How to Sell a Damaged Skirt

A damaged skirt is still worth selling — typically £2 to £9 at For Parts, against £8 to £35 undamaged.

Can you sell a skirt that is damaged?

Yes. Damaged stock has its own buyers: people who repair and restore, people who want the material rather than the object, and people who want a cheaper one and do not mind a flaw. Nobody should be surprised when it arrives.

The damage buyers look for on skirts

These are the flaws that move a skirt down the grades, and the ones a buyer will check first:

Torn or twisted linings
Broken zips and missing hooks
Pilling on woollen fabrics
Thin unlined polyester

Grading it honestly

Fair covers something heavily used, or with a described fault or missing part: around £4 to £16. For Parts covers something not working or incomplete, sold as seen: roughly £2 to £9. Grades are seller-declared and nobody inspects them for you, so grading up does not raise what you get — it produces a buyer who arrives expecting something else. All five grades explained.

Working out what you actually have

Establish the flaw properly rather than guessing at it:

Check the lining is intact and hangs straight
Work the zip fully
Measure the waist and length flat

Photographing the flaw

Photograph the damage directly and in focus — it is the evidence that the rest of the description is honest:

Laid flat, front, whole skirt in frame
A tape running waistband to hem
The composition and size label
The zip, the lining and any snag or mark

What to state in the listing

Alongside the flaw itself, buyers of damaged skirts want these confirmed:

Flat waist doubled, hip, and length from waistband to hem
Fabric composition and whether it is lined
Style: A-line, pencil, pleated, wrap
Zip or elastic fastening, and whether it has pockets

Style, fabric and size: “A-Line Midi Skirt, Wool Blend, Size 12, 70cm Long”. Length in centimetres belongs in the title because skirt length is entirely relative to the wearer. Say whether it is lined and whether it has pockets.

What buyers will ask

Answer these in the listing rather than waiting to be asked:

“How long is it?”

Give the waist-to-hem measurement in centimetres and your own height. Length mismatch causes most skirt returns.

“Is it lined?”

Check and say. An unlined skirt in a thin fabric is a different product and buyers who have been caught before ask.

“Does it have pockets?”

Answer it — it is asked constantly and a yes genuinely helps the sale.

Is it worth repairing first?

Only where it is cheap and visibly well done — a clumsy repair costs more than the flaw it hides. What lifts the price:

Natural fabrics with good weight and drape
Lined skirts with intact linings
Designer and contemporary labels
Working zips and fastenings

If the work would cost more than the gap between £9 and what a sound one fetches, sell it as is damaged and let the buyer decide.

When to list it

Steady with lifts in spring and before the party season. Midi and A-line styles sell fastest.

Getting it to the buyer

Light and cheap to post, folds small. Fold along the existing seams and add tissue for pleats or satin, since a creased skirt photographs badly on arrival and prompts avoidable questions.

WishThrift does not process payments, arrange delivery or hold funds. Confirm the money has cleared before the item leaves your hands, and keep the conversation on the site so there is a record of what was agreed.

Ready to list it? Free to list, no commission, and neither side pays a buyer-protection fee — create a free account, or read the full skirt selling guide if yours turns out to be sound.

Frequently asked questions

Can you sell a damaged skirt?

Yes. A damaged skirt typically is worth £2 to £9 against £8 to £35 undamaged, and there is a real market in repair, restoration and craft stock. Torn or twisted linings

Is it worth repairing first?

Only where the repair is cheap and visibly done well. What buyers pay for is natural fabrics with good weight and drape — a repair that draws attention to the flaw can leave you worse off.

How should I describe the damage?

Precisely, with a photograph of the flaw itself. Give the waist-to-hem measurement in centimetres and your own height. Length mismatch causes most skirt returns. Vague wording is what produces the message asking for a refund.