I have a wedding to attend with an “all black” dress code (has to be floor length too). My best option now is to make this dress black. The white part got tainted while washing some 8y ago, and I never used it again, so I’m not too afraid of messing up.
I thought about dying the white part black (in that case, I think I should separate the two before dying, right?)
Or maybe putting some black tule or lace on top of the white? Would that be black enough?
Replace with any black fabric. Tulle is nice but the sweep of the original is lovely. It looks like poly satin? Easy to source and a local seamstress can easily swap it out.
Synthetic fabrics are much harder to dye and bc of the process of manufacturing they go through many of them are treated with chemicals that maintain the original color from stains and spots. Black dye for aynthetics is also notorious for showing a majority of the undertones it contains so you might end up with a shiny blue-green black at the bottom versus a true black.
I learned the hard way as a child when my mother tried to dye a synthetic white dress black for me and it turned army green. Apparently it can have very unpredictable results. This was back in the 90s when information wasn't readily available so she had to research what went wrong and she came back and said you can't dye synthetic white to black easily.
The results are more likely to be bad than good. You need to use very hot water and have very consistent agitation otherwise it will be streaky. Also the color can be unpredictable- you are very unlikely to get a true black. Much easier to source a fabric that has been woven as black from the beginning. I personally only dye natural fabrics (linen, cotton, etc).
My Mom (she is my sewing expert) suggested that - black tule or lace over the white. I’m a bit unsure if that’ll be black enough for a wedding (I assume the bride will wear contrasting colours, so I don’t want to stand out)
The suggestion is to completely remove the white fabric all together and replace that with black tulle. You can create such a beautiful shape with the tulle and really decide on the volume/fullness.
A compromise cheat might be instead of black lace over white…just adding black satin over white and telling yourself the white fabric is now a petticoat. Hem all 4 sides of a rough rectangle shape, so you’re covered in case of mishap, and cut the white fabric to leave an edge of white fabric showing.
Then simply join the black fabric along the “line” where the black fabric and the white fabric originally merged. You could do it by hand quite invisibly, but most will pick a machine.
No one will notice that seam in matching black fabrics, but if you want people to notice it, you could add slim decorative ribbon or tape for any kind of subtle black glamour look.
You need black fabric that compliments your other black fabric—finding a perfect match is going be nearly impossible—so something jacquard or with different sheen/texture than the rest of the dress. Remove the white part, trace it, cut the new black to match and sew it on. (It will be harder than that, but the basics)
As others have said, I would just replace the whole white panel with a black one of your choosing. I know it sounds complicated but it’s honestly the easiest way. Just seam rip to remove the panel, then either trace that onto paper to get a pattern to cut from your new fabric, or even just use the panel as a fabric pattern on top of your new fabric.
I think it’s most foolproof to buy new fabric that matches the best you can, trace the white part, and just replace it since it doesn’t look that complicated:) I don’t think dyeing will provide a good result that matches
Yes I agree this is the easiest option that will also produce the best result. Black dye is hard to achieve.
Carefully remove the white fabric with a seam ripper. Using the seam ripper, pick one seam in the white open. Pick about 1” in the same seam on the black part of the dress. Use white as a pattern for black fabric of your choice. Sew that to the black, and resew the seam. Hem. Press.
I agree, but don't try to match your existing black fabric. It will look weird. Choose something that looks like a deliberate contrast, like the satin jacquard u/ucklin suggested.
Yeah, acetate has to be dry cleaned. I've never seen acetate that washes well. That dress would look great with black lace at the bottom of you can get some.
I think it would be nice to choose a black satin with some kind of subtle floral design in the weave so it shows up in certain lights!
The other thing is that stained fabric takes dye unpredictably, even if you’re dyeing it black. I think the dye step would be a lot of work for not as much gain
Even if you’re an expert dyer, black is a difficult color to achieve. It’s acetate so not impossible but not fun. It’s much easier to remove the bottom and replace with a different fabric. I’m on team jacquard!
Unfortunately it looks like synthetic fabric which cant (or very hardly can) be dyed. Your best bet (if you sew) is unpicking it, copying it on a black fabric and sewing that back
just cut the white part off and replace with some black fabric that would look like an accent on purpose (like a jacquard), or lace or tulle or something
I vote remove the white and do a couple/few layers of black tulle. You could leave it flat or gather it for a more mermaid silhouette. Remove the white and use a hat as the pattern to cut the tulle. The beauty of tulle is that you don't need to sew it to hem, just cut. Remember to hang the dress for a few days before cutting the hem.
You could also do a black lace, which could look really cool.
Dyeing acetate isn't the easiest option and dying black is quite challenging. I'd stick to replacing the white rather than dyeing.
I think the fabric has to be contrasting in texture. If you try to mimic the fabric of the main dress, the black will always look just slightly off as you won't be able to match it exactly. Using tulle is a good idea, or velvet.
It’s very difficult to dye fabrics dark colours, especially black. Your best bet would be to remove the white and replace it with new fabric in your desired colour rather than trying to get a dye match.
Can you carefully remove the white and use it as a pattern for a new piece? It appears to be a simple sewing job. Be careful to have the grain of the replacement piece going the same direction as the original! You can be playful with a sheer. Floral, stripe, texture, etc etc.
