Clothing is usually dyed, rather than inked or painted. Some dyes are better at attaching to fibers than others, and some synthetic polymer fibers are notoriou

Clothing is usually dyed, rather than inked or painted. Some dyes are better at attaching to fibers than others, and some synthetic polymer fibers are notoriously hard to dye. But on the other hand, some dyes diffuse into certain plastics very easily, and then never come out. It depends on the chemistry. The only pigmented clothes I am aware of are "dirt shirts" that are infused with strongly colored soil. The reddish orange color is undoubtedly iron oxide, and they will fade with every washing, because there is no binder to keep the pigment attached to the fiber.