Labor Day has come and gone, so Gwyneth and I want to know – What are you doing with your white denim? Surely you aren’t putting them up for next year. Right? Glad we’ve got that straightened out.
Today we aren’t posting about how to wear white year-round. (We figured you’ve got that down, but let us know if you want a few suggestions. We can do that too!) Instead, this post is about what to do with a pair of white jeans that aren’t so white anymore. If you’re like us, chances are you wore a pair so many times this summer that now they’re more “greige,” and not in the good n’ trendy sense.
If you think we threw our pair out, then you don’t know us very well! We picked up a box of Rit Dye and DIY’d a new pair of colored jeans for the bargain price of $1.00! We used the purple box straight-up, but you can use Rit’s color formula guide to choose which of their 500 color combinations you love most. We hope our finished product inspires you to pick your not-so-white jeans out of the Goodwill bag and drop them in a bucket of hot water and dye instead!
Shopping Guide:
Army Jacket (old, but similar style at Topshop)
Gingham Shirt (old, but similar style at Gap)
Shopping Guide:
Rhinestone Brooch (old, but similar style at Nordstrom)
Wooden “M” Brooch (Grandma Krull’s vintage, but search Etsy)
Rhinestone Cabled Bracelet from Forever 21
Tweed Clutch (old, but similar style at Nordstrom)
Michael Kors Watch from Charlotte’s
Classic Pave Chain Link Bracelet from J Crew
Shopping Guide:
Ray-Ban Original Wayfarers from Pacific Sunwear
Chevron Drop Earrings from Bauble Bar
Shopping Guide:
Leopard Wedges (old, but similar style at Zappos)
Shop This Post:
xoxo,
mk & Gwynnie
Part of the Link Parties at:
All Stars Block Party, Live Laugh Rowe, The Shabby Creek Cottage, Embracing Change, Adorned From Above, Blissful and Domestic, Five Days, Five Ways, Countdown to Fall at Domestically Speaking, Funky Junk Interiors, Tatertots and Jello, Tutus and Teaparties, Too Much Time On My Hands, It’s Overflowing, DIY Showoff, The Girl Creative, Our Delightful Home, Coastal Charm, Home Stories A to Z, Project Queen, Savvy Southern Style
They turned out great! I have a pair of white jeans that could definitely use a little face lift!
Thanks, Ashley! If you end up giving them a facelift, please send us a pic of your finished product! We’d love to share on our Facebook page!
xoxo,
mk & Gwynnie
Where did you do your dying? And how do keep from getting creases of darker or lighter color? They look great!
Hi Lynn! We used a stock pot in the sink. When it was time to let them dry, we hung them in the shower and flattened them out. (They come out really stiff, so if you wear kitchen gloves and use a little pressure it won’t be an issue!) Please let us know if this helps, or if you have any more questions!
xoxo,
mk & Gwynnie
Great idea!! They turned out awesome! WELL DONE! (should have expected this from you
Thanks, doll! You’re too sweet! Happy (almost) weekend!
xoxo,
mk & Gwynnie
What a great idea, I would never have thought of it. Nice thought to be able to customize your own color instead of relying on what’s in the stores at any given moment.
Since you offered, I would love to see a post on wearing white jeans after Labor Day. I’ve got mine on now, but some years September 6 IS Labor Day, and it’s so warm out, it doesn’t seem odd. It may in a few weeks, though.
So glad you liked it, Matilda! And in regard to wearing white denim when it’s cold outside – you got it! We’d love to put together a few ideas that will work when the temperature drops. Be on the lookout!
xoxo,
mk & Gwyneth
The jeans turned out just darling! Way to “go green”…or PURPLE I should say!
Thanks for sharing!
Erica
Too funny! And green was actually our second choice!
Happy (almost) weekend, Erica!
xoxo,
mk & Gwyneth
I LOVE this! and love the color!!!
Thank you, Lauren!
xoxo,
mk & Gwynnie
Love it! Hubby has a pair of white cords that i wanna try dyeing for him. Lol, just maybe not purple.:)
HA! Understandable!
xoxo,
mk & Gwynnie
Is it bad that I want to immediately leave work with an “appointment” and dye my white jeans? Also, I stumbled upon your blog (can’t recall how) and realized we’d actually met in college. Just wanted to drop you a line to say I absolutely adore your blog and your style is killer.
Not bad at all! Gwyneth and I completely approve your “appointment!” If you dye a pair of your own, please email us a pic!
And seriously – what a small world!! We are so glad you found us, and your compliments have made our day! Again, so glad to have you here!
xoxo,
mk & Gwynnie
I came over from DIY Project Parade. I love colored denim and that purple is just incredible. I tried some “mint” ones the beginning of the summer but they were too much yellow and not as much blue so they look greener than I’d like but oh well, they are still awesome.
Hi Carissa! So glad you found us (Love the Project Parade!!) Total bummer on the mint, bounds like the green will be perfect for Fall!
Thanks again for stopping by – we’re so glad you did and hope you’ll come back soon!
xoxo,
mk & Gwynnue
You are so cute! Thanks for the tips and for linking up at It’s Overflowing! XO, Aimee
Thanks, Aimee! And thank YOU for hosting!
xoxo,
mk & Gwynnie
Heya
How did the color saturation turn out in comparison with the color on the bottle? I want to do red, but want them super bright! Thoughts / tips?
xoxo
Hi Catie! We used the powder over the liquid, but the jeans turned out just a hair lighter (maybe 1 shade on a paint chip) than the color pictured on the box. We wanted ours super saturated too, so we used the entire box of dye in a large stock pot. If you want yours to be as bright as the color on the box, we’d suggest using a full box + a little from a second. Please let us know how it goes!
xoxoxo,
mk & Gwynnie
Thanks for the tips! Check it out! http://chasing-arrows.com/?p=1877
Love it! They turned out amazing! We’re posting to our “Reader DIY” album on Facebook!
xoxo,
mk & Gwynnie
I would love it if you’d link these up to The Pinspiration Project!
http://adayinthelifeofamomandawife.blogspot.com/2012/10/the-pinspiration-project-linky-party-9.html
Hi Melissa! Thanks so much for coming by! We missed last week’s Pinspiration Project, but have it on our calendars for this week! We’ll be there! Thank you!
xoxo,
mk & Gwynnie