The brand bag has special prestige. She makes the image of elite and gives the woman confidence even with an everyday dress. The only negative is that the original bag is quite expensive. You can go to one of the branded bags, boutiques, but because of the high price, you are tempted to buy these products at a sale or at a thrift shop. Such an acquisition looks a bit reckless because you cannot be 100% sure that you will get the real thing.

Features branded accessories

Most buyers make purchasing decisions based on a brand name. Companies spend billions of dollars to protect the authenticity of the goods so that customers know that they are buying the original, and not a fake. As the demand for branded bags grows, the counterfeit market also grows.

Here are some tips to help distinguish a real bag from a fake.

• Get acquainted with the original. If you do not plan to purchase a certain brand in the store, then you will certainly want to hedge. Get to know the product that interests you as much as possible. A great way to do this is to go to the designer shop and inspect the brand bag personally. Try to touch the skin, see how the hardware looks, the lining and where the logos should actually be placed.
• Check the fasteners. Pay special attention to zippers, locks, and buttons. They are often the most significant details to distinguish a fake. Accessories for branded bags should have the same color and finish. The exception is Chloé, which creates bags with mixed fittings. The zippers should unfasten and fasten smoothly; locks and carabineers should be strong, but opening and closing easily, without any effort. The metal accessories of branded bags are branded.

• Pay special attention to the seams. The seams of the brand bag are not glued. The line should be smooth and symmetrical. If the stitches seem sloppy, uneven or sloping, you are probably looking at a fake. At the ends of the seams should not be loose threads or stitching back and forth. If the picture is applied on both sides of the seam, it should be symmetrical. Famous brands have their own unique stitching techniques, which are a key indicator. For example, Hermes bags can be recognized by the patented piqures sellier (herringbone) seam, which is manually sewn by the master. True experts can even distinguish some hand-made irregularities from machine stitching.

• Take a closer look at the material. Not all branded bags are made of leather. For example, some models from Louis Vuitton use canvas with leather trim. If the bag is made of genuine leather, it should be dry and soft to the touch; artificial leather feels like oily, slippery or sticky. The smell of glue, rubber or chemicals helps to distinguish a fake. If the name of the designer is to be stamped on the leather, make sure that embossing is present.
• Is it possible to distinguish a branded bag by weight? Yes. Counterfeit goods are usually made from fabric substitutes that are lighter than leather or precious metals. Most of the accessories of branded bags are made of metals such as brass or gold, which do not tarnish over time. Due to this, the original product will be somewhat heavier than a fake. Each brand has a standard weight category or average weight for each product.
• Consider the lining. It is unlikely that a genuine brand handbag for lining would be used cheap fabric. Most likely, it will be an atlas, cross-leather or suede microfiber. You should also pay attention to the fact that the lining was well sewn to the bag; it should not be uneven seams and threads. Copyists often work with photos that distort the color, so the shade of the lining may differ from the original.

• A reliable way to distinguish a branded bag is to study the design and layout of logos. On originals, it should look perfect; without inaccuracies and unnecessary details. Many high-end brands have a metal logo or embossed leather. On the counterfeit, a fabric label is most often sewn, which is easier to manufacture. Fashion houses have official websites, where models of both current and past collections are presented. Before you go shopping, examine in detail the bag you like, including the logo. The slightest deviation from the image of the brand is a sign of “linden”.
• Beware too tempting offers. If a branded bag is sold several times cheaper than the original, most likely it is a poor-quality copy or a fake. But analogues are different in quality and cost.

For convenience, they are divided into classes:

• Class A is designed for the lowest budget. This is a low-quality copy made of cheap materials, marriage often occurs.
• AA class – a copy made on professional equipment, imitates the appearance of the product exactly. Due to cheaper materials, quality suffers; there is a small likelihood of marriage.
• Class AAA – high-quality replicas, exactly the same features of branded bags and made from similar natural materials. Luxury class replicas are cheaper than the original but almost as good as it. It is difficult for a non-professional to distinguish them from a real product without knowing certain nuances.

