Grading a used linen shirt
Grading a used linen shirt accounts for the fibre's quirks. Linen wrinkles and softens by nature, so slubs and creasing aren't flaws, and the grade leads instead with the thinning, holes, and seam stress linen develops as it weakens with washing — plus collar wear, buttons, and stains that set in the open weave.
What to check
- Thinning and holes as linen weakens (not wrinkles or slubs)
- Seam stress and slippage in the loose weave
- Collar and cuff wear
- Set stains lodged in the open weave; buttons
How to grade it, step by step
- 1
Look past the wrinkles
Ignore creasing and slubs — they're inherent to linen. Grade the fibre's strength instead: hold panels to the light for thinning and holes.
- 2
Check the seams
Inspect seams for slippage and stress, common in linen's loose weave, especially at the shoulders and side seams.
- 3
Inspect collar and stains
Check the collar and cuffs for wear, confirm all buttons, and look for stains set into the open weave.
Graded examples
| Grade | Why |
|---|---|
| 9 (NWOT) | Strong crisp weave, no thinning, all buttons. |
| 6 (Good) | Softened and slubby but sound, no holes or stains. |
| 3 (Poor) | Thinning shoulders with a small hole and seam slippage. |
Every grade sits on the GradeThread 1.0–10.0 scale.
Flaws to watch on this garment
Frequently asked
- Do wrinkles lower a linen shirt's grade?
- No. Linen wrinkles and shows slubs by nature — that relaxed, textured look is expected and isn't a flaw. What lowers a linen shirt's grade is genuine fibre weakening: thinning that lets light through, small holes, and seam slippage in the loose weave, which are the real signs of a garment near the end of its life.
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