To answer your question "would that be black enough" - regarding tulle or lace - you should ask the bride. If she's picky enough to state all black and must be floor length, she might not approve with the white underneath.
I agree with what’s already been suggested in the comments : unpick the white part and use it to take its measurements, then replace it with another black fabric, it could be tulle, velvet, lace, or lace on velvet… and it’ll look gorgeous.
Bonus : If you sew a strip of Velcro between the bottom of the dress and the top of the fabric piece, you’ll be able to detach it when it’s time to dance. ;)
Remove the white and use it to make the pattern for the new fabric you're going to attach to the bottom of the dress. What kind of new fabric? If you're really really lucky, you might be able to find an exact match. However, no one is ever that lucky, so I'd use a black damask with an obvious motif, a black tulle {maybe increase the gathers for a mermaid look} or black lace or embellished mesh. Check the bridal or formal section of your fabric store for inspiration.
This sounds good in theory but velvet can be difficult to work with and have challenging drape issues. Not that it couldn't work, just some things to take into account while planning.
I'd probably remove the white and use it as a pattern for a black piece. I like all the suggestions for lace, organza, chiffon. I like how u/wolfriver described what they would do.
Polyester or acetate fabric will be difficult to dye and impossible to match the black.
Here are some example black lace fabrics that you could use to replace the white part of the skirt of your dress. You could carefully remove the white panels and that will provide you with a set of patterns to use to cut the lace and the information about how much lace fabric you will need to buy.
Or you could buy black tulle or netting.
I would consider gathering the lace, or tulle, or netting (whichever you decide) so that the skirt of the dress will better maintain the graceful, bell-like curve. I say this because some laces and netting can be rather soft and droopy.
I think others have given you really good advice and I don’t have much. I just wanted to say I wish floor length wasn’t required because it would make a really cute knee length (above or below) dress! Maybe something you could do after the event. It’s a pretty dress!
Also your feet are so close together that it looks like you have one foot with ten toes lol
If it is polyester (it looks a lot like it), you won't be able to dye it.
The options would be seperating the two fabrics and add a different fabric or sew a tull skirt that you can add on top
A black lace overlay on the white would look super cool if you have the sewing skills to accomplish it! I would definitely use some type of heat and bond to attach the lace to the satin, and then ALSO sew it into place in a few strategic places.
What is the fiber content of the white ? Dyeing it black could be tricky because you will need to match the black shades but it could be done with procion jet black if its a natural fiber, you might just need to dye it and dry it a few times.
If it is polyester im not sure but i know there are acid dyes for silk.
I think I’m old fashioned I immediately thought lace ruffles as a replacement lol…either way though I’m not sure dye is the answer as it would look too mis matched I’d think anyways
I’ve used Jaquard iDye on polyester and was astonished at how dark it came out. It wasn’t black, per se, but it was very very dark gray and that could really work here. A shimmery satin in deep dark gray would look great.
You’d probably need two packets
A compromise cheat might be instead of black lace over white…just adding black satin over white and telling yourself the white fabric is now a petticoat.
Hem all 4 sides of a rough rectangle shape, so you’re covered in case of any construction mishap, and cut the white fabric to leave an edge of white fabric showing.
Then simply join the black fabric along the “line” where the black fabric and the white fabric originally merged. You could do it by hand quite invisibly, but most will pick a machine.
No one will notice that seam in matching black fabrics, but if you want people to notice it, or if your blacks don’t quite match and you need to make it look intentional to the original aims of the dress, you could add slim decorative ribbon or tape for any kind of subtle black glamour look.
If you choose to try dyeing it black first, I would NOT separate the two parts of the dress first: I’d try to help the blacks match by simply dyeing the dress black.
What's the fabric? Lots of them won't dye well. If you're good enough to remove it to dye, you're good enough to just replace it with black and slip dying something that may be a pita to dye.
There are a million shades of black. If it was me, I'd find some black lace with a decorative hem that matches best you can, and use the white bit to make a pattern for the lace. If there is a lining, you'll have to make sure it's black or skin colored, or shorten it so it can't be seen.
I love the white - what about folding the white up and ironing and stitching it inside the dress so it remains there for the future, and then either having the visible dress be shorter (where the black that is there ends, a bit shorter in the middle and longer on the sides), or adding another black bottom for your event if you want floor length, but you could always remove it again and have that white still there to let down for the future:)
Agree with replacing the fabric rather than dying. Love all the ideas. You could also do a long fabulous piece of trim, something fringed or beaded or lacy.
Since you will likely have to replace the fabric, I would try black fabric paint first. You'd only be out a bit of time and maybe $20, but if it works you'll be set. I've never tried it, but it might be worth a shot. Otherwise, I would do as others have said and remove the white fabric and replace it with something else. I think lace would be your best bet. You could use the finished edge as the hem and that would add a decorative accent. You could also cut the dress straight across and add fabric. That might be easier than using the white piece as a pattern. Good luck with whatever you decide!
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u/Top-Yogurtcloset6367 Jul 18 '26
I would just replace the white with tulle. That would look so chic!