this month's challenge

[fox]

I need black jeans.

There aren't any.

Well - not precisely true. But here's the thing: I can't wear any pants with "skinny" in their name. The shape just isn't right. Everything I've found that exists in black doesn't fit in one way or another; usually the rise is too low, because where I'm carrying some weight I'd rather not be carrying just now makes my lower belly a little cushy, which uses up more rise than a flatter belly would, and my waist is already quite high, which means mid-rise pants on me are pretty low and low-rise are laughable. The nearest approximation I've found in an affordable option was at Target, of all places, where one size was a little too small (enough that wearing them for a couple of hours wouldn't ease it enough) and the next size up was much too big.

Sigh.

So my latest brilliant plan is to buy blue jeans in a style I know fits comfortably, and overdye them. I have never done this. Who has pointers?

Comments

[twistedchick]

I have overdyed blue jeans, using RIT dye in the washing machine (instructions on the box). The warp threads (in jeans, usually white) will pick up the dye far more than the weft (the denim). I haven't tried to double-dye them in order to get a darker color. The dye stayed colorfast until they fell apart

[sneezer222]

Rit dye works pretty good, just remember that for the black you need to double the amount of dye. Two boxes or an entire bottle of the liquid.

[fox]

So if they recommend starting with two boxes, should I go to three or to four? (And if I want to do three pair of jeans, can I do them all together with a half-dozen dye boxes, or should I do them separately?)

[resonant]

If you want to try one more buying source, Lands' End has a nifty thing where the descriptions 'tall' and 'petite' are somewhat independent of inseam length -- meaning that you can order a pair of 'tall' jeans in inseams that range from 32 to 36. I have the opposite problem from you -- my rise is very short, though I'm average height -- and I order their petite jeans in a longer inseam.

They're non-stretchy traditional denim. This was a plus for me but might not be for you.

[laurakaye]

My best dyeing advice is to go online to Dharma Trading Company (http://www.dharmatrading.com) and take their (excellent, user-friendly) advice on what to use. My understanding is that RIT will never set all the way and will bleed in the wash forever, because it's one-step so it doesn't fix properly? Something like that. You will need to use the dye along with a fixative and it will dye with great deep color and last beautifully.

Note: I have used their products extensively on silk but only the once on cotton, so YMMV.

[sneezer222]

Do them all together. I would say for three pairs of jeans you should do 3 or 4 boxes of dye or 1 1/2 to 2 bottles of dye. And add salt as it recommends.

[fox]

Doesn't look like there's any black denim there for me. But thanks for the tip!