An important feature of the AAA class replica is a thorough imitation of small details, which become the main cause of “exposure”. Many stores expressly state that they sell replicas of branded bags. The task of the buyer, in this case, is to distinguish a high-class copy from cheap options.

Replica, copy, fake

The border between the three analogs is rather blurred, however, it is possible to distinguish a high-quality replica from a low-grade counterfeit with the naked eye.

Replicas

Produced by large manufacturers who have the opportunity to buy drawings of models of interest. In this model, the house requires to observe a lot of nuances. The material, color, print run, etc. are agreed with the representatives of the brand. Release of the replicas can begin only after a significant part of the brand bags has been sold out. In our classification, the replica satisfies the Class AAA. From the original, it can be distinguished by two facts – the lack of a certificate of authenticity and half the price.

Copies

With copies of bags is not so clear. Some sources attribute them to lower quality remarks; others – to fakes. You can distinguish a copy from a replica by the following features:

• The price of copies falls to 80% of the original.
• Production is put on stream, so there is no quality when each product undergoes strict control.
• In the copies, you can find a slightly modified print on the material.
• The size of the product does not always correspond to the original, but the tags and logos are secured with high quality, the text is written without errors.
• Cheaper hardware accessories are used, for example, Swarovski crystals may not be sewn, but glued.

Fakes

This fake chic can be found in any market, in a third-rate shop or in tents near the subway. Counterfeiting is a product that has been issued without permits, in fact, a counterfeit.

To reduce the cost of production, manufacturers use the lowest materials and fittings. For example, natural leather is replaced with kozhzam or so-called eco-leather. The trim and lining of these bags also leave much to be desired. World brand names may be distorted or sewn crookedly.

How to distinguish some popular branded bags from fakes

GUCCI

On the inner tag, where it says GUCCI and “Made in Italy”, the number must also be indicated with a four or six-digit serial number printed on the skin. There are two types of protective Gucci fabric bags, one of which is made of dark brown satin, and the GG logo is printed on the front, and the second G is inverted. The second type is a solid light brown color with GUCCI written in gold on the front side.

Chanel

Chanel does not attach any labels or keyrings to their bags. If you encounter an attached tag, you can safely assume that it is a fake. New Chanel bags are delivered in black protective fabric bags with the words “Chanel”. On the inside of the bag, the inscription CHANEL should be affixed, as well as the inscription “Made in France” directly under it or on the side.

Hermès

Hermès has done a lot to counter fakes, and because of this, it is surprisingly easy to distinguish a fake version of the company’s iconic bags. Hermès bags never attach paper labels. Birkin and Kelly’s styles come complete with an engraved lock and key set, the word Hermès will be written on the lock below, and the corresponding number will be indicated on the key.

In addition, Hermès never uses a metal nameplate with a logo on the inside of its bags, a piece that fake items often have. Also, keep in mind that “Vintage Birkin” does not exist, since “Birkin” has been produced only since 1984.

Louis Vuitton

The title of the most replicated brand bag on the planet belongs to Louis Vuitton. For a start, remember that the O in the logo must have a perfectly round shape. Many fakes use oval O. instead.

In some styles, such as Speedy, on the back of the bag are inverted LV. The reason for this is that Louis Vuitton uses one piece of canvas that is wrapped from the back to the front. Not all Louis Vuitton bags are made in France, so if it says “Made in the USA”, it does not automatically mean that it is a fake.

What to do if doubts arise after buying a bag?

There are companies that offer to help authenticate a purchased branded bag. Some of them claim that they can check the thing out of the photos that you send them. It is very difficult to distinguish a fake by the picture, so it’s better to personally contact a reliable specialist. If the authenticity of the bag is not confirmed, you can return it to the supplier before the return time has expired.

Thomas Rossetti