At Regenex we’ve been proud to share news of some of our preliminary adventures in vintage garment overdyeing on the blog.
We have been busy re-colouring high-end pre-loved pieces along with our more usual overdyeing work with towels and tableware.
And while there is a keen consumer appetite for yellows, greens, purples and reds, our commissions are increasingly heading in one direction: Navy blue.
In our initial trial dye loads of almost 2,000 salvaged denim and cotton items – jeans, jackets, shorts, jumpers and shirts – we’ve been asked to colour an overwhelming 80% of this material navy.
This not surprising and a wholly sensible and sustainable choice. Navy is flattering, timeless and hard wearing. Navy clothing doesn’t show stains and overdying in dark blue can cover a multitude of marks, uneven tones and discoloration.
The colour dates back to the officers of the British navy in the late 18th century. Originally called marine blue, it became known as navy and was adopted by other military across the world due to its air of authority and discipline.
It gained further popularity as a neutral and versatile hue, perfect for business suits, school uniforms, formal wear and all the ubiquitous applications it has today.
Now Regenex’s overdyed navy garments are on sale across the UK at a range of boutique shopping locations.
Paul Hamilton, technical director, said: “Navy is a great colour that is never seemingly out of fashion. It’s classic and classy, quintessentially British – but also international and universal.
“From a sustainability point of view, navy is a great colour for overdyeing because superb results are almost automatically guaranteed. Long may its popularity continue.
“Of the garments we have been revamping, 80% have been navy so far with just 20% accounting for all other colours. We look forward to seeing this interesting and very environmentally beneficial line of work continuing to expand and evolve.”