DEAR Jasminda,

I BORROWED a dress from a friend and managed to spill red wine on it.

I then soaked it in a light bleach solution which changed the colour of the entire dress from a deep orange to a sickly mandarin shade.

It was an expensive dress and I have searched for a replacement, but they are no longer in stock. Help!

Cassie P.

Oh, Cassie

Borrowing clothing items is always fraught. I once borrowed a jumper and when I washed it, it went from a slouchy size 10 to a top suitable for a small toddler.

Since then I haven’t been game to borrow any clothing items.

You can’t enjoy the night in an outfit you don’t own, although you seem to have had a merry old time, dousing yourself in alcoholic beverages.

Your second error was trying to resolve the issue using a home remedy.

You really should have taken the dress straight to the dry cleaners.

Using bleach on a coloured item is just asking for trouble.

And you got it.

You’re going to have to come clean – pun intended – with your friend.

Just be honest and explain what happened.

Tell her you’re going to take it to a specialist to get it re-dyed, but if that doesn’t work explain that you will happily pay her the replacement cost.

Unless, of course, she fancies the sickly mandarin shade, though I doubt that would go with any skin tone.

Carpe diem,
Jasminda.