Tag: fabric-condition
Vintage Corduroy Pile Flattening and Bald Spots: The Directional-Brush Test for True Wear vs. Storage Crush
A flattened wale can bounce back with steam and a brush, or it can be gone for good. Here's the directional-brush test that tells you which.
Vintage Silk Charmeuse Cracking: When Fiber Brittleness Becomes a Grade Killer
Brittle silk charmeuse cracks along folds, not just fades. Here's the fold test that separates real fiber damage from normal aging before you list.
The Heat-Set Crease Standard: Grading Permanent Creases That Won't Press Out of Vintage Pants
A crease that won't press out isn't a styling detail — it's fiber-level damage. Here's the fold test that separates a wrinkle from a heat-set crease.
Fabric Puckering and Gathering: The Difference Between Shrinkage and Structural Failure
A puckered seam can mean shrinkage, bad thread tension, or a failing seam allowance — and each grades differently. Here's the test that tells them apart.
Vintage Corduroy and Velvet: How to Grade Pile Flattening and Fabric Nap Loss
Shiny wale tops and bald velvet seats aren't fading or damage — they're pile wear. Here's the grading standard that calls it correctly.
Pocketing and Felting: How to Grade Vintage Knits That Have Consolidated and Changed Shape
Felting isn't pilling and it doesn't brush off. Here's the fiber-consolidation standard for grading felted and pocketed vintage knits correctly.
Fabric Transparency and Thinness: How to Grade Worn-Through Areas That Aren't Holes
A worn-through inner thigh or paper-thin elbow isn't a hole yet — but it isn't Excellent either. Here's the light test and grading threshold that gets it right.
That Dull Windbreaker Isn't Faded — It's Frosted: How to Grade Synthetic Sheen Loss
A dull polyester shell isn't fading — it's fiber-level frosting. Here's how to grade synthetic sheen loss on polyester and nylon before a buyer calls it damage.
Fabric Pilling by Fiber Type: Why Merino Wool, Acrylic, and Cotton Blends Grade Differently
The same pill count means Excellent on merino and Poor on acrylic. Here's how to grade pilling by fiber type instead of by eye alone.