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Condition Guide

We want you to be 100% confident about your purchase from us, so we invest considerable time in checking, repairing (where required), steam cleaning, measuring and photographing every one of the items we sell. Any significant flaws are clearly described in the 'condition' section of each item listing, along with close-up images. We offer a no-quibble money-back guarantee that your item will be as described.


When grading items we use the following naming system:

Mint: An item is as perfect and pristine as when it was originally made and shows no sign of wear (mint condition is rare for vintage clothing).

Immaculate: An item shows only the slightest signs of wear.

Excellent: An item shows typical signs of wear due to occasional use but has no obvious flaws.

Very good: An item is considered wearable but has some obvious flaws (e.g.staining or soiling or loose stitching to lining). Flaws are repairable, so the item can be returned to Excellent condition.

Good: An item is wearable but cannot be returned to Excellent condition even if repairs are made.

Restoration: An item has many significant flaws but its historical value merits an investment.


All items are thoroughly inspected for marks / stains / discolouration, thinning of material (especially at cuff, hem and collar edges and at the elbows / knees), missing / loose stitching (especially to linings around arm openings, vents, trouser leg hem and inside and outside pockets). We check all linings including pockets and cuffs. All buttons are checked to ensure they are original and secure.

          



All items are steamed, inside and out, prior to dispatch. Steam is a tried and true sanitiser. Unlike some abrasive cleaners, steam is both penetrating and gentle at the same time. It effectively sanitises because it can reach high temperatures (above the boiling point of water) in pressurized atmospheres. By effectively rehydrating and breaking the bonds of muck and dirt, it's highly effective at spot-cleaning and deodorising without all that rough treatment. Many manufacturers are now building steam technology into their latest washing machines and dryers. Frequent dry cleaning can be unkind to vintage natural fibres, and hence we only use dry cleaning to remove very stubborn stains and marks.