Grading used corduroy pants
Grading used corduroy pants is about the wales. The ribbed pile flattens and goes bald at the seat, knees, and inner thighs, so the grade leads with crushed or worn-away wale, then checks for the colour sheen where the pile is gone, plus hems, pocket bags, and set stains in the ridges.
What to check
- Wale and pile condition — crushed, flattened, or bald patches
- Sheen at seat and knees where the pile has worn away
- Inner-thigh and knee thinning
- Hems, pocket bags, and stains trapped between the wales
How to grade it, step by step
- 1
Read the wale
Check the seat, knees, and inner thighs where the corduroy pile crushes and goes bald. Worn-away wale is the defining flaw and leads the grade.
- 2
Angle for sheen
Tilt the high-wear zones to the light; a flat sheen where the pile is gone signals heavy wear even before it goes fully bald.
- 3
Check hems and stains
Inspect the hems and pocket bags and look for dirt and stains ground into the channels between the wales.
Graded examples
| Grade | Why |
|---|---|
| 9 (NWOT) | Full plush wale, no flattening, crisp hems. |
| 6 (Good) | Slight knee flattening, no bald spots or sheen. |
| 3 (Poor) | Bald crushed wale at the seat with a worn sheen. |
Every grade sits on the GradeThread 1.0–10.0 scale.
Flaws to watch on this garment
Frequently asked
- What does worn corduroy look like?
- The raised ribs, or wales, crush flat and eventually rub bald, leaving smooth, shiny patches where the plush pile used to be — usually at the seat, knees, and inner thighs. That flattening is corduroy's signature wear pattern and the main thing that lowers a pair's grade, because the pile can't be restored.
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