Frequently Asked Questions
Everything you need to know about buying and selling on Culture Closet. Can't find your answer? Email hello@culturecloset.co.uk.
About Culture Closet
What is Culture Closet?
Culture Closet is Scotland's first peer-to-peer marketplace for pre-loved cultural and occasion wear. We connect sellers of South Asian, Muslim, and cultural occasion wear — lehengas, abayas, sarees, sherwanis, and more — with buyers looking for beautiful garments at a fraction of the original price.
Who is Culture Closet for?
Culture Closet is built for South Asian and Muslim communities across the UK, and anyone who wears or loves cultural occasion wear. Whether you have a bridal lehenga worn once sitting in your wardrobe, or you are looking for the perfect Eid outfit at an affordable price — Culture Closet is for you.
Why does Culture Closet exist?
Cultural occasion wear is beautiful, often artisan-made, and expensive — and yet most pieces are worn once and stored indefinitely. Existing platforms have no cultural category infrastructure and no occasion-based search. Culture Closet was built by a South Asian woman who lived this problem her whole life and decided to fix it.
Selling
Q: Is it really free to list?
Yes, completely free. Sellers list for free and keep 100% of their sale price. No commission, no listing fee, no monthly subscription. Culture Closet makes money from the buyer protection fee paid by buyers — sellers pay nothing.
Q: What can I sell?
Cultural, traditional, and modest occasion wear only: Women's Bridal (lehenga, saree, gown, abaya, sharara & gharara, anarkali & kameez, etc), Women's Guest & Occasion Wear, Men's Occasion Wear, and Children's Occasion Wear.
Q: How do I get paid?
Via Stripe. When your item sells, payment is held until the buyer confirms receipt or 72 hours pass without a dispute. Payment is then released to your Stripe account and paid out to your bank on your chosen schedule.
Q: What if a buyer raises a dispute?
We contact you for your response and evidence within 48 hours. Our team reviews everything fairly and reaches a decision within 5 business days. The best way to avoid disputes is to describe items honestly and photograph any wear clearly.
Buying
Q: What is the buyer protection fee?
7.5% of the item price, charged at checkout. This covers secure Stripe payment processing, your payment held in escrow, and our dispute resolution service. If your item is significantly not as described, we refund you in full including the fee.
Q: How does the 72-hour window work?
Once your item is delivered, you have 72 hours to raise any issues. Your payment is held by Stripe during this time. If no dispute is raised, funds are automatically released to the seller. After 72 hours the transaction is final.
Q: Can I search by embroidery colour?
Yes — Culture Closet is the only marketplace where you can filter cultural occasion wear by embroidery and embellishment colour. Search for gold zari, silver, rose gold, and more. A buyer looking for a red lehenga in size 12 with gold embroidery can find exactly that in seconds.
Q: Can I return an item if I change my mind?
Culture Closet can not guarantee change-of-mind returns — this is a peer-to-peer marketplace. Returns are only covered where the item is significantly not as described. We strongly recommend messaging the seller with any questions before purchasing.
General
Q: Is there an app?
Culture Closet is a mobile-optimised website — it works beautifully on any phone browser. Simply go to culturecloset.co.uk on your phone. A dedicated iOS and Android app is coming soon.
Q: Is Culture Closet only for Scotland?
No — Culture Closet is a UK-wide platform. You can buy and sell from anywhere in the UK. We are founded in Scotland and proud of it, but our community spans the whole country.
Q: How do I contact Culture Closet?
Email hello@culturecloset.co.uk. We aim to respond within 48 hours on business days. Find us on Instagram @theculturecloset.uk and TikTok @the.culture.closet.