How to write a clothing listing description that sells

A good clothing listing description tells a buyer what the piece is, what it is made of, what condition it is in, how it fits and what is wrong with it, in plain words and in that order. Start the title with the brand and the type of piece, add the main shade and the size, and put any flaws in the description rather than hoping nobody notices. The aim is to answer every question a buyer would ask if they could pick it up.

Here is how to write one, with a template you can reuse.

Start with a clear title

The title is what buyers see in search and in the feed, so make every word count. A simple pattern works for most pieces:

Brand + type of piece + key detail + shade

For example:

• "Wool blend wrap coat, camel"
• "High-rise straight leg jeans, mid blue"
• "Cable knit cotton jumper, cream"

Add the brand at the start if there is one. Avoid words that tell a buyer nothing, such as "lovely" or "must have", and avoid all capitals.

The details buyers ask about

After the title, cover these in the description. Short lines or a few sentences are fine.

1. What it is. The style and any features: double-breasted, cropped, wide leg, with pockets, lined.
2. The size on the label, exactly as written, and the system if it is not UK.
3. The fabric, as the composition label says it: "80% wool, 20% polyamide". If the label is missing, say so.
4. The shade, in words as well as photos: "forest green, slightly darker than the photos".
5. The condition, in plain words that match the grade you chose.
6. Any flaws, however small, with where they are.
7. How it fits, if you have worn it: true to size, roomy, short in the body, snug across the shoulders.
8. Measurements in cm, laid flat.

Be specific about flaws

Honesty about flaws is what turns a good listing into a sale that stays sold. Say what the flaw is, where it is and how noticeable it is.

• Instead of "some wear", write "light bobbling under both arms, not noticeable when worn".
• Instead of "small mark", write "faint mark on the left cuff, about 1 cm, shown in photo 5".
• Instead of "well loved", write "fading on the knees and slight fraying at the back hems".

On Rewear you can also add flaws to the listing and pin each one to the photo that shows it. A buyer who has seen a flaw before buying rarely complains about it later. Our guide to condition grades helps you match the words to the grade.

Fit and measurements

Fit is the question that stops most second-hand sales. A size label alone does not answer it, because sizes vary so much between brands and decades.

Add the measurements a buyer needs for that kind of piece: chest, length and sleeve for tops and coats; waist, rise, inside leg and hip for trousers and jeans. Measurements are optional on Rewear, but buyers who have saved their own can see how a measured piece compares with them. Our guide to measuring clothes for selling shows which numbers to take for each garment.

If you have worn it, describe the fit in a sentence: "I am usually a 12 and this fitted with a little room for a jumper."

Things to leave out

• Long stories about where you wore it. A line is enough.
• Claims you cannot back up, such as "real silk" without a label, or a designer name you are not sure of. Rewear's Terms do not allow anything described with a brand it was not made by.
• Personal details, such as your phone number, email or address. Keep everything in the app.
• Requests to pay outside the platform. Buyers lose their protection and sellers lose theirs.

A template you can copy

• Title: [brand] [type of piece], [shade]
• Size and fabric: size [label size]. [Fabric, as on the label].
• Condition: [grade]. [One sentence on the overall condition].
• Flaws: [each flaw, where it is, how noticeable].
• Fit: [how it fits, if worn].
• Measurements, laid flat: [chest, waist, length, sleeve or inside leg] in cm.

An example

• Title: Wool blend wrap coat, camel
• Size and fabric: size UK 12. 70% wool, 30% polyamide, fully lined.
• Condition: good. Worn for two winters and kept on a wide hanger.
• Flaws: light bobbling on the sides where a bag rubbed; one inside button replaced with a close match.
• Fit: true to size, room for a jumper underneath.
• Measurements, laid flat: pit to pit 55 cm, length 98 cm, sleeve 61 cm.

Let the app give you a head start

When you start a listing on Rewear, the app suggests a title, category and a first draft of the description from your photos. It is a starting point, so check every detail against the piece and the label, and add the flaws, fit and measurements yourself.

Put it together

A clear description works best with clear photos and a fair price. Our guides on how to photograph clothes to sell and how to price second-hand clothes cover both.

The short version

Brand, type, detail and shade in the title. Size, fabric, condition, flaws, fit and measurements in the description. Be specific about every flaw, leave out anything you cannot back up, and keep the conversation in the app.