Condition Guide

We take a conservative approach to “grading” the clothes we offer. We have made the choice to move clothes a step down rather than have a customer disappointed with an item. We check the condition of every item at each of the four steps in our process before it’s put into inventory. We start with an overall look at the item and then for pilling, worn labels, worn or stretched-out areas, flaws like holes, missing or mis-matched buttons, degraded colors etc. The grade you see for each item is determined at our (very brightly lit!) data station. It’s here where each item is measured, labels are examined, and all of the many details are recorded. At the next stop, the item is laid out for the third time under bright lights, this time for photos. By the time the item is finally logged into inventory, it’s been put through a very thorough examination!  

That’s a quick look at our process; here are the four condition categories we use:

New with tags:   An item with manufacturer’s tags attached and no flaws.

Like new:   An item that we assume has been worn (because it’s lacking manufacturer’s tags) but shows no or minimal signs of wear and no flaws.

 Good:   An item that has signs of wear and might have a small flaw in an inconspicuous location. Still very wearable in public but not new and unworn.

 Fair:  An item that has flaws and/or shows noticeable wear. Our general rule is to only list “fair” items where people are less sensitive to wear and flaws e.g. work jeans, sweatshirts etc.

Despite the effort we take to correctly grade an item, we know there will be an occasional mistake by us. If that is the situation, we apologize. Please follow the following link for information on how to return an item that falls short of our standards: returns

A final note on the condition of our clothing: While some items may have been washed or dry cleaned prior to going into our inventory, we urge customers to wash (or dry clean) items after they pass your inspection. This is the process we follow for our personal thrifted items, and we urge you to do the same with all thrift clothing, no matter where you buy them.

Updated: August 11, 2025