The grading words are the same as any clothing. What differs is where the faults actually are.
The words
New with tags · New without tags · Excellent · Good · Worn
Follow each with specifics. On their own they mean whatever the reader hopes.
The three places to check first
The lining. It fails before the outer fabric. Tears at the armhole, a hem that has come away, discolouration. Turn it out and show it.
The underarms. Staining, thinning, deodorant marks. The most commonly hidden fault in used clothing.
The decoration. Beads, sequins, stones, zari, embroidery: look for lifting, missing pieces, loose threads and snags. Say how many stones are missing if you can count them.
Then the rest
- Hems and seams — repairs, let-down hems, loose threads
- Fastenings — zips, hooks, buttons, all tried
- Pilling, fading, shrinkage, bobbling
- Stains, located and measured
- Smell
Alterations and allowance
Say what has been altered, and say how much seam allowance is left. For occasion and ethnic wear, allowance is a condition fact: it decides whether the piece can be made to fit somebody else.
Measurements carry the words
"Excellent, bust 92cm flat, waist 76cm, length 104cm, lining intact" is a description. "Excellent, size M" is a hope.
Questions people ask
How do I describe a repaired lining?
As repaired, with where and how visible. A repaired lining is an ordinary thing in a good garment.
Are missing stones a dealbreaker?
Not if counted and shown. Unmentioned, they are the first thing a buyer notices.
What if a stain only shows in daylight?
Show it in daylight. Photographing in warm indoor light to hide a mark is the kind of thing a buyer never forgets.
More: condition words across every category, describing saree condition.