Does condition grading work the same for every garment type?

The 1.0–10.0 scale and the five weighted factors stay constant, but what counts as wear differs by category. Pilling matters most on knits, seam slippage and inseam blowouts on denim, sole and crease wear on shoes, lining and structure on tailoring. The factors are universal; the failure modes are category-specific.

What lowers a denim or knit grade fastest?

On denim, structural integrity does the damage — blown inseams, frayed belt loops, and stress at the crotch — alongside fading the design didn't intend. On knits, fabric condition leads: pilling, felting, thinning at the elbows, and snags pull the grade down even when the garment looks fine on the hanger.

How are vintage items graded differently?

Vintage is still graded against its as-made condition, but age-appropriate character — a soft hand, gentle fading, a single-stitch tee's patina — isn't treated as damage. Holes, stains, brittleness, and repairs are. That's why getting the design-versus-damage call right matters most on vintage.

Does category change how I should photograph for a grade?

Yes — shoot the parts that fail for that category. For denim, capture the inseam, hem, and waistband; for knits, a close-up of the surface and cuffs; for shoes, the soles, toe box, and heel. Showing the category's known wear points gives a higher-confidence, more accurate grade.

Condition grading by category

The 1.0–10.0 scale and the five weighted factors stay the same for every garment. What changes is where a category fails: pilling sinks a sweater, a blown inseam sinks jeans, sole wear sinks sneakers. Knowing each category's weak points tells you what to clean up before listing and what to photograph for an accurate grade.

Same standard, different failure modes

Each category leans on a different grading factor. Here's where to look — and what to shoot — by type:

Denim

Leads on: Structural integrity

What lowers the grade: Blown inseams, frayed belt loops, and stress at the crotch and knees; fading the design didn't intend. Distressing the maker built in isn't a flaw.

Photograph: Inseam, hem, waistband, and any factory rips up close.

Knits & sweaters

Leads on: Fabric condition

What lowers the grade: Pilling, felting, thinning at the elbows, and snags. Knits can look fine on a hanger and grade lower up close.

Photograph: A close surface shot, the cuffs, and the elbows.

Leather & outerwear

Leads on: Cosmetic + functional

What lowers the grade: Scuffs, dryness or cracking, lining tears, and a smooth-running main zipper. Hardware that sticks pulls the functional score down.

Photograph: Corners and creases, the lining, and the zipper mid-travel.

Shoes & sneakers

Leads on: Cosmetic + structural

What lowers the grade: Sole and tread wear, toe-box creasing, heel drag, and any sole separation. Box and extras help but don't change the grade.

Photograph: Soles, toe box, heel, and both shoes together.

Vintage

Leads on: Design vs. damage

What lowers the grade: Age-appropriate character — soft hand, gentle fading, a single-stitch patina — is expected, not penalized, and quality period-appropriate repairs (professional reweaving, sympathetic darning) preserve value rather than cost points. What counts against the grade is damage layered on top: moth holes, stains, brittleness, and crude or unstable repairs.

Photograph: Tags and construction details, plus any flaw and any patina.

Why one scale still works

A category-specific scale would make grades incomparable — a "9 for denim" wouldn't mean the same as a "9 for knits," which defeats the point of a standard. Instead, one published rubric scores every item, and the category just changes which factors carry the wear. That's how an Excellent sweater and an Excellent pair of jeans land at the same grade for the same reason: low wear against their intended condition.

Vintage is where this gets subtle — see intentional design vs. damage for how character is told apart from wear.

Explore the grading standard

These pages build on one published standard. Start with what condition grading is and the methodology behind every grade, see the published accuracy on our transparency report, or look up resale value by condition in the Condition Index and the What's It Worth tool.

Grade tiers

NWT NWOT Excellent Very Good Good Fair Poor

Grading factors

Fabric Condition Structural Integrity Cosmetic Appearance Functional Elements Odor & Cleanliness

Grading by category FAQ

Does condition grading work the same for every garment type?: The 1.0–10.0 scale and the five weighted factors stay constant, but what counts as wear differs by category. Pilling matters most on knits, seam slippage and inseam blowouts on denim, sole and crease wear on shoes, lining and structure on tailoring. The factors are universal; the failure modes are category-specific.
What lowers a denim or knit grade fastest?: On denim, structural integrity does the damage — blown inseams, frayed belt loops, and stress at the crotch — alongside fading the design didn't intend. On knits, fabric condition leads: pilling, felting, thinning at the elbows, and snags pull the grade down even when the garment looks fine on the hanger.
How are vintage items graded differently?: Vintage is still graded against its as-made condition, but age-appropriate character — a soft hand, gentle fading, a single-stitch tee's patina — isn't treated as damage. Holes, stains, brittleness, and repairs are. That's why getting the design-versus-damage call right matters most on vintage.
Does category change how I should photograph for a grade?: Yes — shoot the parts that fail for that category. For denim, capture the inseam, hem, and waistband; for knits, a close-up of the surface and cuffs; for shoes, the soles, toe box, and heel. Showing the category's known wear points gives a higher-confidence, more accurate grade.

Grade any category to one standard

Denim, knits, leather, shoes, or vintage — get an objective grade and a certificate buyers trust.