let it go.

Another tip for keeping blacks black (and any clothes from fading, really) is to hang them to dry instead of tossing them in the dryer (I actually plaster mine all over the bedroom and leave the fan on high while they're drying) or, if you must put them in the dryer, use a lower setting. (Delicate, low heat, whatever it may be on your dryer.)

Anyway. Just thought I'd share this, in case anyone needed some ideas on how to breathe new life into a favorite outfit that has begun to lose it's luster! Other than this, I'm still working on getting the house in tip-top shape. I've gotten both bathrooms sparkling clean, and organized the craft room, for the most part. Just need to go over it once more with the vacuum and clear off my desk. I'm waiting to do the kitchen last because it's the easiest to dirty up again. We have a huge counter that easily becomes a catch-all for pretty much everything. Ok. Time to get back to it! Hope everyone has a great week!