DIY Bridesmaid Dress

photo by Jordan Burch

So what do you do when you're asked to find a mustard yellow bridesmaid dress and you procrastinate? You have a really hard time finding one...even on the internet. Well, I did find one that was very unflattering and overpriced. It would have worked.

I was determined to find another dress, searching at the mall, every boutique in Austin, and all the thrift stores around. No luck. Then one day it struck me - wait, could I dye my own dress?

Yes!

And it was really easy. I used Rit yellow (full package) and a couple tablespoons of tan. I dyed it in the washer and it was foolproof. As long as you follow the directions carefully about dissolving the dye first in hot water and aggitating the water before adding the garment, I don't think you can mess this up.

I had to take the dress in at the waist and all the darts, which was the most challenging part. Silk is a pain to sew (at least for me).

The dress looked pretty good, but it was definitely missing something. I decided some shoulder beading would make it look a little more polished.

Here's the dress before. An off-white silk Ann Taylor dress found at a thrift store for $7.99: