How To Tell If a Designer Handbag is Real or Fake

A lot of ladies would love the chance to own the latest designer handbags, but not everyone can actually shell out thousands of dollars to acquire them. Designer handbags are not just bags, thank you very much – they are also status symbols, meant to display the wealth of their owners. So how about those ladies who want to be seen carrying the hottest bag of the season but couldn’t possibly afford to pay for it? This is a gap easily solved by knock-offs.

The market for knock-offs has grown unbelievably as counterfeiters become more skillful and savvy. Today’s fake handbags – ranging Louis Vuitton, Hermes, Chanel and a whole lot more – looks so much like the real ones that it’s so darn hard to distinguish which ones are fake.

Counterfeiters were able to copy not just the design and the material, but also the little details – serial tags and authenticity cards.

So if you’re shopping around for a designer handbag, make sure you develop an eye for spotting fakes first. Let’s start with the top three designer handbags that have become knock-off favorites and learn how to verify their authenticity.

Louis Vuitton Monogram Bag

You can’t stroll through spreads of knock-off handbags without seeing the ubiquitous monogram. You probably think that checking the monogram is the best way to verify the authenticity of the bag, but surprisingly, this is not reliable anymore. Majority of counterfeiters have already perfected the pattern.

So what should you do instead? Check the inside of the bag and look for the date code; it should be stamped on a small leather tag. This should tell you where and when the particular bag is created. Of course, flawless stitching and zippers stamped with the brand’s name should be standard.

Also, check the straps and handles for a slight patina. Louis Vuitton uses untreated vachetta leather for those parts, so the slight sign of wear should be visible if you’re checking out a secondhand bag.

Chanel Flap Bag

Check out the double-C logo; the right-facing C should cross over the left-facing C at the top and goes under the left-facing C on the bottom. If you don’t see it like this, that bag is a fake.

Older Chanel bags may have additional notation stamped on it, but if there’s an “R” enclosed in a circle, than it’s NOT authentic.

Quilting should be flawless; it should line up perfectly on all sides, including the back pocket. The underside of the metal parts should have the “Chanel Paris” stamped on them.

Finally, a real Chanel bag has a tiny hologram sticker inside that has two small Chanel logos and 7-8 digit serial number.

Hermes Birkin

It’s THE handbag to have, obviously. An authentic Birkin has hardware made of either palladium or gold. The four corners of the plates on the front of the small belt should be nailed in. The Hermes stamp at the top of the handbag should be totally straight. Lastly, check the back of the belting; it should have a “blind stamp” indicating the name of the artisan who made the bag and the year it was created.