Name: Debi

Country or region: Ontario, Canada

Message: I was thinking of dyeing a pair of pale blue suede trousers that have faded & become shop stained. Can this be done? (They were originally a very expensive italian made brand - that were a thrift find,so good quality & soft - don't really want to lose the "hand" too much either.) Thanks for any help/info.

If you can wash them, you can dye them. You can't dye anything that is not washable. 

If you decide it's worth taking the risk, go ahead and wash your pants first; it is very important to thoroughly pre-wash any item you wish to dye. You won't be able to dye your trousers if they have been treated with any sort of water-resistant stain-protective finish.

Suede and other types of leather are susceptible to damage from heat, so my choice for dyeing them would be a cool water fiber reactive dye, such as Procion MX dyes. After dyeing, you will probably need to resoften the suede with some sort of conditioner.

An alternative to washing and dyeing would be to try to use a commercial suede conditioner to improve the appearance of your trousers.

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