Sun fading
Also: color fading · UV fading
Sun fading is the loss of color caused by prolonged UV exposure — often uneven, showing up on shoulders, folds, or one side of a garment that hung in light. Unlike intentional acid or bleach washes, it's incidental damage the maker never designed, so it counts against the grade.
How to detect it
- Compare shoulders and folds against shadowed areas like seams and hems
- Check for a color line where a garment was folded on a hanger
- Look inside a pocket or under the collar for the original, unfaded shade
Grade impact
Fading hits both Fabric Condition and Cosmetic Appearance. Slight, even fading is minor; pronounced or uneven fading that changes how the piece reads is a Fair (5) signal — unless the wash is clearly an intentional design, which isn't penalized.
Fixability
Rarely reversible. Dye or color-restore products are inconsistent on blends and can worsen unevenness. Usually best disclosed rather than treated.
How to disclose it
Call it out and photograph the faded area next to an unfaded one. Buyers accept honest fading; a surprise faded panel triggers 'not as described'.
Sun fading — frequently asked
- Is sun fading treated as damage or design?
- Incidental sun fading is damage and lowers the grade. A deliberate acid or bleach wash is design and is graded against the garment's as-made state, so it isn't penalized. Telling them apart is part of the grade.
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