Real vs. Fake – Can You Spot the Difference?

Can you spot the difference between a real Louis Vuitton and a fake with just a simple glance? Elegance by Eva is here to tell you, yes, you can! While the counterfeit products account to be a billion-dollar industry, there are still specific items that authenticate valuable designer pieces and help you spot the real from the fake.

One of the benefits of owning and purchasing a luxury product is that it comes with a lifetime guarantee. There’s a reason why brands like Chanel, Gucci, and Hermes are known as investment pieces. Brands like these hold their value well. In fact, some vintage pieces might cost more than the items currently sold in the boutiques.

Not everyone has the means to drop several thousands of luxury brands. That’s why consignment stores, like Elegance by Eva, are a great alternative to pick up some amazing pieces, while saving a few bucks. There are many great consignment stores that go to great lengths in protecting their customers from purchasing counterfeit items. However, keeping these handy five tips in your back pocket will provide another layer of protect for you.

Step 1: use your senses to examine the leather. It should feel soft, silky, and have a visibly soft appearance. Real leather also has a great smell, it shouldn’t remind you of plastic. All designer items have great structure. Especially shoes and bags, they maintain their shape with little to no support.

Step 2: examine the quilting. Most luxury items are handmade, meaning the stitching should be straight and done nearly perfectly. There should be no loose threads. Some quilting could even have signature shapes. For example, the stitching in Chanel bags maintains the consistent diamond pattern and it lined up perfectly even when front flap is closed.

Step 3: check under the hood. All items, from bags to shoes to clothing have an interior lining. The lining should feel luxurious to the touch as its typically made from high-quality materials like canvas, cross-grain leather or suede. The lining should also be completely clean, with no visible lumps or bumps.

Step 4: get your magnifying glass if needed and examine all the hardware. The metal clasps, buttons, zipper pull, plates, locks, should all be the same colour. The brand logo is also carefully engraved and spelled correctly in the brand’s signature font. Even older pieces, the hardware should never tarnish since it’s made of real metals like gold and brass. Chains should feel heavy since it includes real metals and the stitching should be seamless.

Step 5: birth certificate. Just like you, your luxury items come with its own authenticity card. Every brand has its own code and can vary depending on the year it was made. The best way to indicate if the authenticity card is real or fake is to count how many numbers the card has. For example, Chanel bags made during 1984 -1986 features 6 digits, while bags made between 1986- 1994 it will be 7 numbers. If it was made from 2005 until now it will feature 8 digits. So, if you find a Chanel bag with 9 digits, the bag is fake.

If you’re still not sure if your item is real, give Elegance by Eva a call and we help sort out any confusion.