Garment Dye Hoodies

PFD (prepared-for-dyeing) natural fleece is cut and sewn into blank hoodies, loaded into rotating dye machines, and dyed at 40–90°C depending on chemistry. Reactive dyes bond covalently to cellulose (rich, wash-fast colour); pigment dyes sit on the surface with a binder (chalkier, more vintage look, more wash-fade). After dyeing, hoodies are rinsed, softened and tumble-dried.

• Softer than fabric-dyed equivalents — the tumble process breaks fibre stiffness.
• Uneven colour on seams, thread and label edges — creates the 'washed' look.
• Colour depth: reactive gives saturated tones; pigment gives dusty, faded tones.
• Perfect flat colour is not the target — expect ΔE 1.5–2.5 between units.

Garment dye shrinks length by 5–8% and width by 2–4%. Patterns must be scaled up before cutting so the finished hoodie hits the target size chart. Rib and thread must be PFD-grade or they resist dye and read as a different colour. Labels and drawcord tips are commonly dyed with the hoodie for tonal consistency — or left white for contrast.

• Ideal for capsule drops — 4–6 colour range across one silhouette.
• One PFD blank can hold 20+ dye colours, cutting inventory risk.
• Cost adder: ~$2–4 per unit vs stock-colour fleece.
• Lead time adder: 10–14 days after cut-and-sew.