Name: katie
Message: I have a black taffeta dress that I would like to dye a different colour (I would prefer yellow, purple or blue, all vibrant). I am not sure of the material, but the washing instructions say to dry clean. Is there any way that I might be able to dye it? And if so, which are the best colours to try? 

I'm sorry, but this is not going to work. If a dress cannot be washed, then it certainly cannot be dyed. Dyeing is harder on fabric than washing, because it requires multiple washings and, in the case of polyester or nylon, much hotter water.

The second problem is that changing color from black to anything else cannot be done by dyeing. Dye is transparent. It can only add to the color that is already there, not subtract from it to make a lighter color.

Turning a black dress into a lighter and brighter color requires that you bleach out the dye that's already there, but no way can you bleach a dry-clean-only polyester taffeta dress. Hypochlorite, which is the active ingredient in ordinary household bleach, is highly damaging to polyester. See "What chemicals can be used to remove dye?".

Rit Color Remover and other sulfur-based discharge chemicals will remove color from many fabrics, and they are less damaging than household bleach, but there's no reason to expect any of them to work well enough that it would make this project possible. Many fabric dyes simply cannot be removed.

Whenever a dress's fiber content is unknown, chances are good that it's polyester, because polyester is cheaper than silk. Unfortunately, polyester is entirely unsuitable for home dyeing. It's so unsuited to garment dyeing that you can't even find a professional who will do it for you. See "Dyeing Polyester with Disperse Dyes". 

Polyester can be dyed only with a special kind of dye called disperse dye, which requires boiling for an hour. It's unlikely that you have a non-aluminum cooking pot large enough to allow the dress to move in freely, and even if you do, you're not likely to want to spoil it for food use by using it for dyeing.

The one thing you might be able to do is add a good fabric paint on top of the black color that is already there. Most fabric paints are transparent, but a few are opaque. Solid color opaque fabric paints would give a horribly amateurish look, but a metallic or pearlescent color might make the dress more beautiful. Look for Lumiere fabric paint, which is made by Jacquard Products. (Order from Fibrecrafts in the UK, or from Dharma Trading Company in the US.) Lumiere is available in many beautiful glittery metallic colors. A bright metallic blue or purple, for example, might add just the right accents to make your dress more interesting. Or maybe not, depending on both the style of the dress, and your taste.

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