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Fading of lingerie is often due to color loss, and readers have asked about how to reduce color fading when washing darker or more vibrant lingerie. Naturally, fading isn't visually appealing; even if the lingerie is new, it can diminish the desire to wear it. This edition's topic comes from reader requests, and everyone is welcome to ask questions in the background. No matter how unique the angle, I'm here to address your concerns and provide answers.

1. Does color fading have a lot to do with the brand?

Color fading isn't an inevitable outcome for dark colors; it has more to do with the quality of the lingerie. The quality of lingerie is determined before it leaves the factory and isn't something that can be influenced by personal care practices.

Brands that care about color fading conduct tests before shipping and won't sell products that don't meet their standards. To eliminate color fading, start at the source by choosing brands that have excellent colorfastness.

While it's impossible to test colors over the long term, a short-term test can be done by rubbing the fabric with a tissue, as there might be some initial color transfer. If the color continues to rub off after several attempts, it could indicate poor colorfastness.

Additionally, consider the brand's color palette. If a brand offers a wide variety of colors and dares to use shades that others don't, it's likely that they have excellent colorfastness. After all, reputation is crucial in the lingerie industry.

Types of dyes generally include direct dyes, acid dyes, disperse dyes, reactive dyes, vat dyes, cationic dyes, sulfur dyes, and condensation dyes. Direct dyes are prone to severe color loss and are inexpensive, while disperse dyes, reactive dyes, and vat dyes are less likely to fade. Vat dyes are more expensive, so there's a positive correlation between the price of lingerie and the colorfastness.

While consumers can't know which dye is used in their lingerie, the colorfastness can be tested through lightfastness, washfastness, and crockfastness. Products that pass these tests are considered qualified. The tissue test mentioned earlier is a crockfastness test.

Although it's not guaranteed that lingerie won't fade before purchase, after wearing it a few times, you'll have a sense of which brands are prone to fading and which are not. For those that are, it's best not to continue purchasing them, as efforts to improve their colorfastness may be futile, as issues might have arisen during the manufacturing process.

2. Floating Color

Floating color is relatively hard to avoid. New lingerie should be washed before wearing to ensure no color loss later on. So, color loss during the first wash is normal and not actual fading.

However, if the color continues to fade after several washes and the lingerie's components are bleeding onto each other, it's a quality issue.

Some methods suggest using saltwater or adding other substances to the water to set the color. Personally, I believe saltwater can erode the quality of the lingerie itself, which is not worth the trade-off, and its effectiveness is limited. It's said that cations in saltwater can fix dyes, but with various dyes used in lingerie fabrics, the effectiveness of saltwater cannot be guaranteed.

Floating color might occur for the first few washes, so don't panic when wearing them initially. Theoretically, normal floating color shouldn't bleed onto other colors, but to be safe, it's recommended to wash with light colors separately or even alone. If it's proven that the color won't fade after washing, then it's safe.

3. Sweat

Some color loss doesn't necessarily happen during washing but can occur during wear, such as when sweating. If the color loss is severe during washing, it's likely that the lingerie has already been discolored by sweat.

To avoid this, it's best to avoid excessive sweating, stay indoors more, and not wear regular lingerie for running but opt for sports bras. This protects both the lingerie and your chest.

Lingerie that fades due to sweat can leave color on the skin when removed. Since dyeing is a complex process, some colors require multiple shades to mix, and reactions with sweat and oxygen can cause color changes.

The color that lingerie leaves on the skin may not be the color of the lingerie itself; for example, black might leave a yellow stain. If you encounter this issue, try to avoid wearing that color-fading lingerie when sweating. If you have a naturally sweaty constitution, consider changing brands.

4. Vibrant doesn't have to mean dark; light colors can be vibrant too

Especially for those prone to allergies, lingerie doesn't always have to be white or light-colored. You can opt for a white or light base with vibrant patterns, which is an excellent solution to prevent lingerie color changes.

Particularly nude-colored lingerie can take full advantage of its skin-toned benefits to create special designs that, from a distance, don't look like lingerie but like wearing flowers on the body, which is quite striking.

5. Pattern selection, avoid heat transfer prints

There are generally two types of prints: one is dyed, and the other is heat-transferred. The former has a lighter pattern that integrates with the fabric, while the latter has more complex and varied patterns that are separate from the fabric. Dyed prints are generally less likely to fade.

Heat-transferred prints will inevitably fade; they naturally peel off due to friction, which is unavoidable. To avoid color fading, the only option is not to buy them.

Embroidery is a pattern woven with threads, and it's very dense, making it the least likely to fade. If you want bright and colorfast lingerie, choose embroidered styles. If you're concerned about the凸起 of embroidery, opt for thin or flat embroidery. Additionally, lace styles are much safer and less prone to fading.

6. Washing and drying tips

Be mindful of the detergent used during washing; never use laundry powder or soap, nor baking soda, white vinegar, or lemon and other unconventional substances. These are either too acidic or too alkaline, causing damage not only to the color of the lingerie but also to the fabric itself, leading to rapid deterioration over time.

Use neutral detergents, such as laundry liquids or lingerie-specific detergents and soaps. Friction can also cause color loss in lingerie, so avoid being too rough when washing. If using a washing machine, always use a dedicated laundry bag. Don't soak hand-washed lingerie for too long, and for machine washing, choose a shorter cycle. Whether hand or machine washing, use warm or cold water to reduce color fading. While regular clothes can be air-dried inside out, lingerie is difficult to do so; it's better to find a location not directly exposed to the sun and opt for air-drying.

Additionally, machines with high temperatures, such as dryers and specialized lingerie washing machines, can severely damage the elasticity and shape of the cups, causing the lingerie to fade more easily. If thorough disinfection is necessary, use disinfectants. In theory, lingerie doesn't need to be disinfected thoroughly; hot water disinfection is only necessary for underwear, not lingerie.

7. Different dark colors have different degrees of color loss

Even among dark colors, the degree of color loss varies. Black and dark blue dyes have excellent durability, which are also popular choices. Even if they fade, they maintain vibrancy. Gray, being a mix of white and black, is also less prone to fading.

In addition, red, purple, and brown are colors that are less likely to fade. Yellows and oranges are more prone to fading, especially those dyed with还原 dyes. They are fine for regular washing but are particularly susceptible to fading in sunlight, so extra care is needed.

8. Different fabrics have different degrees of color loss

Different fabrics use different dyes, and their inherent fragility also varies, leading to different degrees of color loss. Silk, for example, is prone to fading and yellowing and can easily lose its luster. Even with light colors, it's hard to maintain vibrancy.

The care for silk is to wash less frequently. If you don't sweat much, you can simply air-dry. However, since lingerie is intimate wear, unlike some outer silk garments that can be left unwashed, lingerie rarely goes unwashed. Washing in cold water or waiting a few wears before washing are methods to prevent color loss and aging.

Natural fabrics are generally more prone to fading, but some natural fabrics come with their own colors, such as the grays and yellows of linen.

Natural colored cotton and silk are less likely to fade but are rarely used in adult lingerie, mostly for children's wear. Synthetic fibers are less prone to fading and have better fabric durability, making them less likely to fade.