Probably not. Is there any water-resistant finish on the outside of the jacket? Usually, ski jackets have some sort of water resistance applied, so that they don't become heavy and soggy from melted snow. The problem is that any finish that resists water will also resist dye, and will even resist fabric paint. If the finish has worn or become thinner in some places than others, then the thinner spots will take more dye, resulting in a markedly splotchy effect.

You can test it by sprinkling water across the surface. If any of the droplets of water bead up, instead of soaking in, you know that it's not dyeable. Unfortunately, this test is not perfect. Sometimes accumulated dirt will render a water-resistant coating temporarily ineffective, but the coating is still there. Washing and drying the jacket will usually renew the water-resistance of the coating. There is no way to completely remove a water-resistant coating for an effective application of dye, even if it has temporarily lost its effectiveness.

If it turns out that the ski jacket never did have any water-resistance, then it may be possible to recolor it. In that case, the vital question is, what fiber is it made of? You must know the exact fiber content of the shell of the jacket, and match your dye selection, as well as the recipe for applying it, to the fiber content of the fabric.

The most common choices for the outside shell of a ski jacket are polyester and nylon. Nylon is not too bad to dye, because you can dye it with acid dyes at a water temperature of 185°F (that's 85°C). Acid dyes are the same type of dye used for dyeing wool, because nylon, surprisingly, has a strong chemical resemblance to wool. (See "About Acid Dyes".)

There are many different types of acid dyes, and I can advise you on your choice if it comes to that. Note, however, that even 185°F is must hotter than the hottest of tap water, so you will need to, essentially, cook your jacket in the dye. That requires an extremely large cooking pot, since if the garment is not able to move freely as it heats in the dyebath, you will get terribly uneven results. You have to stir frequently while dyeing, and this is impossible unless the volume of the pot is larger than the volume of the garment. Note also that, since none of the very good textile dyes have been tested for safety for use in food preparation utensils, you should not plan to reuse your dyeing pot for food. Also, since acid dyes must be used with a mild acid such as vinegar (hence their name), you cannot use an aluminum or iron pot, because the acid will react with the pot, eating the metal away as you heat it. It might be more economical to buy a used jacket somewhere, instead of investing in a good dyeing pot. However, there are instructions available for dyeing with acid dyes in a washing machine, using merely hot tap water; the colors achieved will be paler, but the bother is tremendously less, so it's worth a try. Acid dyes will not hurt your washing machine. (See "How can I dye clothing or fabric in the washing machine?".)

Dyeing polyester is even more challenging than dyeing nylon. Polyester cannot be dyed with any ordinary dye, and it cannot be dyed at washing machine temperatures, since it requires a full boil. The only type of dye that will work on polyester is disperse dye. (See "Dyeing Polyester with Disperse Dyes".) You cannot use acid dye, or all-purpose dye, or any sort of dye for cotton. All dyes not specifically designed for use on polyester and other synthetics will wash out afterwards, or even rub off onto other clothing when dry. Dyeing polyester with disperse dyes requires the same sort of cooking pot as dyeing nylon with acid dyes, unless you use the disperse dyes to make some sort of iron-on transfer, which does work very well on polyester. (See "Iron-on Fabric Crayons for Synthetic Fibers".)

If your jacket is free from any water-resistant finish, then there's an easier alternative to dyeing. There are some high-quality fabric paints available, which work on both natural and synthetic fibers. Not all fabric paints will work on synthetic fibers, but all of the fabric paints manufactured by Jacquard Products do, including their fabric paint Dye-Na-Flow, a very thin fabric paint that flows almost like a dye. Another brand of fabric paint that you can use on both natural and synthetic fibers is Dharma Pigment Dyes (which, in spite of their name, are really a paint). Using either of these will be much easier than using a true dye on synthetic fibers. The results will not be as smooth and even as you can get from true dyes, but there's a lot to be said for their ease of use.

After you consider the alternatives for recoloring your faded ski jacket, you may decide to look around for a new or previously used ski jacket. Buying another jacket would be easier than dyeing this one. Unfortunately, dyeing synthetic fibers tends to be a lot more trouble than dyeing natural fibers such as cotton, silk, or wool.

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