Louis Vuitton has become one of the most well-known and popular designer brands around the world.
Louis Vuitton’s monogram, damier patterns, and quality leather products make it a symbol for fashion, luxury, and wealth.
It’s not surprising that Louis Vuitton, given its price and popularity is one of most counterfeited brands. (Just look at these Louis Vuitton handbags). How can you tell if the Louis Vuitton handbag is authentic?
It’s not always easy to distinguish a fake bag from an original piece.
Continue reading if you’d like to know some tips on how to determine if the bag is authentic or fake.
How to Tell if a Louis Vuitton bag is Real
Search for the Inside Stamp
Like many other luxury designer labels (i.e. Celine and Chanel pieces do not come with authenticity certificates.
The French brand instead decided to stamp the date codes inside the bags in order to show when and where they were manufactured.
LV used to be made only in France. Now, it is manufactured in Switzerland, Italy, Germany and Spain.
A tag that is authentic will have a six-character barcode. This code will tell you where the bag was manufactured, as well as the month and the year.
Fonts to Pay Attention
To authenticate a bag, you need to pay attention to even the smallest of details. This includes inspecting the font.
Louis Vuitton uses a font that is very distinctive. The tell-tale signs are the letters L and o, as well as the spacing between the words “Vuitton.”
The L in Louis Vuitton. The two lines which make up the letter L are not equal in size. It is difficult to tell if there is no reference image that the horizontal line will be longer than the vertical.
Second, the Os will form a circle. Pay attention to the fact that many counterfeiters use a 0 instead of an O when designing their replicas.
Finally, the letters “Vuitton”, are always very close together. They’re almost touching. A reference photo is always helpful to compare and contrast.
Louis Vuitton also prints its name on leather squares with the center perfectly aligned.
Look at the Pattern Closely
Louis Vuitton takes great pride in its classic and iconic monogram and damier designs, as they are what make the brand so recognizable.
Louis Vuitton pays attention to every detail when designing its bags, and that includes the pattern.
The V appears slightly above the L on a Louis Vuitton monogram.
Make sure that when you look at the monogram, the V should be above the L and the other shapes must also be present.
- four-petal fleur-de-lys
- a fleur-de-lys inside a square
- Four-petal flower in a circle
The symbols, geometric shapes or flowers should not be crooked. If it isn’t, then you know that the bag is a fake.
Pay attention to the continuity in the pattern. Louis Vuitton pays close attention to continuity.
The placement of the “Louis Vuitton Paris logo” in a square on the opposite side of the bag will be the same.
All these details are minor, but are important to remember when trying to distinguish between a Louis Vuitton replica and an authentic bag.
Take a Look at the Hardware
Louis Vuitton has many reasons for being a luxury brand, but one is the high-quality hardware used on its bags.
Hardware shouldn’t be light, like plastic. It should feel heavy. Louis Vuitton’s hardware is made from metal brass. It shouldn’t be cheap and should feel solid.
The shape of the hardware is a detail that can be easily overlooked. Rings used to attach, say, a shoulder strap should be D-shaped, not O-shaped. If your LV bag has square-shaped hardware, make sure you feel the edges to ensure they are soft and buttery.
If the bag features a zipper, make sure it opens and closes easily. The zipper should not stop in the middle or be difficult to operate!
In conclusion
Our biggest tip would be to buy from a reputable seller. Our intuition is usually right. We never recommend purchasing a bag from a site that does not have an authentication system.
There are many online retailers of designer clothing (both new and second-hand) who have elaborate authentication systems. They also offer guarantees that will ensure you don’t get scammed. Check out our guide on the best luxury resale sites.
Today, counterfeit products can look so similar to genuine items that even the smallest details can make a big difference. Check all the above qualities when analyzing a handbag. You shouldn’t simply look at the pattern of a bag and assume it’s authentic. There are many factors to consider. Of course, you should inspect all of these things prior to purchasing the bag.
This list of tips will help you to get an authentic Louis Vuitton handbag. You deserve it!