What is clothing condition grading?
Clothing condition grading is the practice of assigning a standardized score to a pre-owned garment based on its wear, damage, and overall state. GradeThread uses a 1.0–10.0 scale mapped to seven named tiers — from NWT (New With Tags) down to Poor — and derives the score from five weighted factors. The result is an objective, comparable measure of condition, so buyers and sellers share the same definition of "Excellent" instead of guessing from photos.
The 1.0–10.0 scale and its tiers
Each tier anchors a point on the scale. Half-point increments let graders place an item precisely between tiers.
| Score | Tier | Definition |
|---|---|---|
| 10 | NWT — New With Tags | Brand new, unworn, with original tags still attached. Indistinguishable from retail. |
| 9 | NWOT — New Without Tags | New and unworn but the tags have been removed. No signs of wear or laundering. |
| 8 | Excellent | Gently used with no notable flaws. May have been worn or washed a few times but looks nearly new. |
| 7 | Very Good | Light, normal wear. Minor signs of use that don't affect the overall look or function. |
| 6 | Good | Visible but minor wear — slight pilling, faint marks, or small cosmetic issues. Still very wearable. |
| 5 | Fair | Noticeable wear or a documented flaw such as a stain, hole, or fading that affects appearance. |
| 3–4 | Poor | Significant damage or heavy wear. Often sold for parts, repair, or distressed styling. |
The five grading factors
Rather than a single subjective impression, the overall grade is a weighted combination of five factors:
| Factor | Weight |
|---|---|
| Fabric Condition | 30% |
| Structural Integrity | 25% |
| Cosmetic Appearance | 20% |
| Functional Elements | 15% |
| Odor & Cleanliness | 10% |
See the process end to end in how it works, or how sellers apply it on the resellers page.
How a flaw is measured
“Small hole” is an opinion; 3–13 mm is not. Every defect is sized into a bucket with a stated physical range, so two graders — or two regrades — are working from the same definition.
| Size bucket | Physical range | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| pinhole | under 3 mm | Visible only on close inspection. |
| small | 3–13 mm | Noticeable at arm's length. |
| medium | 13–50 mm | Immediately visible in normal use. |
| large | over 50 mm | Dominates the area it sits in. |
| extensive | dominates a panel | Affects the garment as a whole rather than one spot. |
| unknown | not determinable from photos | Scored at the low-impact end — missing data never increases a penalty. |
Severity, relative to a moderate flaw
Severity scales the penalty a flaw carries. Published as multiples of a moderate flaw so the words have a fixed meaning:
| Severity | Weight |
|---|---|
| Minor | 0.5× |
| Moderate | 1.0× (the reference point) |
| Major | 1.8× |
Which factor each flaw is charged against
A flaw rarely affects one thing. A rip is mostly structural but also costs fabric condition; a stain is mostly cleanliness but also shows. This is the full routing — the shares for each flaw add up to 100%.
| Flaw | Factor(s) affected |
|---|---|
| Stain | Odor & cleanliness 60% · Cosmetic appearance 40% |
| Hole / puncture | Fabric condition 80% · Cosmetic appearance 20% |
| Rip / tear | Structural integrity 60% · Fabric condition 40% |
| Seam failure / unthreading | Structural integrity 100% |
| Pilling | Fabric condition 70% · Cosmetic appearance 30% |
| Abrasion / thinning | Fabric condition 80% · Cosmetic appearance 20% |
| Fading | Cosmetic appearance 70% · Fabric condition 30% |
| Discoloration | Cosmetic appearance 60% · Odor & cleanliness 40% |
| Snag / pull | Fabric condition 60% · Cosmetic appearance 40% |
| Broken zipper | Functional elements 100% |
| Broken button | Functional elements 80% · Cosmetic appearance 20% |
| Missing hardware | Functional elements 100% |
| Stretched / misshapen | Structural integrity 60% · Cosmetic appearance 40% |
| Odor | Odor & cleanliness 100% |
| Wrinkle / crease | Cosmetic appearance 100% |
Flaws judged to be intentional design — factory distressing, raw hems, acid wash — are not charged against any factor. See intentional design vs. damage.
Condition grading glossary
A definitive page for every grade tier and grading factor — what each term means, what graders look for, and examples.
Grade tiers
Grading factors
Go deeper
Cornerstone guides that put the standard to work:
- A reseller's guide to condition grading
What to grade, how to shoot it, and how to sell on it.
- Reduce returns with condition proof
Close the not-as-described gap before the buyer pays.
- Resale value by condition grade
How value moves with the grade, from real comps.
- Intentional design vs. damage
Tell factory distressing apart from real wear.
- Condition grading by category
Denim, knits, leather, shoes, and vintage.
Condition grading FAQ
- What is clothing condition grading?
- Condition grading assigns a standardized score to a pre-owned garment based on its wear, damage, and overall state — so 'Excellent' or '8/10' means the same thing regardless of who is selling.
- What does NWOT mean?
- NWOT stands for 'New Without Tags' — an item that is new and unworn but no longer has its original retail tags. It anchors a 9 on the GradeThread 1.0–10.0 scale.
- How is the overall grade calculated?
- The overall grade is a weighted blend of five factors: Fabric Condition (30%), Structural Integrity (25%), Cosmetic Appearance (20%), Functional Elements (15%), and Odor & Cleanliness (10%).
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