Lacoste maxi dresses: price by condition
| Condition | Typical |
|---|---|
| New with Tags | £66 (~$88) |
| Like New | £56 (~$75) |
| Good | £43 (~$57) |
| Fair | £30 (~$40) |
| For Parts | £16 (~$22) |
Seller-declared grades, sterling with an approximate US dollar equivalent at £1 ≈ $1.33 (July 2026). What each grade means.
What holds its value across Lacoste
- The L1212 pique polo, which has been in production essentially unchanged for decades and is the item buyers search for
- Vintage pieces made in France under the Devanlay licence, printed on the care label, which carry a clear premium over later production
- Older garments labelled Chemise Lacoste, which is the original naming and dates a piece to the earlier era
- Collaboration pieces and the Lacoste Live sub-line, which were made in much smaller runs than the mainline
What pulls Lacoste resale value down
- A frayed, lifted or partly detached crocodile, which is the identifying feature and the first thing anyone looks at
- Stretched or greyed collars on the polos, the normal failure and the reason most used ones sell cheaply
- Faded colours on the brighter polos, which is common and very visible
- Current mainline basics in common sizes, which compete directly with a new one on sale
Identifying and dating yours
- Lacoste sizes are numbered 2 to 8 rather than lettered, so state the UK equivalent and the flat chest measurement — this is the commonest cause of a return on the label
- The crocodile should be tightly and evenly embroidered with defined teeth and eye; buyers compare it against reference photographs
- The care label gives the country of manufacture, and Made in France places a garment in the earlier, more valuable period
What lifts any maxi dress, whatever the label
Maxi dresses are strongly seasonal and highly supplied, so fabric quality and fit detail are what separate them.
- Natural fabrics with good drape
- Designer and boutique labels
- Intact linings and working zips
- Listing in spring and early summer
And what pulls one down
- Snagged or pulled fabric
- Faded prints and colour loss
- Broken zips and missing fastenings
- Listing in late autumn, when demand falls
Working out what yours is worth
- Check the composition label for natural fibres
- Hold the fabric to the light for thinning and snags
- Measure the length and bust rather than relying on the size label
What to state in the listing
- Shoulder-to-hem length in centimetres, and the height it suited you at
- Bust, waist and hip measured flat
- Whether it is lined, and the fabric composition
- Hem condition, and whether there are pockets or an adjustable waist
Style, fabric and size, with the length: “Floral Maxi Dress, Size 10, 145cm Shoulder to Hem”. Putting the length in the title is unusual and immediately useful, because maxi length is entirely relative to the wearer. Mention if it is lined or has an adjustable tie.
Preparing and photographing it
- Measure shoulder to hem, plus bust, waist and hip laid flat.
- Check the hem for dirt and fraying, which maxi dresses collect from the ground.
- Confirm the zip, any ties and the lining are all intact, and check for underarm marks.
- Full length on a hanger, front, whole dress in frame
- Flat with a tape running shoulder to hem
- The hem edge close up, showing wear or fraying
- The fabric texture, plus the zip and any flaw
When it sells best, and handing it over
Clearly seasonal, strongest from April to August plus a holiday-season lift in winter for warmer climates. Off-season listings take longer.
Light but with a lot of fabric, so it folds bulkier than expected. Cheap to post regardless.
What buyers ask
What size is a Lacoste 5?
Lacoste uses its own 2 to 8 numbering rather than S to XL, and a 5 is roughly a UK medium to large depending on the cut. Always give the flat chest measurement as well, because this numbering causes more returns than anything else on the label.
Are old Lacoste polos worth more?
Pieces made in France under the Devanlay licence, and older ones labelled Chemise Lacoste, carry a real premium. The care label is what tells you which you have.
How much is a Lacoste maxi dress worth?
Roughly £16 to £66 depending on condition, against £15 to £60 for maxi dresses generally. The identification points above are what move a listing to the top of that range.
What the fees would take elsewhere
At the mid-range £41 for a Lacoste maxi dress, against what the commission marketplaces would deduct:
| Platform | Fee | You keep |
|---|---|---|
| Poshmark | −£8 | £33 |
| eBay | −£6 | £35 |
| Mercari | −£4 | £37 |
| Etsy | −£3 | £38 |
| WishThrift | −£0 | £41 |
Seller-side rates verified 26 Jul 2026, percentages only — the per-order and processing charges those platforms add are excluded, so the real gap is wider.
Listing is free and there is no commission — read how to sell a maxi dress for the title, handover and timing, or the general maxi dress value guide if yours is not a Lacoste.
See also: all Lacoste value guides · value guides by brand · buying a maxi dress · Clothing · condition grades.