Organic and eco-friendly clothing most often comes in neutral colors, such as white, beige or brown. To break the monotony, without sacrificing integrity and eco-responsibility, try dyeing your clothes.

First, make sure you know the type of fabric you want to dye: different dyes are used whether you want to dye cotton or silk, for example. To help you get started, check out Dharma Trading.

Then, go for natural dyes from plants and insects. Prices run from about $2.50 to up to $10.50 for 4 oz, depending on the dye.  

You will also need some other products:

-    a prewash (to pre-scour the fabric) and after wash detergent. Most dyers have been using Synthrapol, but it’s best to use a non-toxic alternative, such as Dharma Professional Textile Detergent: just as effective and more eco-friendly as it contains no alcohols.

-    Alum, also called Aluminium Sulfate, to mordant (or set) the fabric

-    Cream of tartar

All of those products are available at Dharma Trading.

Also, to find out more about dyeing, check out Jenny Dean’s The Craft of Natural Dyeing, available in our store.