How to Tell if Your Designer Bag Is Authentic

Designer bags are a huge market. Prices on designer handbags have risen steadily over the last number of years. All of this money makes it a huge target for criminals to manufacture fake bags and try and sell them to unexpecting customers. There are certain factors you should know before going to purchase a designer bag. 

Well-known designers make designer bags. Some people try to copy a purse but, put another name on it. It could be one that is not well known or a name that is not known at all. They attempt to sell off their copied design as a work of these little known designers. Make no mistake; these bags are not authentic. 

A Well-Known Store or Outlet Usually Sell Authentic Designer Bags

These stores are generally well known. Many knockoffs and fake bags sold via the internet of small stores and vendors. Stores and vendors that are singular or setup overnight. People that try to peddle fake bags like this usually want to be in a position to leave when too much attention is on them. 

Comparing Prices Will Usually Lead You to an Authentic Designer Handbag

Many street sellers or online retailers that are selling fake bags will lower the cost drastically. This lower cost is an attempt to get people to purchase a phony bag when they could not afford a real one. However, some fake bags are made of decent quality and have a similar price to an authentic bag. The price could even be more than a genuine bag. You should research the bag you want to buy and know what the average price for that bag is. 

Fake Bags vs. Legal Knockoffs

Legal knockoffs is a category that we have to mention. Counterfeit bags will do anything to pass as a real bag. Logo, lettering, stitching, and construction will attempt to match the authentic bag exactly. A legal knockoff is a designer inspired bag. They knockoff will not try to pass as an authentic design. They make their place in the market by being inspired by the design of the real bag. 

Be Bold and Ask First

If you are buying from a small vendor, then do not be afraid to ask if the bag is authentic. Vendors that sell authentic bags will not hesitate to confirm that the bag is indeed genuine. Vendors that hesitate or attempt to divert your attention are a dead giveaway that they are aware they are selling a fake bag. Reactions from sellers and vendors are usually a dead giveaway to the authenticity of a designer bag. 

Stitching Is the First Tangible Thing You Can Examine Every Designer Bag

On an authentic Chanel purse, for instance, sewing will be straight, and uniform spacing between stitching will be the same as well. Coloring and pattern of the stitching will match throughout the purse. Chanel’s diamond pattern is another dead giveaway. It should be uniform throughout the handbag. Looking at the pocket of the bag, you should see a uniform and consistent pattern in the diamond stitching. Also, look at the number of stitches that make up the diamond. It should be constant and uniform. 

Leather Quality

Speaking of an Chanel purses, you can quickly identify a fake by the quality of the leather. Chanel does not make all of their bags out of leather. The ones that are out of leather should be high quality and very smooth to the touch. High-quality leather should not reveal any dents, scratches, or wrinkles in the finished design. Lower quality fake purses will be of rougher leather that is not as high quality. The condition of the letter is very different to the touch and will be evident.

Hardware Is the Next Inspection Point

The coloring of the hardware should be uniform throughout the bag. Many times fake bags will use equipment that is discolored or slightly different shades. An authentic Chanel purse will regularly use genuine 24 karat gold. The gold can easily be seen as authentic because it will not discolor and will hold up exceptionally well over time. Chanel also uses specific hardware on some aspects of their bags. Screws on the back of the latch plate will be flat head screws. Many fake purses will forget this. They will use whatever screws that they can.

Logos and Their Placement

Logos and the placement of them on the bags are another dead giveaways. Authentic designer bags have specific arrangements of the logo down the centimeters of their placement; for instance, Chanel’s logo is always a point of problem for people attempting to fake their bags. The logo itself has a specific look to it. It is always the same on each bag; the right C should overlap the left one at the top. The left C should overlap the right at the bottom. Many times people that fake this logo will get it back or the logos will not overlap at all. 

The Authenticity Card and Tag That Is in Each Bag Is Another Place Where Fakes Will Not Be Exact

The first thing is: look for matching numbers on the tag in the bag and on the card. Next is how many numbers make up the serial number. Chanel never has any more than 9. Each year or sets of years have a different number of digits. Look up the model year of the bag you are buying, and that will tell you how many figures you should find there. The font on the card should be constant and uniform. Many times fake purses will have different spacing or misspelled lettering. 

The branding of the logo is another point to check. If the bag is leather, then the two C logo should be embossed into the leather. Many fakes constructed rapidly will have the logo only the surface. On a genuine Chanel purse, the logo will be in the leather. The difference will be visible. Looking at the inside of the bag you can see the name stamped there. That name will always be the same color as the hardware of the bag. Typical fakes miss this, and the logos and names will be in grey or black — both signs of a poor quality fake. 

General Bag Shape Is the Next Thing That You Need to Look Examine

For instance, an actual Chanel purse will have beautiful round corners with the leather precisely cut to fit there. Fake Chanel purses usually are blockier in structure. The leather will usually rumple and wrinkle easily at the edges. 

The next thing you should look at is not the purse itself but, the duster bag. The name stamped on the bag is always in a bright white font. It is ideally center of the bag. Many fakes will get this wrong and use a grey color or a dingy white. The bag itself is usually lighter in the material. It will fill lighter than the more substantial authentic bag.

Quality Lining 

The last thing applies close with an authentic designer purse. The lining should be snug to the inside of the bag. Many fakes will put a poor quality lining that wrinkles and when touched. An authentic lining will not bubble or wrinkle when disturbed. The authentic lining will also be tough to separate from the purse. Lastly, there will be no loose threads. Many people making fake purses will not hesitate to leave a few loose threads on the inside of the bag thinking no one will notice it. 

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Vivianne Sterling

Editorial Manager at Beautips. I love street style and I'm always in search of bits of inspiration around me. I also believe in home-made solutions for fitness, beauty tricks and healthy cooking.

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