Grading a used knit dress
Grading a used knit dress combines sweater and dress checks. The grade leads with pilling and shape — the seat and hips bag out on a fitted knit — then weighs snags, holes, and whether the fabric has gone sheer or lost recovery at the stress points a body puts on a stretch dress.
What to check
- Seat and knee bagging — lost recovery on a fitted knit
- Pilling at the sides, seat, and underarms
- Snags, pulls, and holes in the knit surface
- Sheerness or thinning where the knit stretches over the body
How to grade it, step by step
- 1
Check for bagging
Look at the seat, hips, and any fitted zone for permanent bagging where the knit has stretched and won't recover — a leading knit-dress flaw.
- 2
Grade the pilling
Scan the sides, seat, and underarms for pilling and note whether it lifts off or has matted into the knit.
- 3
Stretch-test thin areas
Stretch the fabric over the seat to reveal thinning or sheerness, and scan the surface for snags and holes.
Graded examples
| Grade | Why |
|---|---|
| 9 (NWOT) | Full recovery, no pilling, opaque throughout. |
| 6 (Good) | Light side pilling, shape holds, no bagging. |
| 3 (Poor) | Bagged seat that won't recover and matted pilling. |
Every grade sits on the GradeThread 1.0–10.0 scale.
Flaws to watch on this garment
Frequently asked
- Why does a knit dress bag out at the seat?
- Because a fitted knit stretches to the body and, over time, loses its elastic recovery at the highest-tension zones — the seat and knees. Once the yarn no longer springs back, those areas stay stretched and baggy even off the body. That permanent loss of shape is a major flaw that lowers the grade.
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