Defect taxonomy
A defect you cannot name is a defect you cannot price or disclose. These articles work through the vocabulary GradeThread uses for garment damage, what separates one defect from a similar-looking one, and how each type moves a condition score.
How to Grade Dress Shirt Placket Wear on Vintage Shirts: Button Gaps, Thinning, and Tier Placement
Placket wear decides the tier on a vintage dress shirt. Here is the button-gap, thinning, and stitch check that sorts Excellent from Good before a buyer does.
How to Grade Vintage Wool Gabardine Condition: Shine Spots, Nap Compression, and the Brush Test
Shine on vintage wool gabardine is usually cosmetic. Thinned, collapsed weave is structural. Here's the brush test that tells you which one you're grading.
How to Grade Elastic Degradation on Vintage Waistbands and Cuffs: The Stretch-Recovery Test
Elastic that stretches but won't snap back is a functional failure, not a cosmetic one. Here is the stretch-recovery test that sets the grade and the disclosure rules.
How to Grade Vintage Shirt Collar and Cuff Wear: A Hierarchy by Fabric Type
Collars and cuffs fail first on every dress shirt. Here is the wear hierarchy, by fabric type, that sorts cosmetic fraying from structural breakdown and sets the tier.
The Underarm Seam Slippage Test: Grading Knit Integrity on Vintage Sweaters and Cardigans
Pilling is cosmetic. Underarm seam slippage is structural. Here's the five-step test that tells you which one you're grading before the buyer finds out.
How to Grade Zipper Condition on Vintage Leather Jackets: Slider Friction, Tape Separation, and Functional vs. Cosmetic Failure
Slider drag and tarnished teeth are cosmetic. Tape separation and a slider that won't lock are functional failures. Here's the test sequence that sets the grade.
How to Grade Vintage Denim Fade Patterns: Honeycombs, Whiskers, and Artificial vs. Natural Wear
Honeycombs and whiskers can raise a pair of vintage jeans or sink them. Here's how to read fade patterns, separate real wear from factory distressing, and grade.
How to Grade Vintage Corduroy Condition for Resale: Nap Reversal, Pile Crush, and the Directional-Light Test
Corduroy wear hides in the light angle, not the fabric. Here's the directional-light test that separates cosmetic nap reversal from real pile crush.
Grading Buttonholes and Button Integrity on Vintage Garments: Fraying, Loose Shanks, and Replacement Impact
Loose shanks and fraying buttonholes read differently to buyers — one is cosmetic, one is functional. Here's the test that separates them.
The Odor Grading Standard for Vintage Clothing: Smoke, Storage Smell, and Washability vs. Permanent Scent
Odor can drop a grade a full tier or barely register — the difference is washability. Here's the sniff-and-wash test that decides which.
Grading Vintage Silk Charmeuse Stains and Discoloration: When Washing Damage Beats Age Yellowing
Yellowing on vintage silk charmeuse is usually cosmetic aging. Water spots and washing damage weaken the fiber. Here's how to tell them apart before you grade.
The Shrinkage Disclosure Standard: Grading Vintage Wool and Cotton for Fit Loss, Waistband Tightness, and Armhole Pucker
Shrinkage isn't automatically a Poor-tier defect. Here's the measurement-based test for disclosing fit loss, waistband tightness, and armhole pucker correctly.
How to Grade Vintage Lace Condition Before Selling: Brittleness, Discoloration, and Restoration Potential
Brittleness caps the grade, discoloration usually doesn't. Here's the flex, light, and stain test to grade vintage lace correctly before you list.
How to Grade a Broken Zipper Pull on a Vintage Leather Jacket
A missing zipper pull and a worn-out slider look like the same problem. One's cosmetic, one's functional, and they cap the grade differently.
Pilling vs Bobbling vs Matting on Vintage Knits: The Fiber-Depth Test for Real Wear Assessment
Pilling is cosmetic, matting is structural. Here's the fiber-depth test that tells you which one you're looking at before you grade a vintage knit.
How to Grade Seam Slippage on Vintage Silk Clothing: When Stitches Spread Without Tearing
Seam slippage on silk charmeuse and habotai is a Structural Integrity defect, not cosmetic wear. Here's the fabric-spread test that grades it correctly.
Vintage Elastic Waistbands and Cuffs: Grading Stretch Loss, Bagging, and Recovered Elasticity
Bagging elastic and dead elastic look similar off the rack. Here's the stretch-recovery test that separates a cosmetic call from a functional one.
Vintage Rayon Slip Damage: How to Grade Snags, Tears, and Fiber Breakdown on Delicate Linings
A snagged rayon slip and a brittle one look similar under a photo light but grade in different tiers entirely. Here's the pinch-and-flex test that tells them apart.
Does Replacing a Button Lower Vintage Clothing Grade? The Match-and-Disclose Standard
A replaced button doesn't automatically cap a grade — but a mismatched or undisclosed one does. Here's the match test resellers should run first.
How to Grade Brittle Acetate Lining on Vintage Coats: When Interior Fabric Becomes the Grade Limiter
A pristine wool shell doesn't matter if the acetate lining underneath is shattering. Here's the fold-and-flex test that grades interior brittleness correctly.