After seeing a few of my favourite bloggers wearing it, I went out and (admittedly, impulse) purchased this maroon pleated skirt from Topshop. I wore it once and then let it languish in the back of my wardrobe, clashing hideously with everything else in there. The colour just wasn’t right – too autumnal, too dark and reminiscent of my high school uniform.

Topshop pleated skirt, £38

When it comes to clearing out clothes I no longer wear, I’m not shy. Anything that’s not working goes on eBay or to the charity shop. But I wasn’t quite ready to say goodbye to those cute pleats, so I decided to dye. Dyeing a polyester skirt is not easy, fun or always successful, so here’s a DIY guide to getting the job done.

Dyeing polyester is tricky. The dye needs intense heat to be able to penetrate the fabric, so shoving it in the washing machine with a bit of Dylon won’t work.

You will need a large pot that can accommodate the item you’re dyeing plus water (DON’T use your favourite spaghetti pot – you can’t cook food in it afterwards), rubber gloves, an apron and a packet of polyester dye. I used iDye Poly in blue which I bought from this eBay seller.

Mix the dye and setting agent (both included in the packet) in water and add your fabric. The water should just cover the fabric. Bring to a rolling boil. Be warned – it smells absolutely disgusting and like it may well damage your lungs. There are no warnings about ventilation or breathing in fumes in the instructions, but I opened all windows and doors and tried not to inhale as I stirred.

The instructions state 30 mins to an hour for the dye to take, depending on how deep you want the colour to be. I gave it an hour but it was VERY dark when it came out, so 45 mins would probably be fine. I stirred every few minutes for a ‘uniform shade’, which I presume means an all-over colour and not school uniform.

After an hour of tireless stirring and one ruined tea towel, I let the water cool and drained the fabric. I then put it on a gentle wash with a tiny amount of detergent. The result?

Topshop skirt, Primark blouse, H&M cardigan, Sarenza shoes, Zara belt

It looks black in these pictures but is actually a lovely shade of dark navy. Unfortunately the pleats are pretty much gone – not sure if it was the dye or the constant stirring that did it, but the fabric is now just a bit crinkled in places. I’m happy with the overall result though, and have already worn the navy version more than the original one.

What do you think – did I do the right thing by dyeing or did you prefer the original colour? Have you ever dyed your clothes before? Share your successes (and horror stories) below.

You’ve probably seen a few lovely bloggers posting about Sarenza recently – the online shoe shop has enlisted a team of us to be ambassadors for the brand. A task I was quite happy to take on!

Sarenza was launched in Paris five years ago and has become a firm favourite with French ladies. It’s a bit like Office in the UK, with a huge (and I mean huge – I’ve spent hours browsing) range of brands and styles on offer. There are plenty of recognisable names, like Carvela and Irregular Choice, as well as new and high end brands including Ash and Pour la Victorie. There are so many beautiful shoes to look at, browsing the site made my eyes drool.

Primark jacket and tee, ASOS jeans, Me & Zena necklace, H&M rings, Georgia Rose sandals from Sarenza

I chose these butter-soft nude leather sandals by Georgia Rose, a designer I hadn’t heard of before. Most comfortable heels I’ve ever owned? Yes indeedy. The insoles are padded to stop that burning thing on the balls of your feet (something Party Feet DO NOT do, despite their claims) and the built up platform gives height without bending your foot in half. Georgia Rose obviously loves feet.

I’m so excited to be working with Sarenza – next week I’m jetting off to Paris to see the latest styles about to hit the online shoe shop and meet some amazing French bloggers. I can hardly believe it and am completely unprepared, so I’m going to bury my head in a French phrase book (ou est la gare?) and practise my best haughty stare (hello stereotype!). Any tips for me? And what do you think of the shoes? Les chaussures sont belles, non?